1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.125 And welcome back to the B2B Finance Expo. 2 00:00:02.125 --> 00:00:03.525 Now we have a lot of familiar faces 3 00:00:03.555 --> 00:00:04.685 that we've seen in the past, 4 00:00:04.785 --> 00:00:06.205 but I'm excited to catch up with them. 5 00:00:06.665 --> 00:00:09.205 Uh, like I said, throughout the day we have been talking 6 00:00:09.205 --> 00:00:12.205 to different people, but Mark, it's good to see you. 7 00:00:12.375 --> 00:00:13.685 We've talked in the past, but 8 00:00:13.685 --> 00:00:14.885 I'm excited to hear what's going on. 9 00:00:14.945 --> 00:00:16.245 So the people that don't know you, 10 00:00:16.245 --> 00:00:18.605 introduce yourself and who you're with. Sure. 11 00:00:18.905 --> 00:00:20.285 Uh, my name is Mark Ross. 12 00:00:20.645 --> 00:00:23.125 I am with Dragon Started Dragon in 2021. 13 00:00:23.175 --> 00:00:24.925 Background in financial engineering, working 14 00:00:24.925 --> 00:00:26.485 for investment banking, and now 15 00:00:26.485 --> 00:00:27.725 we're here just automating the space. 16 00:00:28.305 --> 00:00:32.005 So automation, ai, everything. That's been very popular. 17 00:00:32.875 --> 00:00:35.245 Kind of walk me through what you guys are up to now. 18 00:00:35.265 --> 00:00:37.085 How, how have you guys evolved since we, 19 00:00:37.105 --> 00:00:39.485 we spoke in the past? Let's talk about that. 20 00:00:39.995 --> 00:00:41.685 Yeah, so that's actually where we're having a lot 21 00:00:41.685 --> 00:00:43.485 of fun in the evolution of the space. 22 00:00:43.635 --> 00:00:45.885 Like when I actually started Dragon, 23 00:00:46.105 --> 00:00:48.165 my mindset was what's everyone else doing 24 00:00:48.165 --> 00:00:49.805 and what can we do to push the needle further? 25 00:00:50.385 --> 00:00:52.165 So we brought email automation to the space. 26 00:00:52.225 --> 00:00:54.525 We brought figuring out industry using ai. 27 00:00:54.865 --> 00:00:56.125 Now we're taking it a step further 28 00:00:56.225 --> 00:00:59.045 and this year we've really been focusing on doing merchant 29 00:00:59.065 --> 00:01:01.845 due diligence, which is, it's pretty hot 30 00:01:02.025 --> 00:01:03.605 and nobody else is touching this yet. 31 00:01:03.605 --> 00:01:04.885 I think it's gonna be a big thing next year. 32 00:01:05.225 --> 00:01:07.445 And that is when you're about to send funds to a merchant, 33 00:01:08.305 --> 00:01:11.725 our AI agent will actually kind of dig into everything. 34 00:01:11.725 --> 00:01:14.445 It'll dig into the background, check the credit report, 35 00:01:14.785 --> 00:01:16.765 the bank statements, even scrub the web 36 00:01:17.265 --> 00:01:20.005 and look at the merchant interview, cross check all 37 00:01:20.005 --> 00:01:21.925 that stuff and say, whoa, whoa, whoa. 38 00:01:21.925 --> 00:01:23.205 Here's some red flags you need 39 00:01:23.205 --> 00:01:24.885 to be concerned about before you send money. 40 00:01:25.445 --> 00:01:27.805 I love that and I think it's fascinating 'cause you 41 00:01:27.805 --> 00:01:30.765 and I have both seen this industry evolve a lot 42 00:01:30.765 --> 00:01:32.045 of changes very quickly. 43 00:01:33.065 --> 00:01:36.125 So for people that are watching this that are just confused 44 00:01:36.465 --> 00:01:38.525 and maybe they're scared, they don't know how to react 45 00:01:38.525 --> 00:01:40.045 to like all the, the new 46 00:01:40.045 --> 00:01:41.605 technology, what do you say to them? 47 00:01:42.995 --> 00:01:45.925 Well, so the safest thing to do it, well, it kinda depends 48 00:01:45.925 --> 00:01:47.405 where you are in your stage. 49 00:01:47.405 --> 00:01:49.845 Like if you're starting out pretty much at any stage, 50 00:01:49.845 --> 00:01:51.965 it's safe to go with this solution like Dragon, 51 00:01:52.085 --> 00:01:53.605 where we take care of all the tech. 52 00:01:53.605 --> 00:01:54.725 So you don't have to be terrified 53 00:01:55.035 --> 00:01:57.205 because if you're ultimately doing everything yourself, 54 00:01:57.205 --> 00:01:59.405 whether you're in Google spreadsheets or one CRM 55 00:01:59.405 --> 00:02:00.485 and you're picking up different pieces 56 00:02:00.545 --> 00:02:02.205 of tech, it gets intimidating. 57 00:02:02.405 --> 00:02:04.005 I mean like every other week, oh, 58 00:02:04.105 --> 00:02:05.165 AI came in with something new. 59 00:02:05.165 --> 00:02:06.965 Oh, there's this new thing, a new model got rolled out, 60 00:02:06.965 --> 00:02:08.205 and you're like, what am I doing? 61 00:02:08.205 --> 00:02:10.085 There are 20 different pieces of tech I'm dealing with. 62 00:02:10.515 --> 00:02:12.765 It's very overwhelming. So just get a good product 63 00:02:12.765 --> 00:02:14.885 that's an all in one solution and just trust them. 64 00:02:15.745 --> 00:02:17.765 So coming to the B2B finance expo, 65 00:02:17.905 --> 00:02:19.725 how is it benefiting your 66 00:02:20.955 --> 00:02:22.885 work overall, your company overall? 