Ep. 60 | Modernizing Finance for the 21st Century - Felipe Echandi

In this episode of Shakin’ Hands, Jack Moran interviews Felipe Echandi, the co-founder and CEO of Cuanto. The conversation dives deep into Latin America’s fragmented digital economy and how Cuanto is building tools to empower small merchants to sell online and through social media. Felipe also shares his experience serving on Panama’s Banking Superintendency, helping reform outdated regulations to match the speed of internet innovation, and describing what it was like to be a Y Combinator recipient in 2019. Together, they explore the challenges of financial inclusion, the dominance of global platforms, and the opportunity to create a localized commerce ecosystem in Latin America.

Felipe Echandi LinkedIn:   / felcheck  
Cuanto Website: https://web.cuanto.app/
Cuanto Instagram:   / cuanto.app  

(04:32): Latin America’s E-Commerce Gap
(08:45): From Side Hustle to Scalable Platform
(12:01): Building for the Non-Technical Merchant
(16:10): Competing with Instagram and WhatsApp
(20:43): Payment Friction in LATAM
(24:00): Why Big Tech Misses Local Context
(28:22): Serving the Unbanked Majority
(32:18): Becoming a Regulator in a Broken System
(36:00): Pushing for Regulatory Modernization
(39:51): The Cost of Not Innovating
(43:05): Building Trust Without Institutions
(46:12): Why Local Startups Matter More
(48:30): Felipe’s Vision for the Next 10 Years


Thanks for listening
Host: Jack Moran:   / jackrileymoran  
Powered by: DreamSpear: https://www.instagram.com/dream_spear...


Want to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and growth-minded leaders? Join our Dreamspear community on Skool at https://www.skool.com/dreamspear/about or learn more at https://www.dreamspear.com/#learnmore. Whether you're building a business, leveling up your mindset, or looking for real conversations, we're here to grow with you.

Follow Shakin' Hands Podcast
Website: https://www.shakinhandspod.com
Instagram:   / shakinhandspod  

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!