“In a lot of ways, people are forgetting the lessons of technology just in general—big companies move slowly, and there's an innovator's dilemma. Outside perspective is generally the fastest way to innovate, and I think it's really exciting.” -- Everett Cook
In this episode of Outliers, I’m talking with Everett Cook (@everettcookny) about macroeconomics, the importance of flexibility in building a business, and innovations in Fintech.
Everett Cook is CEO and Co-Founder of Rho Business Banking, a collaborative banking platform for fast growing companies. Before launching Rho, Everett was a hedge fund manager at several New York funds, including Deutsche Bank, SAC Capital Advisors, and Taylor Woods Capital. His early entrepreneurial experiences (he started his first company at age 14) and his work under Michael Bloomberg led him to focus on building a fintech company that provides excellent service to startups and growing teams.
Chapters in this interview:
- 00:00:10 – Everett’s background and learnings in startups and finance
- 00:04:55 – Investing as finding out how the world really works
- 00:13:15 – The differences between founding a company and investing in a company
- 00:18:53 – Making asymmetrical bets and being open to pivoting the business
- 00:21:31 – How Rho Business Banking empowers teams to work better with money
- 00:24:21 – What Rho offers that other banks do not
- 00:27:07 – Treasury management, digital currency, and a focus on excellent customer service
- 00:32:49 – Observations and predictions on the evolving fintech space
- 00:39:48 – Everett’s recommended books
- 00:42:11 – Everett’s advice for founders
For more explore the transcript of this episode.
Links from the Episode
- Connect with Everett Cook: Twitter | LinkedIn | Rho Business Banking
- Richard Koo
- Bridgewater
- Big Debt Crises by Ray Dalio
- Rho Co-founder Alex Wheldon
- Treasury management
- Bill.com
- Plaid
- Stripe
- Worldpay
- Robinhood
- eToro
- Airbnb
- Bloomberg LP
- Michael Bloomberg
- Square
Books Recommended in This Episode
- The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance by W. Timothy Gallwey
- The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzkin
- The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard Marks
Key Takeaway
After more than a decade of innovation in financial technology, and on the heels of success stories like Square, Plaid, and Robinhood, Everett believes that there’s much more to come in the advancement of fintech. After the first wave of mostly vertical, niche disruption in the financial industry, the largest addressable market in the world, companies like Rho Business Banking are knitting together software and customer service to invigorate lagging spaces like business banking. By bringing together software for managing accounts receivable, accounts payable, and accounting, as well as adding powerful banking features, Rho is creating the first true collaborative bank for fast-growing businesses.
