Host Ian Hathaway interviews Pierpaolo Barbieri, founder and CEO of Ualá and founder of early-stage venture fund 17Sigma, about leaving a successful career on Wall Street to build a new kind of financial institution in Argentina. Growing up during Argentina's 2001 financial crisis sparked Barbieri's interest in economic history and eventually took him to Harvard, Cambridge, and a career in global finance. But after seeing how many people in his home country lacked access to basic financial services, he returned to Buenos Aires to build Ualá. Barbieri discusses his reluctance to become CEO, the challenges of building a fintech company through years of economic turmoil, and why those conditions pushed Ualá to expand across products and countries. He also shares how he manages imposter syndrome, builds teams that challenge him, and works to preserve Ualá's technology-driven culture as the company grows. They explore the balance between expanding access to credit and managing risk, Barbieri's efforts to support the next generation of Latin American founders, the personal cost of entrepreneurship, and the responsibility he still feels toward the country that gave him his start.
Show Notes:
(02:00) Leaving Wall Street To Build Ualá in Argentina
(04:00) How Argentina's Financial Crisis Shaped His Path
(06:00) Debate, Harvard, And Betting On Himself
(09:30) From Economic Historian To Fintech Founder
(13:30) Becoming The CEO He Never Planned To Be
(15:30) Building For Customers Traditional Banks Overlooked
(18:30) How Argentina's Economic Turmoil Made Ualá More Resilient
(20:30) Managing Imposter Syndrome As A Founder
(23:30) Keeping Your Ego In Check And Hiring Better People
(25:30) Becoming A Bank Without Losing Your Tech DNA
(29:30) Expanding Access To Credit While Managing Risk
(31:30) Investing In The Next Generation Of Latin American Founders
(35:30) The Personal Cost Of Building A Company
(41:30) Beyond The Bio with Pierpaolo Barbieri
✅ Host: Ian Hathway - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, FOVC
✅ Guest: Pierpaolo Barbieri - Ualá Founder & CEO
Produced by Spellbinder Media. Executive Produced by Bridge Five Ventures. Copyright ©️2026, Bridge Five Ventures, LLC, All rights reserved.
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