The Mindset That Builds What Doesn’t Exist Yet | Jim McKelvey
What if the very thing that made you feel like an outsider was actually your greatest advantage? Jim McKelvey, cofounder of ...
Co-Founder & Director, Block
Search every verified James Mckelvey interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a February 2026 podcast appearance, Square co-founder Jim McKelvey discussed the challenges of building the company, which later became Block. He described Square as competing not only with other startups but also with "regulations, middlemen, entrenched networks, and monopolies designed to keep outsiders out." McKelvey said the hardest part of building the company was "the system around the product" rather than the product itself. McKelvey also reflected on the company's early struggles, stating that he and his co-founder changed the tone of investor meetings by openly acknowledging what they did not know and the risks involved. He described being "forced to invent something that had never been invented before," which he said led to creating what he calls an "innovation stack" — a series of inventions that were not obvious but became necessary. McKelvey added that he would not use a time machine to change the past, even to save his mother, calling it "too dangerous."
What if the very thing that made you feel like an outsider was actually your greatest advantage? Jim McKelvey, cofounder of ...
Jim McKelvey Co-Founded Square with Jack Dorsey and built it into a billion dollar company. Then Amazon came after them. They somehow survived. In this episode of The Bigger Why, Jim McKelvey breaks down the Innovation Stack — the counterintuitive strategy that allowed Square to do what no one thought possible, and why even the world’s most powerful company couldn’t copy it. What we cover: ∙ What the Innovation Stack actually is and how it works ∙ How Square was built from a single problem nobody else was solving ∙ The moment Amazon tried to destroy Square — and why they failed ∙ Why innovat…
Jim McKelvey talks about how AI will keep growing but says engineering and actually building things still matter a lot. He also ...
In this episode of Fast Forward STL, host Keith Alper sits down with St. Louis native Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Block (formerly Square), to talk about the lessons he’s learned from building a global company and how those ideas apply beyond business. From launching Mira and co-founding Third Degree Glass Factory, to growing a global fintech company, McKelvey reflects on curiosity, creativity, and the value of learning by doing. He explains why understanding emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence, matters far beyond the tech world, and how innovation can help make cities like St.…
What does it actually take to build something that has never existed before? In this episode, Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square (now Block), breaks down the real story behind building Square from scratch, not with a perfect plan, but through necessity, invention, and relentless problem-solving. Jim introduces the concept of the Innovation Stack, why innovation is rarely chosen willingly, and why copying “what worked before” fails when you’re solving a problem no one else has solved. He shares the moment Square felt real, the panic of Amazon launching a competing product, and the counteri…
Jim McKelvey did the impossible. He beat Amazon. The tech giant launched a product similar to Square's, undercut their pricing, ...
What do glassblowing, fintech, and plastic-free diapers have in common? One brilliant disruptor: Jim McKelvey. I had the privilege of interviewing Jim McKelvey, the award-winning, Amazon-beating polymath who co-founded Square (now Block) with Jack Dorsey. But calling him just a fintech entrepreneur or a computer scientist would be like calling Leonardo da Vinci just a painter. This man defies categorization in the most fascinating way possible. “I’m a guy that’s had no focus for 30 years,” Jim told me with characteristic humility. “I am a transport category pilot. I’m a professional glass…
E.B. Moss Interviews Jim McKelvey on predicting business disasters and brand matches, practical inventions, media innovations, ...
Jim McKelvey partnered with Jack Dorsey to revolutionize digital payments through Square. Now he's setting his sights on upending the broken drug development system. Leveraging his extensive experience and success, Jim has crafted a set of innovative principles that can transform any industry. From managing change to striking deals, discover the unique strategic insights of one of the boldest entrepreneurs of our era. This talk was recorded at Summit Baja in November 2024. Interested in joining Summit Membership or attending a Summit flagship event? Apply at https://bit.ly/421X3Fa. Connect…
Local entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, Block (formerly Square) owner and founder, discusses public safety in St. Louis in part two of this interview.
In this episode of the World Class Podcast, Chris Vasquez sits down with Jim McKelvey, the co-founder of Square (now Block), to discuss how he and Jack Dorsey built a $50 billion+ company that revolutionized digital payments. Jim shares the inside story of how Square took on—and ultimately beat—Amazon, the challenges they faced in scaling the company, and the innovation mindset required to disrupt an industry. Jim is not only a successful entrepreneur but also an inventor, artist, and author of The Innovation Stack, where he breaks down the principles behind creating groundbreaking businesses…
Jim McKelvey, Block (formerly Square) owner and founder, discusses how he started Square with Jack Dorsey and his thoughts ...
“It was illegal when we started; in the first week I found 17 rules or laws we were violating — OFAC, KYC, the card networks — and getting compliant took us a long time.”
“The motivation for the book was that Amazon copied Square when we were a startup — and when Amazon copies you as a startup, you die.”
“It's going to keep getting better and people are going to get more access, more products, and the AI is going to make it possible for you to get the advice that a rich person used to be able to only get and now everybody can get it. So, hopefully it will lead to a greater democratization of access to financial tools.”
“St. Louis was a phenomenal city a 100 years ago. It's been in decline my entire life. It gets worse every year. And there are a bunch of reasons for that, but primarily because we never learned how to integrate. St. Louis didn't deal with racism very well and we ended up going the segregation route and it was a disaster and is a disaster. We're still one of the top segregated cities.”
“If you're not playing with it, you're being left behind. Eighty percent or more of your skills — the things you've spent years learning how to do — have been rendered irrelevant.”
“The worst thing that could happen if you're a startup is Amazon decides they want your business, because Amazon is 100% successful in killing startups. Square was the only company to ever survive an attack by Amazon.”
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