In this episode of The Delphi Podcast, Tommy sits down with Steve McLaughlin, founder and CEO of FT Partners, to unpack how he left Goldman Sachs at 32 and built one of the most influential investment banks in fintech. Steve shares the story behind FT Partners’ early days, including how his team took a company that had received roughly $150 million offers and ultimately sold it for $550 million. He explains why FT goes deeper than traditional investment banks, how the firm has built decades-long relationships with founders, and why incentives, founder ownership, and putting your own capital behind your conviction matter. They also discuss FT’s $50 million investment in Revolut, what Steve looks for in great founders, the work ethic required to build a firm over 25 years, surviving multiple financial crises, and why he believes AI will ultimately be a bigger disruption to financial services than the internet, mobile, or crypto. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:20 Leaving Goldman and Starting FT Partners 11:00 Turning a $150M Offer Into a $550M Sale 18:30 How FT Partners Values Companies 28:30 Building Long-Term Founder Relationships 34:00 Founder Incentives and the Revolut Bet 52:00 What Steve Looks for in Great Founders 1:08:00 The Future of Fintech, Crypto, and AI Tommy: https://x.com/Shaughnessy119 Steve: https://x.com/FTPartners 🔗 Connect with Delphi 🌐 Portal: https://delphidigital.io/ 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/delphi_digital 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delphi-digital 🎧 Listen on All podcast platforms: https://thedelphipodcast.buzzsprout.com DISCLAIMER This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host and members at Delphi Ventures may personally own tokens or art that are mentioned on the podcast. Our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle, and/or the end of the episode. These sponsorships are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to use any product, service or token.