AI Amplifies Competence, It Doesn’t Replace It | Steve Lamb, Kyckr CEO

Olly Richards spent the best part of ten years at Barclays and Nordea before joining 10x Banking, where he now runs the commercial side. He tells James Barker why he once put every vendor in the same box, why what your existing customers say matters more than anything you close this quarter, and why AI accelerates bad commercial habits as fast as good ones. Plus why he thinks scaled outbound is losing value, and whether the SDR role survives. What we get into Why he put every vendor in the same box as a banker, and what that cost him Why customer references matter more than closing this quarter How long a core banking deal really runs, from the waiting room to signature How the 10x product changed twice, and why it chose guardrails over infinite flexibility Why AI accelerates what you're bad at as fast as what you're good at Why a customer-hosted dinner did more for 10x than another Zoom call Whether the SDR role survives AI, and what it turns into About the guest Olly Richards is SVP Commercial & Strategy at 10x Banking, where he is responsible for sales, marketing, partnerships and accounts across the whole customer lifecycle. He spent the best part of ten years at Barclays and Nordea, and moved to the vendor side after realising he had no idea how to contribute to a technology conversation. He has been at 10x for nearly seven years. Chapters 00:00 Episode teaser 02:06 Gamekeeper turned poacher, from Barclays and Nordea to 10x 03:29 What he got wrong about vendors as a banker 07:33 Why references matter more than this quarter's number 09:05 How long a core banking deal really takes 11:43 How buying has changed, and why it's now a social game 14:20 How the 10x product evolved twice 18:57 Guardrails, not infinite flexibility 20:44 Greenfield, transformation and implementation partners 27:11 AI in banks accelerates the good and the bad 33:04 What's working in go-to-market in 2026 36:43 The AI content bar, and writing versus thinking 40:51 Does the SDR role survive? 45:00 Learning to love the process More from GTM Hive Watch the full Fintech HiveMind series and catch the next episode More on 10x Banking: 10xbanking.com Our sponsor This series is sponsored by VC Innovations, who run the FTT Fintech Festival and the Future Identity Festival in London on 9 and 10 November. Find out more about the FTT Fintech Festival and Future Identity Festival

Geert Van Kerckhoven, CEO and co-founder of Oper Credits, told his company its share price would be zero in three years unless it went AI-native. He and James Barker talk about faster bank sales cycles, betting the business on an AI agent called Herman, and why he'd hire slowly. Roughly 95% of Oper's code is now written by AI agents, and Geert thinks the CEO will be replaced before the account executive. What you'll get out of it Why he told his whole company their share price would be zero in three years if they didn't act How Herman took Oper from slow, once-in-a-while enterprise deals to three-to-four-month sales cycles Why the cost of building software has fallen 10x and is heading for 100x, and what that does to build versus buy How roughly 95% of Oper's code is now written by AI agents Why he thinks the CEO will be replaced before the account executive Why most companies are taking a Ferrari to the bakery with their AI token spend The one hiring rule he'd give any new founder Fintech HiveMind is made by GTM Hive: conversations with the founders, CEOs and revenue leaders building technology companies that sell into regulated markets. More Fintech HiveMind episodes. This series is sponsored by VC Innovations, who run the FTT Fintech Festival and the Future Identity Festival in London on 9 and 10 November. Find out more about the FTT Fintech Festival and Future Identity Festival.

Steve Lamb runs Kyckr, and he would rather make money than take money — hiring, in his words, is an absolute last resort. He argues the industry has automated its go-to-market in exactly the wrong order, and points at the AI labs themselves: the ones preaching full automation are busy hiring salespeople. Also: why verifying a business is still manual when verifying a person is nearly solved, and how few company registries worldwide actually work properly. What you'll get out of this Why hiring is "an absolute last resort" at Kyckr, and what they do instead as demand grows What the AI labs' own hiring tells you about automating go-to-market Why verifying a business is still manual when verifying a person is nearly a solved problem The order of operations most teams get wrong when they automate sales communication How many company registries worldwide actually work like Companies House (not many) What a "competence amplifier" is genuinely good at — and what it is not Chapters 00:00 — Cold open 00:47 — Sponsor — FTT Fintech Festival & Future Identity Festival 01:31 — Every job under the sun: which function is Steve? 03:21 — What Kyckr actually does 08:39 — Fully remote — and why they're reopening in London 11:34 — The AI labs preach automation and hire salespeople 16:35 — Hiring is a last resort 19:23 — Growth at all costs is back 23:12 — Why business verification is still manual 26:50 — NVIDIA, Intel and the chip nobody can name 30:55 — Registries like Companies House: count them on one hand 36:48 — How Steve actually uses AI — and the hidden-employee rule 45:26 — Automating the thing that should have gone last 47:02 — One piece of advice for a first-time CEO Fintech HiveMind is made by GTM Hive. More from GTM Hive. This series is sponsored by VC Innovations — the FTT Fintech Festival and the Future Identity Festival. Find out more. Kyckr

