“This Is One Of The Most Important Times In Human History” — Vimo CFO (Ex-Lime, Morgan Stanley MD)

Former Morgan Stanley MD turned startup CFO explains why the rise of AI marks a once-in-a-generation shift—and how it’s forcing Wall Street and Silicon Valley to collide like never before.

Ted Tobiason is CFO of Vimo and former CFO of electric scooter pioneer Lime. A Wall Street veteran, he served as MD at Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank leading their Tech ECM divisions, following early career roles at Bear Stearns and Robertson Stephens. He holds a Princeton degree and Columbia MBA, and plays lead guitar in The Dirty Spoon Band.

In this episode, Ted Tobiason reveals:
◽️ Why banking analysts today work smarter (but face different challenges) than the 90s "all-nighter era"
◽️ How managing bankers is like coaching NBA playoffs - energy strategy matters more than hours
◽️ Government tech’s $1 trillion opportunity everyone’s ignoring
◽️ The "hot rock" theory of market bubbles - and what it predicts about AI
◽️ Why he’ll take curiosity over credentials every time when hiring

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⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Intro  
00:46 Breaking into Investment Banking  
02:12 Why He Stayed in New York  
03:10 Is Banking Still Worth It?  
05:48 Why Banking Is a Black Box  
06:40 What It Takes to Succeed in Banking  
10:15 How Good Managers Prevent Burnout  
12:00 Moving from Banking to Tech  
15:12 What Tariffs Actually Do  
16:07 Why China Won on Manufacturing  
19:40 Is AI Real or Just Hype?  
21:14 How AI Compares to Crypto and NFTs  
25:48 How to Spot Real vs Fake Trends  
28:53 Purpose vs Profit at Lime  
32:48 What Vimo Actually Does  
36:47 Why States Choose Vimo  
39:51 What Ted Does as CFO  
44:08 How to Win Big Deals  
46:21 The Craziest IPO Story  
48:36 How Real Investors Avoid Hype  
50:26 What Makes a Good Banker  
54:42 Why Humility Beats Ego  
57:45 What’s Next for Ted  
59:00 How He Thinks About Legacy  
1:02:19 Final Takeaway  
1:03:43 Outro  

📌 Resources
Ted Tobiason
◽️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-tobiason-46301b1/
◽️ Dirty Spoon Band: https://wearedirtyspoon.com/
◽️ Dirty Spoon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedirtyspoonband/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): x.com/harveybsmith_

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ The Draft (Sign up): thedraft.io
◽️ Fundraising: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LouLouRacefoiundation?utm_term=PvByaxmdn

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.