How does a company as massive as MasterCard decide where to deploy AI? Instead of centralizing every AI initiative, MasterCard operates under a “hub and spoke” model — balancing centralized AI leadership with decentralized innovation across business units.

In this episode, a16z Partner Marc Andrusko chats with Mastercard’s Chief AI and Data Officer Greg Ulrich about Mastercard’s long history of using AI, the opportunities (and potential risks) associated with integrating generative AI into fraud detection, determining what tech to employ based on use cases, and the best advice he’s ever gotten.

“In the Vault” is a podcast series by the a16z Fintech team, where we sit down with the most influential figures in financial services to explore key trends impacting the industry and the innovations that will shape our future.

Resources:

Find "In The Vault" on a16z.com: https://a16z.com/podcasts/in-the-vault/

Find more about a16z's vision for the future of fintech: https://a16z.com/banking-on-ai/

Find Marc Andrusko on X: https://x.com/mandrusko1

Find Greg Ulrich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregu/

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe to the a16z Fintech newsletter:

https://info.a16z.com/newsletters-fintech.html

Most financial institutions still bank on software built before the internet, but Jack Henry's CTO, Ben Metz, is leading a quiet revolution to change that. Speaking with a16z General Partner Angela Strange, Metz shares how banks’ historical tech infrastructure and regulatory obstacles have stymied innovation—and how Jack Henry is helping them overcome these challenges. Metz outlines actionable ways startup founders can help smaller community banks leverage artificial intelligence and cloud computing, reshaping the industry at large.

Chapter Breakdown:

0:47 Backstory
2:15 Community banks and historical infrastructure
4:30 Pre-internet banking & software realities
6:45 Challenges of scaling historical banking tech
8:30 Building software & COBOL
12:15 Dissecting core banking systems
15:40 How regulatory hurdles impact innovation
18:30 Mobile banking and market shiftsT
22:45 Integrating AI into banking's foundation
25:30 Digital service core to banking
28:15 Where AI will be integrated first
31:20 Advice for fintech founders
34:45 Building a data platform to enable innovation
38:20 Working together: banking & tech startups

a16z Partner Seema Amble talks with MongoDB and Viam co-founder Eliot Horowitz about building sustainable open source software tools. From challenging Oracle to building the de facto cloud-based database management tool, Horowitz outlines MongoDB’s early go-to-market strategies, approach to community building, and enterprise sales motion. This episode provides detailed tips on creating solutions for the developer community, building trust amongst enterprises, and successfully scaling a business supported by the open source community.

01:18-03:42 Why open source is a strategic business decision

3:42:6:03 Product development strategy + making developers’ lives easier

6:03-08:24 MongoDB strategy of building community through meetups

08:24-10:49 The five-second rule for developer products

10:49-13:09 How MongoDB used meetups to fuel growth

13:09-15:35 The importance of getting people excited about your product

15:35-19:29 MongoDB’s enterprise sales strategy

19:28-20:26 MongoDB’s recruiting strategy

20:26-25:12 Open source customers vs. users, adoption patterns

25:12-27:35 The evolution of enterprise deals and building trust through demos

27:35-32:23 Product communication strategies and tactics

32:23-39:37 Managing customers and building long-term relationships

39:37-40:16 Outro