Regulation tells you what you must do; strategy determines how you do it. Joel Tashjian, General Counsel at Front, shows why the best fintech operators win by building relationships with regulators early, not by hiding from them. From a house on Tasmania's remote Bruny Island to the front lines of banking, lending, crypto, and investing, Joel shares the unconventional career path that took him from London M&A law to California government, Coinbase, Float, Monzo, and Acorns. Along the way, he explains what most founders get wrong about compliance, growth, and the real job of a GC. This episode breaks down the trade-offs that define modern fintech: how to think about business risk first, how to separate the bright lines from the gray areas, and why the best legal counsel is really an executive partner helping the company make smarter decisions years before problems appear.
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Hosted by: Shawn Budde
Guest: Joel Tashjian
Edited by: Jonah Squires
Produced by: Meagan LeBlanc
Theme Music by: Brad Frank