Mike Tecku first appeared on this podcast in 2019 as an Amazon marketplace seller. Shortly afterward, he sold that business, a maker of floormats. He retired, became bored, and in 2022 launched Momentum, a direct-to-consumer nutritional shake producer. He and I discussed that venture last year in his second appearance.

He’s back. Momentum Shake is flourishing, as is Tecku. He’s evolved from the nuts and bolts of making money to achieving a purpose, building a team, and self-improvement. “If I’m not growing, I’m dying,” he told me.

Our entire audio conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.

Eric Bandholz: Your entrepreneurial journey is impressive.

Mike Tecku: Growth gives me meaning and a sense of being alive. If I’m not growing, I’m dying. The American dream of not having to do anything runs counter to human nature. When I retired, I got good at golf. I read many books but could not shake the urge to solve problems. I’d be in a store and think, “This is an interesting product. I wonder if I could make this.”

I got depressed when I wasn’t working on anything. I could feel myself shrinking. About a year into that, I decided I needed to re-embrace being an entrepreneur. That’s just who I am. Those are my gifts. I wanted to use my gifts and strengths, and now I had the privilege of using them in a way that I wanted, not just to survive or make money.

The world is constantly changing. To make something perfect is impossible, but you can pursue it by continually adjusting. The farther you get along, the more precise the destination is, and the more attuned you are to your goal. You gain knowledge and make better decisions. When you’re really into something, you’re continually growing and perfecting your art.

Bandholz: How does a company strive for perfection?

Tecku: You must develop trust with your customers so they know you have their best interest at heart. If we change the flavoring of our shakes, customers worry we’re making it cheaper when the reality is the opposite. You must be transparent with customers and communicate that you want to add more value without increasing their costs. It’s essential to zoom out beyond supply and demand. What advantage can you bring to the market besides making more money?

I want to produce a product 10 times better than everybody for the same price. Most businesses are just media and marketing platforms. They don’t touch the product. If they’re doing anything at all, they’re selling commodities. I want to make something that is a masterpiece and stacks much value into it.

That wasn’t happening with our outsourced manufacturer. I love those people, but they can’t innovate at the speed I want. I can cut costs by 30% when I take over manufacturing. I can shrink cash flow, increase quantity, reduce costs, and improve quality. The only way to do that is through owning the manufacturing process.

Bandholz: What are the pitfalls of in-house manufacturing?

Tecku: The first step is believing it’s doable. I spent 10 years thinking manufacturing was complicated and beyond my expertise. But I had to start questioning myself. Why can’t I assemble a team of intelligent, hardworking individuals? Why can’t I solve those problems?

The goal is to make manufacturing easy. If I can build something simple and scalable, it will be more secure and reliable. I like to forecast five to seven years down the road. What are my goals? I want to scale to a hundred million dollars. What does that look like in the number of units I need to make a day and the machines capable of that?

I’m buying machines to simplify and reduce the chance of error. We can’t eliminate mistakes, but we can streamline processes, steps, and inputs. The machines I’m buying should be able to make a thousand bags an hour with one employee. That’s a scalable system.

Bandholz: You have a single SKU earning thousands of dollars monthly. You’re not touching it. There’s beauty in that.

Tecku: It is beautiful because it frees me for growth and improvement. Recall the old phrase, “Work on your business, not in it.” That can’t change. You have to be on top looking at the pieces. My job is decision-making. I want two hours of hyper-focused thinking every day.

Constantly executing is not the best use of my skills. Some people are way better at it. I consider all components of the business to be assets. The manufacturing facility I’ve been building for the last six months is an asset. I want it to run perfectly without me. That involves the machines, the space, the team — every decision.

Bandholz: I struggle with shifting from the execution role into strategy and decision-making.

Tecku: I try to check with my team to see if they need something from me. I have to remind myself this is what they’re good at and that they appreciate my trust in them. If you want to create independent people who think for themselves, you have to let them fail. My job is to determine the next step. There’s no right path. It requires a lot of walking around, reading books, talking to folks, and paying attention.

Bandholz: Where can folks follow you?

Tecku: Our site is MomentumShake.com. I’m on LinkedIn.

Mike Tecku first appeared on this podcast in 2019 as an Amazon marketplace seller. He then sold that business, a maker of floormats, shortly afterward. He retired, became bored, and in 2022 launched Momentum, a direct-to-consumer nutritional shake producer. He and I discussed that venture last year in his second appearance.

He’s back. Momentum Shake is flourishing, as is Tecku. He’s evolved from the nuts and bolts of making money to achieving a purpose, building a team, and self-improvement. “If I’m not growing, I’m dying,” he told me.

Our entire audio conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.

Eric Bandholz: Your entrepreneurial journey is impressive.

Mike Tecku: Growth gives me meaning and a sense of being alive. If I’m not growing, I’m dying. The American dream of not having to do anything runs counter to human nature. When I retired, I got good at golf. I read many books but could not shake the urge to solve problems. I’d be in a store and think, “This is an interesting product. I wonder if I could make this.”