James Bushby is four months into the CRO job at Tuum, and he is blunt about the one thing AI will not do for you: cold-call its way into a core banking deal. He and James Barker get into why complex sales still turn on warm introductions and culture, why the date a bank puts on its decision is almost never the date it decides, and the red flags that say a prospect was never going to buy. Plus a quick-fire round on which channels are actually underrated in 2026. What we get into Why AI belongs around core banking, not inside the system of record Where AI genuinely speeds up enterprise selling, and where it quietly costs you the deal How to read the real timeline on a bank's buying decision, not the one written on the RFP The two red flags that tell you a prospect will be a bad customer long before contract Why culture outranks a salesperson's black book when James Bushby hires What a quick-fire channel audit says about partners, paid media and events in 2026 About the guest James Bushby is Chief Revenue Officer at Tuum. He started out in the ATM industry, co-founded an independent ATM deployer that went into administration in the 2008 crash, and spent the years after that in large organisations including Mastercard, before moving to Mambu. He joined Tuum in 2026. Chapters 00:00 Cold open 02:02 From ATM entrepreneur to administration in 2008 07:09 Which size of company actually fits you 10:36 Core banking in 2026: fintechs moving in on the banks 12:29 The two extremes of core platforms, and where Tuum sits 15:09 SaaS, private cloud and the quiet return of on-premise 16:56 Partners, direct sales and marketing: what opens doors 19:43 Quick fire: underrated, overrated, correctly rated 22:23 Is AI in core banking actually a thing? 26:46 Where AI helps you sell, and where it does not 29:32 Can you speed up a bank's buying decision? 34:15 The red flags that make a prospect the wrong customer 38:27 Hiring: market knowledge, gravitas, and why culture wins 44:30 The biggest mistake of his career More from GTM Hive Watch the full Fintech HiveMind series and get the next episode when it drops More on Tuum: tuum.com Our sponsor Thanks to our sponsor, the FTT Fintech Festival by VC Innovations, the UK's largest fintech festival, in London on 9 and 10 November 2026: FTT Fintech Festival, London, 9 to 10 November

Most teams do not have a Challenger Sales problem. They have a problem applying it. Matt Mills, CEO of Ripjar, joins James Barker to unpack what actually changes when you move into the CEO seat, why generic AI prospecting is already easy to spot, and how commercial leaders can use AI without compromising judgement, security or trust. They cover why Challenger Sales is so often poorly executed, how to handle RFP-heavy enterprise buying, what an effective commercial team looks like around complex technology, and why AI needs real guardrails. Explore more GTM HiveMind conversations Find out more about the FTT Fintech Festival and Future Identity Festival: https://hubs.li/Q04tHm0w0 Chapters 00:00 — Why Challenger Sales is so often misapplied 01:05 — Meet Matt Mills, CEO of Ripjar 02:39 — The first year as CEO 07:58 — Why Matt joined Ripjar 12:22 — Building a commercial team around deep technology 17:25 — Why generic AI prospecting fails 25:50 — AI in sales and marketing 29:20 — Building AI adoption into the organisation 33:09 — AI guardrails, hallucinations and information security 37:05 — CEO decision-making and commercial risk 43:36 — Why Challenger Sales is broken 46:19 — Buyer value, RFPs and better sales questions

In this episode of Hivemind, Stephen Lemon, co-founder of Currency Cloud, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, discussing the challenges and triumphs of building a fintech company. He reflects on the importance of product market fit, the role of APIs in innovation, and the significance of strategic partnerships. Stephen also emphasizes the lessons learned from near failures, the value of organizational health, and the current trends in fintech investment, particularly in the context of AI and evolving business models.   ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 The Journey of Currency Cloud 05:57 Navigating Growth Phases and Product Market Fit 12:05 The Role of APIs in Fintech Innovation 18:00 Building Strategic Partnerships 24:04 Lessons from Near Failures 30:03 Organizational Health and Team Dynamics 35:54 Current Trends in Fintech Investment 41:50 The Future of AI and Business Models

