Startup Stories with Fexingo · 2026-07-20 · 5 min
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Plaid became the essential plumbing behind modern fintech. They trace Plaid's origin story from Zach Perret and William Hockey's failed consumer app to their pivot into a developer-first API for bank data. The conversation covers how Plaid solved the technical and regulatory challenge of connecting apps to bank accounts, why its developer experience beat incumbents like Yodlee, and how the company navigated the 2020 regulatory showdown with the OCC. They also discuss Plaid's role in the rise of Venmo, Robinhood, and Betterment, and what its $13.4 billion valuation says about the value of infrastructure over consumer brands. Specific numbers include Plaid's 11,000 bank connections and its API powering one in four U.S. fintech accounts. #Plaid #Fintech #API #Banking #DeveloperExperience #ZachPerret #WilliamHockey #Venmo #Robinhood #Betterment #Yodlee #OCC #FinancialServices #Infrastructure #StartupStory #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #StartupStories Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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