Athena, The Heroes Journey - Michael Starkey and Nathan Walsh

In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins chats to Nathan Walsh and Michael Starkey, Co-Founders of Athena Home Loans.

Making their long awaited return to the show, Nathan and Michael discuss their journey over the past four years, and the insane challenges they’ve had to navigate as interest rates rose rapidly and funding markets dried up. 

According to Wikipedia Athena was the patron goddess of heroic endeavor; she was believed to have aided the heroes Perseus, Heracles, Bellerophon, and Jason. She may have also aided Michael and Nathan over this last few years!

We ask Nathan and Michael the tough questions like how do you compete with banks, balance innovation with regulatory requirements, navigating the rapid interest rate rises since 2022, and the importance of partnerships. 

Nathan and Michael also share their secrets to building a resilient team and maintaining a strong company culture as they aim for the next stage of growth and innovation in the home loan sector.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Athena Home Loans
03:38 Founding Story and Vision
05:48 Tech Fin vs Fin Tech: Athena's Position
07:32 Navigating Regulation and Innovation
11:48 Challenges of Distribution in a Fragmented Market
13:34 Impact of Interest Rate Rises on Fintech
19:45 Lessons from Big Banks
23:23 Partnerships and Growth Opportunities
29:29 Cultural Alignment in Partnerships
33:47 The Journey of Co-Founders
37:59 Hiring The Right People
40:51 Navigating Growth and Change
45:09 Reflections on Past Experiences
48:40 Future Aspirations and Growth

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