Fintech For Social Good: Craig Carroll of JustFund

About this Episode

Dexter Cousins interviews Craig Carroll, co-founder of JustFund, one of Australia's fastest-growing startups.
Craig shares his innovative approach to solving a problem that creates untold stress on those seeking divorce - lending for family law fees.

With a background as a serial entrepreneur, Craig shares insights on navigating uncertainty, his lessons learned from the US market, the importance of company culture, and the role of AI in enhancing client service.
Dexter gets to discuss his favourite topic - hiring the right talent and building a strong company culture as JustFund prepares for international expansion.

About Craig

Craig is passionate about financial services, education and technologies that either promote economic well-being and/or address societal challenges. Craig's career has been focused on creating, building and managing teams, raising capital, consumer social lending, product development, software development, corporate strategy and general management across various sectors.

Craig has extensive experience developing services that help individuals deal with financial matters. He has also advised educational institutions on admission strategies and accessibility. Throughout his career, Craig has been an investor and advisor to various early-stage and growth companies.

Key Takeaways

JustFund has approved about $115 million in lines of credit since its inception.
Lessons from the US market -the importance of controlling customer acquisition costs.
JustFund focuses on client-centric solutions for individuals facing family law issues.
The cultural differences between the US and Australia have a major impact on business strategies and operations.
How AI can enhance productivity and client service in the lending process.
Hiring for adaptability and resilience is crucial in a startup environment.
Building a strong company culture from day one is essential for long-term success.
JustFund's plans to expand into international markets, starting with New Zealand.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to JustFund and Its Mission

03:24 Innovating Financial Products Using Data

06:36 The Role of AI in Product Development

12:17 Rapid Growth and Scaling Strategies

19:26 Craig's Experience in the USA

23:32 Australian vs US Talent

27:40 The Challenges of Hiring in 2025

31:36 Setting the Foundations of Culture

36:35 The Benefits of Being Obsessed with NPS

Links & Resources:

Visit JustFund website
Connect with Craig Carroll
Connect with Dexter Cousins
Learn more about Tier One People

Rob Lincolne - Paydock Ep. 201

About this Episode

Dexter Cousins welcomes Rob Lincolne, Founder & CEO of Paydock to the latest episode of the Fintech Chatter Podcast.

Rob shares Paydock's unique position in the payments ecosystem with a deep-dive into payments orchestration and the importance no-code solutions provide in Fintech innovation.

He discusses the challenges of attracting top talent, emphasising the complexities of building a global team operating on opposite sides of the world. He also highlights the resilience of the tough conditions his team in Ukraine has endured over the last few years.

Rob shares with Dexter his daily routines and the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance as a founder of a global Fintech venture.

About Rob Lincolne

Rob Lincolne is an accomplished entrepreneur with extensive experience in the payments industry. As Founder and Co-CEO of Paydock, Rob is dedicated to transforming the way we transact through the creation of the world’s most trusted payment orchestration platform.

His entrepreneurship journey began in Sydney 2007 when he founded a digital marketing agency specialising in the not-for-profit sector.

The Paydock vision arose when he identified the need for better integration between financial institutions and their merchant clients. Paydock's innovative approach is aimed at unlocking the fintech market's true benefits.

Before founding Paydock, Rob worked in merchant payments across retail and charitable sectors. A self-taught software engineer, he is known for developing cutting-edge payment and propensity modelling software. He has pioneered various digital and experience design systems.

Rob has also founded a successful "near-shore" talent placement agency in Ukraine, connecting software engineers with fintechs around the globe.

About Paydock

Paydock is a payments orchestration platform, leading the way in resolving costly issues for merchants who navigate disparate, fast-moving and fragmented payment service (and related) providers. Our innovative API-first technology harmonises payment, fraud, identity and other vendors (such as Stripe, PayPal, etc.) through a single interface while satisfying compliance, security, technical and other functional needs.

Key Takeaways

PayDock addresses the technology gaps between large banks and fintech.
Adopting a no-code solution within the payments industry is essential for merchant adoption of fintech.
Orchestration should be about enabling merchants, not commoditising services.
Building a global team has been crucial for scaling the business.
Customer relationships are vital in the fintech space.
The future of payments is modular and interoperable.
Attracting talent requires offering challenging problems to solve
Character and resilience are more important than skills.
The hype in fintech is over; it's time for real business.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fintech Chatter

01:59 Understanding PayDoc and Its Unique Position

06:06 Innovation and the No-Code Approach

10:58 Defining Payments Orchestration

14:58 The Journey of PayDoc: From Australia to the UK

19:09 Building a Global Team and Talent Acquisition

21:54 Supporting Teams During Crisis: The Ukraine Experience

25:32 Attracting Top Talent in Fintech

29:26 The Importance of Character in Hiring

33:56 Resilience and Overcoming Adversity

38:33 Current Trends in Fintech

42:14 Daily Routines and Habits of Founders

45:06 Looking Ahead: PayDoc's Future Plans

Links

Visit Paydock website

Connect with Rob Lincolne

Connect with Dexter Cousins

Learn more about Tier One People