David Brear is the co-founder and CEO of 11:FS, the consultancy and venture builder reshaping how financial services think about digital. Known for his mantra that “banking is only 1% finished,” David is one of the most recognized voices in fintech, helping institutions reimagine products, services, and customer experience for a digital-first world.   David shares the story of leaving corporate life to start 11:FS at the height of the FinTech boom, bootstrapping the company, and building a multi-disciplinary business spanning consulting, product development, and media. The conversation dives into the challenges of scaling a startup while maintaining agility, why content and thought leadership became a growth engine for their early business, and how they use podcasts and storytelling to punch above their weight against incumbents like Deloitte and McKinsey.   Listeners will gain insight into: The mindset shift from corporate to founder life Bootstrapping versus raising capital and funding growth organically Building a company culture based on empowerment and action How content marketing and podcasting can become a powerful go-to-market strategy The future of FinTech and why digital banking is “only 1% done”   This episode is perfect for founders, sales leaders, and anyone in financial services looking to understand how to scale a business, create an authentic brand voice, and build meaningful relationships with clients in a changing industry.

In this episode of Hivemind, host James Barker is joined by Goran Bosankić, former CEO of ABC Tech and co-founder of Field39. Together, they unpack the evolution of fintech, explore the fallout from the 2021 hype cycle, and dive deep into what’s next for digital banking platforms. Goran offers hard-won insights from building and leading tech companies through crises, speaks frankly about AI’s true impact on financial services, and shares cultural and strategic lessons from years of leadership.   Whether you’re selling into banks or navigating the complexities of product-market fit in fintech, this episode delivers clarity, candor, and strategy from someone who’s been on the inside. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Fintech’s evolution post-2021: hype vs reality 06:30 – Building a digital bank: vendor chaos & regulatory landmines 10:30 – AI in banking: transformative tech or dangerous shortcut? 18:00 – Data quality & AI hallucinations 23:00 – Are “out-of-the-box” digital banking platforms still viable? 32:00 – Regulatory priorities and why innovation takes a backseat 35:00 – Taking over ABC Tech at the start of COVID: a leadership trial by fire 39:00 – Remote work: hybrid wins in the long run 42:00 – Painful lessons in leadership: saying no, cutting “oak trees” 51:00 – Sales vs marketing: where to invest when selling to banks

In this conversation, Irene Sandler, CMO of Mechanical Orchard, discusses the importance of understanding market fit and the critical problems that need solving for startups. She emphasizes the role of AI in modernizing legacy systems and the need for clear messaging to target audiences. The discussion also covers the challenges of B2B marketing in the age of AI, the evolution of LinkedIn, and the significance of advocacy in building trust. Sandler highlights the changing landscape of SEO and the importance of clear communication in marketing. The conversation concludes with insights on the attention economy and the challenges marketers face in the coming year.   Chapters 00:00 Understanding Market Fit and Critical Problems 03:06 The Role of AI in Modernization 05:51 Target Audience and Messaging Strategies 08:48 The Impact of AI on B2B Marketing 11:49 The Evolution of LinkedIn and Its Challenges 15:09 Advocacy and Trust in Marketing 17:56 The Future of SEO and AI Search 20:53 The Importance of Clear Communication 23:58 Navigating Product Market Fit 27:14 Sales and Marketing Alignment 30:05 Metrics and Performance in Marketing 32:56 Attention Economy and Organic Content 36:08 Challenges Ahead for Marketing Strategies

What happens when a D&D-playing data scientist decides the banking industry needs a developer-first overhaul? In this episode of The Hivemind, I speak with David Jarvis, co-founder and CEO of Griffin, the UK’s platform bank built for fintech builders. We dive deep into David’s unconventional path to becoming a founder—from flunked coding interviews to launching one of the most talked-about infrastructure banks in Europe. We unpack Griffin’s self-serve product philosophy, the future of embedded finance, and why David thinks salespeople are optional (but helpful). For fintech operators, B2B SaaS founders, and anyone scaling in a regulated space, this one’s full of sharp takes, hard-won insights, and no-BS stories from the trenches.   Timestamps / Chapters:   00:00 – Cold Open: “If you describe yourself as a game changer…” 01:20 – Meet David Jarvis: Fintech operator, failed coder, founder 03:40 – Griffin’s origin story and early pivots 06:38 – Why “the bank you can build on” is evolving 08:20 – Building for developers: No demos, just APIs 10:00 – The self-serve roadmap: Stripe-style onboarding for fintech 14:50 – Branding, tribes, and ClearBank shade 17:00 – Griffin’s ideal customer profile (and who’s not) 20:15 – Why mature financial firms are slow adopters 22:15 – Climbing the credibility ladder 24:45 – The role of luck (and regulation) in early traction 27:40 – Fundraising lessons and investor shoutouts 32:20 – CEO lessons: Overpromising, board friction, and trusting your gut 34:17 – Final thoughts: resilience and responsibility