Rahul’s path to entrepreneurship started after two decades in fintech, holding leadership roles at PayPal and Stripe. Born in India, he followed a conventional career path in banking before pivoting to tech. His experience scaling payments infrastructure across Asia exposed him to a growing gap in the market: cross-border payments were still cumbersome, riddled with compliance barriers, high costs, and slow settlement times. That realization planted the seed for Tazapay.

Despite his extensive experience, Rahul’s transition to startup life was far from smooth. He initially felt the weight of leaving a high-paying corporate role, missing the credibility of an established brand, and even considered returning to his previous career. Adding to the challenge, TazaPay’s first product—a trust-based escrow system—failed to gain traction. The assumption that businesses lacked trust in payments was only part of the problem; merchants were hesitant to trust an unknown startup. Recognizing the need for a fundamental pivot, TazaPay shifted from escrow services to building a full-stack payment infrastructure.

At its core, TazaPay enables businesses to collect, hold, and pay in over 70 countries without setting up local entities or dealing with complex compliance requirements. It integrates real-time local payment networks like UPI in India, PIX in Brazil, and PayNow in Singapore,offering a seamless solution for companies expanding internationally. By focusing on infrastructure instead of direct-to-business payments, TazaPay found its true wedge in the market.

Rahul shares hard-won lessons on hiring and leadership. Initially, he overvalued polished corporate professionals, later realizing that resilience, agency, and adaptability mattered more in a startup. He also reflects on co-founder dynamics, emphasizing the importance of open conflict resolution. Avoiding difficult conversations in the early days led to internal misalignment, something he later corrected by fostering a culture where tough discussions were encouraged.

On fundraising, Rahul describes two contrasting experiences: an investor-friendly seed round and a grueling Series A. During the fintech boom, investors pursued TazaPay, allowing him to be selective. But by the time Series A rolled around, the fintech market had crashed, forcing a recalibration of the company’s narrative. Instead of pitching feature sets, Rahul focused on TazaPay’s massive addressable market and unique right to win within it. His biggest fundraising takeaway? Investors want clarity on two things: the market size and why a startup can win in it.

Looking ahead, Rahul sees stablecoins and real-time local payment networks as the biggest disruptors to traditional cross-border payments. He envisions TazaPay becoming the default infrastructure layer for businesses worldwide, processing over $500 billion in transactions within five years.

His final advice to founders: crises will happen multiple times a year—stay calm and compartmentalize. Startups are important, but they are just one part of life. Success comes from balancing resilience with adaptability, focusing on execution, and maintaining perspective.

Watch Episode 10 Now.