We sit down with Nubank co-founder Cristina Junqueira for a candid look at how frustration with fee-first banking led to a product people loved, and how that vision scaled across Brazil. We explore hard-won lessons on leadership, communication, regulation, and why AI plus open finance will reshape money.• leaving an incumbent bank to build customer-first products• forming the founding team and starting with nothing• operating through credit cycles, fraud pressure and regulation• leadership growth, emotional intelligence and storytelling• selling the vision internally and externally• customer impact from fair credit and savings features• Brazil’s policy tailwinds with PIX and open finance• AI as a financial co-pilot and US expansion plans