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Hola, fintech fam from Mexico City 💜

Writing this newsletter—my 386th!—reminds me: consistency powers Fintech Is Femme. But what sustains that consistency? Getting out into the world.

Right now, I’m in CDMX meeting with fintech leaders, learning how this city is pushing innovation forward. It’s not exactly a vacation—I like to think of it as immersion.

Working remotely is a vital part of how I keep Fintech Is Femme honest, informed, and future-facing.

To serve our community effectively, I have to be in the room where the next wave is happening—and bring those insights back home.

Speaking of what’s next: we’re building the agenda for our Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit in San Francisco (Oct 8) and just kicked off sponsor convos to help shape it.

If you want to get involved, hit reply—let’s talk about how we can build the agenda, together.

Now, let’s get into today’s column.

INNOVATION

Execution Over Everything: How Investor Haley Bryant Underwrites Hustle 

In venture capital, everyone talks about spotting winners. But rarely do we see what that actually looks like when it’s not sexy yet—no traction, no press, no blue-chip co-investors. And almost no one sticks around when it gets hard or goes quiet.

Haley Bryant does.

She’s not just saying she believes in early-stage founders—she’s cutting $150,000 checks when the rest of the room is still on the fence.

Bryant’s a Principal at Hustle Fund, a pre-seed firm known for moving fast and betting on execution over pedigree. 

Hustle Fund reviews over 1,000 deals per month, backing about 250 companies per fund. With more than 500 startups already in their portfolio across three funds, the team evaluates 50–100 companies per week and meets with 10 to 20 founders in a typical week—all based on a simple thesis: hustle is the most predictive signal of success.

Oh, and their firm representation is a critical component of that success: two out of three general partners are women, and 70% of the Hustle Fund team identifies as women—making them not just bold investors, but a new model of what venture capital can look like.

In our recent Fintech Mavericks podcast, she showed up with the kind of clarity that makes founders feel seen—and gives them a playbook to move smarter.

If you’re a fintech founder building through chaos, trying to raise smart money, or an operator wondering what signals actually matter—Bryant’s insights are your blueprint.

Because the real work of building isn’t about what’s trending on TechCrunch. It’s what you do when no one’s watching—and how you present your findings.

Hustle, Redefined

Let’s kill the hustle porn. Bryant’s not here for the 18-hour grind culture or founders who treat burnout like a badge of honor.

Her definition of hustle is way more powerful—and way more sustainable.

Intentional. Repeatable. Fast.

"The people who outperform," she told me, "focus on the one most important thing they can do right now to move forward. Then they do it again tomorrow."

That’s how Hustle Fund invests. They don’t care if you went to Stanford or know a16z.

They care if you:

1. Followed up with insights after your pitch.

2. If you shipped something in a week.

3. If you close the loop, keep the pressure on, and treat building like a sport.

Hustle, in this context, isn’t performative. It’s momentum with purpose.

And in early-stage fintech—where uncertainty is the default—that’s gold.

Why This Hits Different Right Now

Founders, you already feel it. Capital’s tighter. VCs are pickier.

Traction matters—but so does how you earn that traction. Bryant said it straight: "We look for the signal before the signal."

They’re not waiting for a perfect data room. They’re watching how you move when things are messy. They’re clocking who’s running fast experiments, tightening the CRM, asking sharper questions, and adapting in real time.

In fintech, where regulatory hurdles, complex partnerships, and technical products converge—founders who can maintain velocity with discipline are the ones who stand out.

Hustle Fund’s follow-on model reflects that. They invest early with small checks—then double down when a founder shows breakout execution. It’s a strategy grounded in their data: analyzing their first 500 portfolio companies, they found that those who executed fast (regardless of pedigree) showed the highest likelihood of outsized returns.

The fund’s economics are straightforward but powerful. Here’s how it works:

• Hustle Fund writes a $150K check at pre-seed, often under $10M post-money valuations.

• There’s no rigid ownership mandate—they're looking for 100x return potential, not a specific cap table slice.

• If a founder breaks out? Hustle Fund follows on. Larger checks come later—but only once they’ve seen how a founder moves.

This approach enables them to build a broad index of high-potential startups, while delving deeper into those that demonstrate momentum.

It’s a velocity-first model that rewards action—and de-risks early investing through data and pattern recognition.

The Jungle Gym Advantage

Bryant’s path to VC? It didn’t come with a blueprint. She calls it a career jungle gym—and it’s why her instincts are razor sharp.

