Ramp’s Glyman Leans on AI Pioneers to Fuel Fintech’s Future

Eric Glyman, co-founder and CEO of fintech startup Ramp, has turned to some of the most battle-tested leaders in tech for guidance as his company scales toward unicorn status. With Ramp valued at $22.5 billion and having hit $1 billion in annualized revenue, Glyman has engaged in candid one-on-one conversations with fellow entrepreneurs like Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s new CEO of Applications, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella. These interactions have helped shape Ramp’s strategic direction, particularly in navigating AI adoption and growth.

Glyman credits Simo for her unique ability to extract the best from individuals, emphasizing her leadership at Instacart and now at OpenAI. Her role at OpenAI includes overseeing product development and business growth, allowing Sam Altman to focus on research and safety. Glyman also praised Simo for her understated yet impactful contributions, particularly in democratizing access to knowledge and health insights.

Satya Nadella, whose decade-long leadership has transformed Microsoft into one of the world’s most valuable companies, has also served as a mentor. Glyman highlighted Nadella’s curiosity-driven approach and early investments in AI, including the $10 billion stake in OpenAI. Nadella’s emphasis on “servant leadership” and fostering a culture of growth has influenced Glyman’s approach to building Ramp’s team, which now includes over 45,000 customers.

Ramp’s rapid growth and AI adoption strategy are reflected in broader market trends. According to Ramp’s AI Index, 32.4% of U.S. companies were paying for OpenAI models, tools, and platforms by April 2025, a sharp increase from 18.9% in January. This trend places OpenAI ahead of competitors like Anthropic, with only 8% of companies subscribing to its products, and Google AI, which saw a drop from 2.3% to 0.1%. Ramp’s data highlights OpenAI’s dominance in the enterprise AI space, with the company projecting annual revenues of $127 billion in 2025 and $294 billion by 2026.

Glyman’s leadership strategy emphasizes hiring top operators—those who excel in sales, marketing, and engineering—and fostering a culture where employees are empowered to focus on their strengths rather than fixing weaknesses. This philosophy aligns with Microsoft’s approach under Nadella, where every employee is seen as integral to the company’s success. Glyman has also drawn inspiration from Simo’s focus on creating scalable systems that reduce time poverty, particularly for low-income families and busy entrepreneurs.

As Ramp pushes forward with its AI-powered autonomous finance agents—aimed at competing with financial giants like American Express and Chase—the company is already seeing the benefits of a growth mindset. Glyman believes the right team, built on curiosity and a focus on impact, is key to scaling in the AI arms race. With Microsoft recently hitting a $4 trillion market cap and ramping up AI investments, the ecosystem for AI-driven fintech is set to expand significantly in the coming years.