67 00:02:23.835 --> 00:02:25.605 This was actually a really interesting one 68 00:02:25.605 --> 00:02:27.205 because usually we go to these expos 69 00:02:27.205 --> 00:02:30.725 and we book like a million demos and it's like overwhelming. 70 00:02:30.735 --> 00:02:31.885 We're like, yes, successful. 71 00:02:32.075 --> 00:02:33.205 This one was so amazing 72 00:02:33.205 --> 00:02:36.005 because we met some familiar faces that we've been dealing 73 00:02:36.005 --> 00:02:39.725 with for one, two, even three years, and they came over 74 00:02:39.725 --> 00:02:41.165 and they're like, it's, it's time. 75 00:02:41.435 --> 00:02:43.405 Like we need to start talking with Dragon about this, 76 00:02:43.405 --> 00:02:45.405 or we see how far you're pushing the needle on this. 77 00:02:45.665 --> 00:02:47.605 And it's really, this is such a great relationship 78 00:02:47.615 --> 00:02:48.645 event. It really is. 79 00:02:48.985 --> 00:02:53.045 So there's competition with AI automation. 80 00:02:53.465 --> 00:02:55.085 So what sets you guys apart 81 00:02:55.385 --> 00:02:56.885 and I guess for the competition, 82 00:02:57.505 --> 00:02:58.845 how, how do you maneuver that? 83 00:02:59.865 --> 00:03:02.125 So it's interesting because when I look at all the tech 84 00:03:02.125 --> 00:03:04.565 booths now, and there are a frighteningly large amount, 85 00:03:05.235 --> 00:03:06.805 they're all our competition. 86 00:03:07.145 --> 00:03:08.605 So there are the bank readers, 87 00:03:08.605 --> 00:03:10.165 there are the email automation companies, 88 00:03:10.165 --> 00:03:11.685 there are the CRMs, and we literally 89 00:03:11.735 --> 00:03:13.085 build all of that in house. 90 00:03:13.425 --> 00:03:16.005 So technically everyone's our competition. Nonetheless. 91 00:03:16.575 --> 00:03:18.885 We've been going over to every single one of those booths 92 00:03:18.885 --> 00:03:20.965 and having conversations and seeing what we can do 93 00:03:20.965 --> 00:03:23.725 to integrate, whether it's us helping them, them helping us. 94 00:03:23.745 --> 00:03:24.965 And it sounds impossible, 95 00:03:24.985 --> 00:03:26.445 but we're making a lot of that work 96 00:03:26.505 --> 00:03:28.005 and it's, it's, it's really cool. 97 00:03:28.625 --> 00:03:31.405 That's awesome. Last question is, uh, for people that want 98 00:03:31.405 --> 00:03:34.285 to come to the B2B finance XO next year, um, 99 00:03:34.875 --> 00:03:38.085 what should the, what should they do to succeed, uh, 100 00:03:38.185 --> 00:03:39.405 and have a great return on 101 00:03:39.405 --> 00:03:40.485 their investment when they go back home? 102 00:03:41.665 --> 00:03:43.885 So what I would say is I actually split my time in Vegas. 103 00:03:44.165 --> 00:03:46.365 I started at Money 2020 and then I came here. 104 00:03:46.585 --> 00:03:49.925 And the way people interact with each other is so different 105 00:03:49.925 --> 00:03:52.405 and it's so much more powerful here at B2B 106 00:03:52.675 --> 00:03:54.885 that I was actually supposed to go back to money 2020. 107 00:03:54.945 --> 00:03:57.845 I'm not going to be, and I, what it came down 108 00:03:57.845 --> 00:03:59.285 to is people are more open 109 00:03:59.545 --> 00:04:01.365 and more receptive to having conversations. 110 00:04:01.705 --> 00:04:02.765 So even if you're the type 111 00:04:02.765 --> 00:04:04.685 of person who's a little concerned 112 00:04:04.685 --> 00:04:06.245 and nervous when looking people in the eye 113 00:04:06.385 --> 00:04:08.125 and starting new conversations, go over 114 00:04:08.125 --> 00:04:09.805 to new people, tap them on the shoulder. 115 00:04:09.805 --> 00:04:11.285 Even if you're a broker and they're a broker, 116 00:04:11.305 --> 00:04:12.605 you're a funder and they're a funder, 117 00:04:12.675 --> 00:04:13.965 just have those conversations. 118 00:04:13.965 --> 00:04:15.125 You have no idea where they're gonna lead. 119 00:04:15.355 --> 00:04:17.165 Awesome. Mark, thanks so much 120 00:04:17.165 --> 00:04:18.565 for your, um, your piece of advice. 121 00:04:18.595 --> 00:04:21.925 It's great to not only see someone do well, 122 00:04:21.985 --> 00:04:23.645 but also give piece of advice 123 00:04:23.645 --> 00:04:24.885 and try to collaborate with everyone else 124 00:04:24.885 --> 00:04:26.765 because at the end of the day, you know, 125 00:04:26.765 --> 00:04:28.285 we're all just trying to work together to make sure 126 00:04:28.285 --> 00:04:31.565 that we all make money and, and survive in this industry. 127 00:04:31.665 --> 00:04:33.685 So thanks so much and again, that was a great piece 128 00:04:33.685 --> 00:04:35.045 of advice from Mark 129 00:04:35.065 --> 00:04:37.205 and we're gonna have much more similar piece 130 00:04:37.205 --> 00:04:38.285 of advice coming up.