Agency leadership. Strategic operations. Angel investing. Teaching cycling. She’s played every role that matters when it comes to building, leading, and scaling teams. And that multi-dimensional background gives her a sixth sense for momentum.

"I’ve sat in so many seats," she said. "I know what misalignment looks like. And what great execution feels like."

When she evaluates a founder, she’s not just skimming the deck—she’s reading between the lines.

Who’s doing the unglamorous work? 

Who’s hiring well?

Who’s setting the right systems for scale?

That’s what makes her a founder’s VC. Not just capital, but capacity. She’s not trying to control your journey—she’s showing up like a teammate.

Content Is Her Operating System

Let’s be honest. A lot of VCs post to posture. Bryant writes to learn.

"It’s how I crystallize what I’m seeing," she told me. "Twenty founder meetings a week. Same problems. Writing helps me find the pattern."

She’s not trying to go viral. She’s making sense of the chaos—and giving that clarity back to the ecosystem.

For founders, that’s the real play: content as a feedback loop.

Not vanity metrics. Not thought leadership theater. Just clarity in public.

Show your work. Share what you’re testing. Let people in. Because that’s how your next investor, customer, or collaborator finds you.

Scaling Means Shedding Scarcity

One of the most honest moments in our convo? When Bryant broke down the mindset shift from scarcity to abundance.

In the early days, you have to do it all. But if you stay stuck there, you become your own ceiling.

Every founder hits that moment—where what got you here won’t get you there.

"You can brute-force your way to ramen profitability," she said. "But to scale, you need systems. You need people. You need to believe the company can grow without you doing everything."

It’s not just about delegation—it’s about identity.

Can you evolve from scrappy builder to strategic CEO?

Can you build the machine instead of being the machine?

That’s the leap. And it’s what separates founders who burn out from founders who break through.

Real Talk for Founders

Bryant’s story isn’t just inspiring. It’s practical. It’s a masterclass in founder readiness: mentally, strategically, operationally.

And her message is clear:

You don’t need a perfect path. You don’t need fancy logos. You don’t need to wait for someone to anoint you ready.

But you do need to move with clarity and consistency. You need to focus on the right thing, execute like hell, and repeat.

That’s what Bryant’s betting on. That’s what the best founders are doing.

And if you’re reading this, it’s probably what you’re ready to do next.

Focus. Execute. Repeat. That’s the kind of hustle that wins.

And the kind Haley Bryant is betting on.

Now go build it—with hustle that lasts.

Get the full download on Haley’s journey and sharp insights—listen to the full episode of Fintech Mavericks here or wherever you get your podcasts.

_{WTF ELSE?}

• JPMorgan Chase to charge data aggregators for consumer data access: What it means for US opening banking  

• How fintechs can help banks spot financial distress before it hits 

• Fintech sector strengthens profitability, inclusion as growth stabilizes 

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_{I WANT IT, I GOT IT}

• 🎧 Today’s Listen: ICYMI: This week on Humans of Fintech: Trisha Kothari, CEO of Unit21, breaks down what fintech got wrong about fraud and compliance — and how collaboration, not isolation, is our best defense. Don’t miss her take on AI, legacy flaws, and the wildest fraud case she’s ever seen. Tune in here or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 🚀 Today’s Watch: Loved this Big Think video: “You Don’t Need a 10-Year Plan. You Need to Experiment” by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. In a world obsessed with goals and productivity, real growth comes from something simpler: low-stakes, curiosity-driven experiments. Such a major lesson for us builders!

• 🧘‍♀️Today’s Self-Care: I’m giving this one up to travel — which fits perfectly with the idea of experimenting. One of the things I love most about my work is being able to do it from anywhere. Changing my environment pushes me to think differently, notice new things, and break out of autopilot. It’s not just a change of scenery — it’s a mindset shift. Travel keeps me curious, and curiosity keeps me building.

_FINTUNES

🎵 Amber Mark - Sweet Serotonin

New song drop. This one’s from Amber Mark — the perfect sweet summer vibe. Somehow modern and nostalgic all at once. Give it a listen and see what I mean.

_{LET’S CONNECT}

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🎤 Host an epic event by booking me as a speaker, moderator, or emcee.

📚 Increase your expertise by ordering your copy of my book, Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World.

That’s all for now! See you Thursday!

Love,

Nicole 💜