I got depressed when I wasn’t working on anything. I could feel myself shrinking. About a year into that, I decided I needed to re-embrace being an entrepreneur. That’s just who I am. Those are my gifts. I wanted to use my gifts and strengths, and now I had the privilege of using them in a way that I wanted, not just to survive or make money.

The world is constantly changing. To make something perfect is impossible, but you can pursue it by continually adjusting. The farther you get along, the more precise the destination is, and the more attuned you are to your goal. You gain knowledge and make better decisions. When you’re really into something, you’re continually growing and perfecting your art.

Bandholz: How does a company strive for perfection?

Tecku: You must develop trust with your customers so they know you have their best interest at heart. If we change the flavoring of our shakes, customers worry we’re making it cheaper when the reality is the opposite. You must be transparent with customers and communicate that you want to add more value without increasing their costs. It’s essential to zoom out beyond supply and demand. What advantage can you bring to the market besides making more money?

I want to produce a product 10 times better than everybody for the same price. Most businesses are just media and marketing platforms. They don’t touch the product. If they’re doing anything at all, they’re selling commodities. I want to make something that is a masterpiece and stacks much value into it.

That wasn’t happening with our outsourced manufacturer. I love those people, but they can’t innovate at the speed I want. I can cut costs by 30% when I take over manufacturing. I can shrink cash flow, increase quantity, reduce costs, and improve quality. The only way to do that is through owning the manufacturing process.

Bandholz: What are the pitfalls of in-house manufacturing?

Tecku: The first step is believing it’s doable. I spent 10 years thinking manufacturing was complicated and beyond my expertise. But I had to start questioning myself. Why can’t I assemble a team of intelligent, hardworking individuals? Why can’t I solve those problems?

The goal is to make manufacturing easy. If I can build something simple and scalable, it will be more secure and reliable. I like to forecast five to seven years down the road. What are my goals? I want to scale to a hundred million dollars. What does that look like in the number of units I need to make a day and the machines capable of that?

I’m buying machines to simplify and reduce the chance of error. We can’t eliminate mistakes, but we can streamline processes, steps, and inputs. The machines I’m buying should be able to make a thousand bags an hour with one employee. That’s a scalable system.

Bandholz: You have a single SKU earning thousands of dollars monthly. You’re not touching it. There’s beauty in that.

Tecku: It is beautiful because it frees me for growth and improvement. Recall the old phrase, “Work on your business, not in it.” That can’t change. You have to be on top looking at the pieces. My job is decision-making. I want two hours of hyper-focused thinking every day.

Constantly executing is not the best use of my skills. Some people are way better at it. I consider all components of the business to be assets. The manufacturing facility I’ve been building for the last six months is an asset. I want it to run perfectly without me. That involves the machines, the space, the team — every decision.

Bandholz: I struggle with shifting from the execution role into strategy and decision-making.

Tecku: I try to check with my team to see if they need something from me. I have to remind myself this is what they’re good at and that they appreciate my trust in them. If you want to create independent people who think for themselves, you have to let them fail. My job is to determine the next step. There’s no right path. It requires a lot of walking around, reading books, talking to folks, and paying attention.

Bandholz: Where can folks follow you?

Tecku: Our site is MomentumShake.com. I’m on LinkedIn.

Particularly since the release of OpenAI‘s ChatGPT at the back-end of 2022, the world has sat up and taken notice of the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to disrupt all industries in countless ways. To kick off 2024, The Fintech Times is exploring how the world of AI may continue to impact the fintech industry and beyond throughout the coming year.

In 2021, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) took off in popularity seemingly overnight. However, after initial hype, NFTs’ popularity has since fallen off a cliff. In Q4 2021, there were nearly two million active NFT wallets, but by Q3 2023, this number had dropped to 227,000. With AI becoming mainstream in a similar, short amount of time, it begs the question – will the technology also fall out of favour or, unlike NFTs, is it here to stay?

Here to stay but it won’t hog the limelight

AI’s continuous development will mean the technology is here to stay according to Michelle Moody, MD at Protiviti UK, the management consulting firm, however, other emerging technologies may start to steal the headlines in the future. Listing examples, she said: “The AI hype will likely continue going forward and will continue to evolve alongside technologies, regulations, and capabilities in the market. However, some other emerging technologies may become more prevalent in the market.

“For example, quantum computing is beginning to appear in the market to create a super-fast technology for problem-solving using vast amounts of computations and data too complex for classical computers.

“Other areas that might come to the forefront in the next couple of years are advanced robotics and gene editing technologies. These include CRISPR gene editing, edge computing and synthetic biology, where new biological parts/systems can be developed and could be helpful in areas of renewable energy and pharmaceuticals.

Accessibility has been the catalyst for its popularity, and this will only increase

Limiting barriers to adoption is a vital part of a technology’s success. AI has been around for years, but it hasn’t always been accessible. Ylva Oertengren, COO at Simply Asset Finance, the asset finance provider, explains how making AI more inclusive has accelerated its growth.

