Banks certainly don't lend as much as they should. But if you talk to the average banking executive, they want to. Lending is growth, right? At the end of the day, lending is one of the best, biggest, most efficient growth drivers. I think my point of view on the banking sector, specifically community and regional banks have shifted where there is this wild aspiration to build

larger or grow their lending function. I think they're looking for a way forward.

Welcome back to How to Lend Money to Strangers with myself, Brendan Lagrange.

The show, a special New Year's show, is brought to you by OnTap Hutzpright, the home for all your bathroom supplies if you live in that particularly beautiful part of South Africa's Lowfield.

But also all the small businesses like it that need capital to grow and employ more people

and grow their communities.

And also all the lenders that would love to provide that capital if only there was a way.

Yes, we are continuing a bit of an accidental theme here with another look at the nuances and power of small business lending done right.

Talking to the founder of Ned, a company that provides the infrastructure that turns more lenders into powerful small business lenders.

David Silverstein, CEO and founder of Net, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much for having me, Brennan.

David, your career started out on a very interesting but very different path to where you are now. So perhaps more than most guests,

let's spend a little bit of time talking about your early entries into the work life. It seems

like you were in entertainment in Nashville, so I'm imagining

country music and then a little bit of park. You're really going, you're picking deep into

their resume, yes. Yes. But then some time with some of the most powerful people in the world

in Washington and then back into media. So talk to me early on, like what your early career life looked like, what you were focused

on, and perhaps what you learned along the way before deciding to start a fintech.

I definitely refer to myself as like an accidental fintech founder.

When I set out to build ned or whatever ultimately became net, you know, I think FinTech as a sector ultimately became the landing spot, but it was not, you know, a conscious destination.

But you saw my resume correctly.

I did start out in National.

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