Podcast: JC on Venture Grounds
In this Venture Grounds episode, JC Bahr-de Stefano from Better Tomorrow Ventures explains why the best FinTech companies aren't leading with AI — they're leading with the problem they solve. He breaks down why AI is enabling technology, not the product itself, and why founders who plaster AI across their company name and pitch are making the same mistake as the last generation calling themselves SaaS companies.
JC shares his journey from consulting for banks on risk and compliance, to working at Affirm through its IPO and five acquisitions, to investing at Better Tomorrow Ventures where every member of the team has either started or operated a FinTech company. He explains why he's skeptical of agent commerce and stablecoins as standalone startup opportunities, arguing that the value from both will likely accrue to existing payment companies and card networks rather than new entrants.
You will hear insights on why the first no from a VC isn't a forever no, what separates a genuinely useful investor update from a forgettable one, and why FinTech companies take longer to build but compound like crazy at scale. JC also shares why he believes financial services will always need people, why outsiders can actually win in FinTech despite what insiders think, and why the revenue quality of AI companies might be the biggest risk most VCs are sleepwalking past right now. Whether you are building in financial services, trying to figure out what actually separates pre-seed from seed, or wondering where real opportunity sits in a crowded market, this conversation gives you a clear and honest view of what it takes to build in FinTech in 2026.