“AI is here to stay. It has been around for a while already; the hype has come from it becoming more accessible. Now, it’s not just developers who can use AI models, anyone can. This inclusivity has been transformative for teams in all areas of business operations. With more people able to access and understand how AI can be used, the more likely it is to be embedded in our everyday business operations and become more commonplace.”

Only the beginning

Ben Parker, CEO of eflow Global, the trade surveillance tool, explains how accessible AI has now become, rather than emerging technologies replacing it: “eflow believes that AI is here to stay and still has plenty of room for further development; the pace of change just over the last 12 months shows how quickly it’s evolving. In many respects, we believe the pertinent question is more about how accessible AI has now become, rather than emerging technologies replacing it.

“Highly dynamic and collaborative tools such as GPT4 are now available to individuals with little or no technical understanding of developing trading strategies. This raises the potential risk that retail investors could start using AI tools and become the perpetrator of market abuse, either inadvertently or deliberately.”

The era of quantum is coming

Appreciating why firms are focusing on AI, Andy Cease, director of product marketing at paytech Entrust, looks at how important quantum technology will be in the fintech sphere.

“Post-quantum cryptography is not yet a top priority for most bank CISOs, despite the existential threat it poses. More immediate issues like AI, biometrics, customer adoption and fraud take precedence currently. However, long data retention mandates in banking mean ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ quantum attacks could expose records far in the future.

“Banks should already be upgrading cryptography to post-quantum standards, even if quantum computers aren’t yet a reality. For banks, threats like synthetic identity theft feel more tangible in the short term. Post-quantum seems abstract, like the early warnings about climate change decades ago. But quantum computing will manifest itself eventually, and the failure to prepare will be felt for the next 20-30 years.”

The United States economy seems like it is refusing to be derailed. It added a staggering 336,000 jobs in September, defying most expectations. This achievement becomes all the more remarkable against the backdrop of soaring yields on longer-term Treasury bonds and surging mortgage rates.

The message embedded in the job data is crystal clear: the world’s largest economy continues to charge forward, even in the face of aggressive monetary tightening. It’s a testament to the economy’s resilience, and suggests that higher interests are here to stay for an extended period.

While this news could send shivers down some spines, particularly for those invested in stocks, it’s crucial to understand the bigger picture. Stocks may appear less enticing when you can secure a 6% return with a savings account, yet we may be reaching an inflection point with bonds.

It has to get worse before it gets better

The bond market has witnessed a historic rout, described by Bank of America Global Research as the “greatest bond bear market of all time.” But the analysis isn’t all doom and gloom — there are hints that the relentless sell off in U.S. Treasuries could come to an end. And if we do indeed see a recovery, it could signal the start of a new bull market for risk assets.

Related: Bitcoin ETFs: A $600B tipping point for crypto

Turning to crypto, it’s crucial to recognize that short-term Bitcoin (BTC) price action remains somewhat linked to regulatory decisions, particularly those pertaining to a Bitcoin spot ETF. So far, all of the positive news surrounding spot ETFs has failed to move Bitcoin out of its holding pattern. A green light on this front could unleash substantial inflows into BTC, providing the much-awaited impetus for a resurgence. It would also be remiss not to mention the ongoing FTX saga, which is currently playing out in the courts and damaging crypto’s reputation.

But here’s the twist — what may spell bad news for financial markets could be good for the broader economy. The Federal Reserve holds a pivotal role in shaping the path for risk assets, and it has just two more meetings before the end of the year. Should the Fed decide to suspend further rate hikes, it could act as a catalyst, triggering market anticipation of an impending rate cut. This anticipation could, in turn, set the stage for a massive risk-on rally across various asset classes, including cryptocurrencies.

Festive revelry could set the tone for 2024

The last three months of the year often introduce a heightened Santa rally. After the year we’ve had, it might soften the blow and pave the way for a more palatable 2024. History shows that the market tends to gather momentum during this festive season, with a surge in buying activity and positive sentiment among investors. Among these factors, regulatory decisions regarding spot ETFs and any potential pause in rate hikes, or even a shift in the Fed’s messaging concerning future hikes will be watched closely. So while the cheer from September’s jobs data tends to drive immediate headline moves in the market, it doesn’t necessarily steer the long-term thinking of the Fed.

Related: Sky-high interest rates are exactly what the crypto market needs

Looking ahead into 2024, we are faced with the prospect of a BTC “halvening” in April, historically a positive event for crypto. However, the broader macroeconomic conditions have signalled some signs of instability. Bitcoin’s ongoing correlation with stock markets adds an extra layer of complexity to the equation. The outcome hinges on the messaging from the Fed — and decisions made by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding spot ETFs. If the macroeconomic backdrop remains uncertain, the Fed may pivot toward rate cuts, potentially altering the trajectory of both traditional and digital asset markets.

With hints of a bond market recovery and the prospect of regulatory clarity in the crypto space, we could see brighter days ahead. As we approach the festive season, the potential for a Santa rally rekindles the type of hope and momentum that ignites the crypto market. While some challenges may loom, history teaches us that sometimes, it gets worse before it gets better.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.