Real Conversations with the People Shaping

Most fintechs walk into a bank or credit union meeting with a VC deck and wonder why nothing closes. In this clip from my conversation with Christian Ruppe, Chief Strategy Officer at ImpactFI Advisors, we get into one of the most common and costly mistakes fintechs make when trying to land FI partnerships — pitching to the wrong priorities in the wrong language. The fintechs that win these deals aren't always the ones with the best product. They're the ones who figured out how to make their product feel like a priority to a banker. That's a completely different skill than fundraising — and most founders never make the switch. 🎙️ Full episode on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/propagate-fintech-podcast/id1874648654?i=1000763143134

Blocked off a full day last week which felt weird as a small business owner. Just took my boys hiking through the forest. At some point I spotted a newt in the creek and the little dudes insisted on my catching it. They pretty much thought we found a Pokémon in real life. I've been running my own thing for a while now and the hardest part is knowing what deserves your attention versus what just feels urgent in the moment. That muscle takes a long time to build and gets dull fast if you don't step away from the noise occasionally. Came back the next day with a clearer head than I've had in weeks. Block the time and take a hike! #Leadership #SmallBusiness #Fintech #DadLife #fintech

Bank branches are already creating great customer experiences… they’re just not showing up online. A simple, gamified review push can change that in one quarter. In the rest of the conversation, Christian Ruppe from ImpactFI Advisors shares more insight from his community bank playbook on all things growth,disruption and fintech investing. To learn more, check us out at www.propagatefintech.com To learn more about Christian, follow his work at www.impactfiadvisors.com

Christian Ruppe joins the show to break down his transition from community banking into his new role as Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at ImpactFi Advisors. We cover where banks are actually winning, what fintech founders get wrong, and how strategy, AI, and data are reshaping the industry. Christian also shares insights from launching the Perch Fund and how he evaluates fintech investments. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro + career transition 02:00 – From founder to banker to advisor 05:00 – Most underrated growth levers in banking 07:30 – Why small business is a massive opportunity 09:00 – Inside the Perch Fund 11:00 – How to evaluate fintech investments 21:20 – Biggest mistakes fintech founders make 26:05 – What content bankers actually need 27:50 – Tactical growth: fixing Google reviews 32:00 – What’s next for Christian If you'd like to explore coming on the show, go to propagatefintech.com and submit a contact form with your thoughts.