Fintech Daydreaming partners with Nordic Fintech Magazine. One’s a strategy veteran with a passion for platform thinking and payments. The other’s a globe-trotting fintech operator turned bank exec. They’ve lived in different countries, sat on opposite sides of the vendor table, and bring wildly different energy to the mic. But together, Pål Krogdahl and Ville Sointu make Fintech Daydreaming one of the most entertaining and insightful podcasts in the industry.
Starting today, we’re bringing every new episode to Nordic Fintech Magazine. We’re excited to partner with them and help expand the reach of conversations that challenge, inform, and shake up how we think about finance. “We’re not here to sell anything,” says Ville. “We just want to have real conversations with smart people who are doing interesting work.” Pål adds, “If we’re curious, chances are other people are too. That’s what keeps us going.”
What happens when a vendor and a banker walk into a coffee shop?
They met years ago during what Pål calls “the blockchain hype years.” Pål was at IBM, heading up the Nordea account. Ville had just joined Nordea to lead its blockchain strategy. Their relationship started predictably, one trying to sell, and the other trying not to be sold to.
“I spent most of my time dodging sales decks,” Ville jokes. “And Pål was the kind of vendor who always found a way to follow up.” But instead of clashing, they clicked. They were both curious about the same things: tech, business models, payments, digital currencies, and what was actually going to stick once the buzzwords faded.
So they started meeting for coffee on Fridays at Nordea’s Helsinki office. No agenda. Just two fintech enthusiasts swapping takes on where the industry was headed. Then the pandemic hit. The Friday coffee moved online. Same time, same energy, just over video. And then one day, they said what most good podcast duos say at some point: “We should probably just record this.”
“No plan, no monetisation, just two guys trying to figure things out,” says Pål. “We weren’t sure if anyone would listen. We just wanted an excuse to keep having the conversations.”
Unscripted, Unfiltered and often Unexpected.
Guests get a warning before recording: there’s no script, no edits, and no safety net. “We tell them: it’s one shot, one take,” says Ville. “Some love the freedom, others find it terrifying. But that’s the magic.”
They don’t chase clicks. They don’t track metrics. And they don’t take orders from PR teams. The only thing that drives them is curiosity. “We get to ask people like Brett King or Chris Skinner anything we want. No time limits. No agendas. That’s the real win,” says Pål.
Their approach attracts big names and honest conversations. And somehow, despite the serious topics, it’s fun. Informal. Sometimes sarcastic. Always human.
Twelve seasons in, and no signs of slowing down
Since launching during lockdown, they’ve released over 140 episodes across 12 seasons. The guest list has grown, the audience keeps expanding, but the tone hasn’t changed. Still candid. Still curious. Still calling it like it is.
A recent episode, a spontaneous take on a eurozone stablecoin announcement, ended up being shared across dozens of banks as an internal explainer. “We were getting nonstop calls,” Ville recalls. “So we made an emergency episode just to stop repeating ourselves. And suddenly, it took on a life of its own.”
Why they keep doing it
Not the numbers or the reach, what they enjoy most is the chance to have real, thoughtful conversations with people they admire, without filters, pressure, or expectations. “You don’t often get an hour of someone’s undivided attention in this industry,” says Pål. “With the podcast, we do. We get to ask the questions we actually care about, and the conversations often go places we didn’t plan.” Ville agrees: “The best part is when guests drop their guard and start being themselves. That’s when it gets interesting. That’s why we keep showing up.”
Why we’re partnering with Fintech Daydreaming
Finance needs more voices like this. Sharp, honest, and not afraid to say what others won’t. Ville and Pål have figured out how to make financial services compelling without dumbing it down, or dressing it up. They bring personality without losing credibility. And they make fintech feel like something real people can actually care about.
We’re excited to bring Fintech Daydreaming to our platform. You’ll find every new episode here, on top of the curated insights and added context for our readers. It’s part of our bigger mission to give space to formats that push the industry forward, and to the people who make it interesting along the way.
So tune in, follow us, and get ready for unfiltered takes on the topics that matter.
This is Fintech Daydreaming. And now, it’s also available through Nordic Fintech Magazine