Episode Description

💳 New Day One podcast episode! 🎙️

Within a year of launching their revolutionary credit card, Scapia faced an unexpected hurdle – their core product issuance was paused due to external factors. It was a moment that would have broken many founders, but not Anil Goteti. Instead of retreating, Anil made a counterintuitive decision that speaks volumes about his leadership: he invested more in his team and product.

"Last year was fantastic for our product," Anil recalls, explaining how they expanded from just two travel categories to six, innovated on their airport experiences proposition, and built deeper partnerships with banks and card networks. When card issuances finally resumed in March 2025, Scapia emerged not wounded but transformed, stronger and more capable than before.

In this candid conversation with Mridul Arora (Partner, Elevation Capital), Anil shares how he is building a travel fintech powerhouse that delights Gen Z & millennials and how Scapia’s integrated experience passes more value back to customers.

In this episode, you will gain insights on:

> How Anil landed on the idea for Scapia

> Creating both financial services and travel commerce infra

> Building trust through transparency and delightful experiences

> Using difficult periods to strengthen product offerings

> Finding product-market fit before scaling

…and more