In the debut episode of the new series, The Architects, we sit down with two founders who are quietly rebuilding the pipes of financial services: CJ Przybyl, co-founder & CEO of Reserv, and Nathaniel Harley, co-founder of MANTL and CRO at Alkami.

From auto insurance claims to community banks, they’re taking on some of the most stubborn legacy infrastructure in finance…and winning. We talk about what it really takes to modernize risk-averse institutions, where generative AI is actually working today (and where it’s overhyped), and how to prove ROI in dollars, hours, and fraud losses.

It also gets personal: the culture decisions that matter at 600+ employees, what still hasn’t been fixed in fintech by 2025, and the best advice they have for anyone crazy enough to start a company in this environment.

🎧 Episode Summary: 

[00:00 – 05:30] Intros & Founder JourneysJulie and Emmalyn introduce The Architects and welcome CJ Przybyl (Reserv) and Nathaniel Harley (MANTL / Alkami). CJ traces his path from Snapsheet to building a tech-enabled TPA for insurance claims. Nathaniel shares his move from investment banking and media to founding Mantle, now Alkami’s relationship banking platform for community FIs.

[05:30 – 10:30] Why Financial Infrastructure Is So HardCJ and Nathaniel get real about selling into highly regulated, risk-averse institutions. They unpack long sales cycles, five-year contracts, and why “no one gets fired for choosing FIS or Fiserv.” CJ shares stories of insurers without AI policies yet, and Nathaniel talks about overcoming cultural inertia and change management at banks and credit unions.

[10:30 – 16:30] Community Banks, Credit Unions & the Modernization GapNathaniel explains how legacy cores and fragmented systems make “relationship banking” hard to scale. He walks through MANTL’s evolution from online account opening to a full omni-channel deposit origination suite that serves both customers and frontline employees, and helps community institutions actually compete with money-center banks and fintechs.

[16:30 – 22:30] Generative AI in Its Infancy – But Already Moving the NeedleCJ describes how Reserv uses generative AI across document reading, email drafting, notes, and workflow. Plus, why they had to dial back capabilities to protect quality and control. He details real ROI: using LLMs to rewrite code and migrate data, compressing a typical 8–12 month replatforming into hours and dramatically cutting litigation and operational friction.

[22:30 – 28:30] ROI, Anticipatory Banking & the Pace of ChangeNathaniel breaks down MANTL/Alkami’s ROI: 4x higher conversion, ~67% lower fraud loss, drastic reductions in manual review, and hundreds of thousands of employee hours saved. He previews their “anticipatory banking” vision: a co-pilot for bankers that unifies data and surfaces next-best actions. Both founders reflect on the exhilarating, and terrifying, pace of AI and why features alone can’t be your moat.

[28:30 – 34:30] Culture, Talent Density & What Hasn’t Changed by 2025CJ and Nathaniel talk about building mission-driven cultures, hiring slowly, firing fast, and keeping talent density high. Especially as Reserv scales to 600+ people in under three years. Then they answer what still hasn’t happened by 2025: many banks still lack digital account opening, paper checks dominate insurance payouts, and “self-driving finance” for consumers remains more promise than reality.

[34:30 – 40:00] Rapid Fire: Highlights, Stress Relief & Advice for FoundersIn closing, they share personal highlights (from company milestones to a new baby), how they de-stress (teaching, meditation, time with kids), and their best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: go all in, obsess over people and culture, start executing instead of over-planning, and remember that investors back execution, not just business models.