Five years ago today, I launched Gattaca Horizons, a boutique advisory firm focused on helping organizations navigate the evolving financial technology landscape and positively impacting the future of customer-centric finance. As many of you know, starting a business is the ultimate in stepping into the unknown—but as I have learned, it can be amongst the most rewarding experiences one might enjoy in a career. To mark the 5 year anniversary of Gattaca Horizons, I thought I would share my top 5 takeaways over these past years:
Your Family is Your Foundation. No endeavor succeeds without a strong foundation. Starting with the support of my wife (and her ongoing wise counsel), and the pride even my young children expressed in their dad starting a new business, having your family in your corner is the ultimate foundation. Perhaps nothing has made the past five years more rewarding than feeling like my family is fully with me on this journey.
Success Requires a Community. No endeavor succeeds without a community. I am so grateful for the team we have carefully built at Gattaca Horizons and the leadership they provide. Nearly three years ago, Laura Navaratnam joined me following her time at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). I was so fortunate to have met Laura when we were both in government, and quickly recognized that we shared the same values in how we approach people, life, and our professional work—Laura’s passion, determination, empathy, and vision are clear in all that she does. Natalia Bailey joined the team earlier this year and had an immediate impact in our ability to serve our clients—Natalia’s diligence, breadth of knowledge, work ethic, and good humor are felt each and every day. Julianne Brands and I first met nearly a decade ago working together at a think tank, and I have enjoyed witnessing her continued and growing impact in the fintech space—we are so fortunate to benefit from her enthusiasm, team-first mentality, knowledge, and drive. Gattaca is a community, and one I appreciate every day.
People Come Before Projects. No endeavor succeeds without deep appreciation for people. I realize that what makes our day-to-day at Gattaca Horizons so enjoyable is that our clients are far more than just clients—they are truly friends and colleagues. We are so fortunate and grateful to work with so many wonderful people, who make it an absolute pleasure to help support them in any way we can. When you feel you are part of a team anchored by strong relationships, your work becomes so much more meaningful, rewarding, and enjoyable.
Learning Never Stops. No endeavor succeeds if learning is not constant. I often remind my children that even though we are “adults,” this does not mean that we have all the answers. Learning is a life-long endeavor and so much fun. One of the things I have enjoyed over the past five years is the pace of learning, whether it be related to the nature of the business, success of various strategies, or constantly evolving financial technologies and landscape. I truly believe that if you are willing to keep learning, you will become stronger and better at what you do each and every day.
The Future Has Never Been More Important or Exciting. No endeavor succeeds without having a vision to pursue. When launching Gattaca Horizons five years ago, I wrote that “[w]e are at an inflection point where ‘FinTech’ is no longer a separate concept from our mainstream financial markets and services—instead, FinTech increasingly is our financial markets and services. It is, quite simply, the future of finance.” This reality is even more true today than it was five years ago. Working with so many leaders in financial technology has made clear that we are only in the early innings of using technology to benefit consumers, businesses, and the broader economy. But, the importance of doing this right and responsibly has also never been as critical. These past five years have been energizing and inspiring in a way I never expected, and I cannot wait to see what the next five will reveal.
Thank you to the so many of you who have made the first five years of Gattaca Horizons so very special and meaningful.
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