In recent years, working for, or banking with, a traditional financial institution was decidedly uncool. Far cooler was working for or banking with one of the many fintech startups that seemed to thumb their nose at stodgy bank brands.
Then the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, stocks tanked, and a lot of fintech outfits that appeared to be doing well began looking far less hardy and hale. The question begged now is whether fintech more broadly has lost its mojo.
In a panel discussion hosted by this editor late last week in San Francisco, the answer was resoundingly no, though the panelists — Mercedes Bent of Lightspeed Venture Partners, Victoria Treyger of Felicis, and Jillian Williams of Cowboy Ventures — didn’t sugarcoat things, either.
Led by moderator Reed Al...
