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Can you celebrate a company's anniversary by talking about its failures? That's exactly what Coinscrap Finance did in México
Coinscrap Finance celebrated its 10th anniversary at México with Fuckup Nights: three stories of failure in the financial sector and a leadership lesson for equ
By:
Ricardo Guerrero
A CEO, a bank vice president, and a legal founder took the stage at Colony Cibeles to explain what went wrong
On October 22, 2026, Colony Cibeles was packed. Coinscrap Finance was celebrating its 10th anniversary, and instead of toasts and speeches about its achievements, it opened the stage to three stories of failure. It did so with the help of Fuckup Nights.
One of those stories was about the company’s own CEO, and it involved an almost empty room. But that failure had happened years earlier, at the company’s launch at México: 75 seats, over 100 registered attendees, and nine people in attendance. David Conde recounted the story from the stage, this time in front of a full house.
An Anniversary Without Speeches About Achievements: Three Stories of Failure in the Financial Sector
Coinscrap Finance is a B2B fintech company founded in 2016, headquartered in Pontevedra with offices in Ourense and México. Its AI engine processes more than 50 million transactions per day and works with more than 15 financial institutions in 9 countries, including Banco Santander, Mapfre, and Bankinter.
They wanted to raise their profile at México and Latam and connect with potential clients. They chose a different format: three speakers, moderated by Pepe Villatoro (CEO of Fuckup Nights), and a closing party.
They celebrated a decade of learning by sharing stories that aren't usually told. Diego Romero Tuccio, Head of LATAM at Coinscrap, explained it this way:
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a decade of learning than with Fuckup Nights.”
From nine attendees to a full house: the story of David Conde, CEO of Coinscrap
David Conde Sayans, the company's CEO and co-founder, started his own bug tracker. The launch at México coincided—unbeknownst to them—with Children's Day and the rainy season.
Next came a sales meeting. His direct, very Spanish style nearly ruined the relationship with a Mexican bank. A local colleague had to tone things down.
It took them two years and more than ten trips to close their first deal. The lesson: it’s not enough to just research a market—you have to experience it firsthand and hire local talent.
Is everything okay with your team?
Br Fuckup Nights to Your Company
Corporate initiatives in psychological safety that leverage failure as a tool for cost reduction, productivity, employee satisfaction, and innovation.
"I messed up on one stat, period": Arturo Juárez and the early morning when no cards were shown
Arturo Juárez currently heads the interest-free installment program team at one of México's leading banks. Years ago, he was in charge of the credit card authorization system, where even a single error can cost millions.
One early morning, during a routine access check, the system crashed. No card would work. Amid the chaos, one of his bosses suffered what appeared to be a heart attack, but they wouldn’t let him into the hospital: his card—the one Arturo was supposed to get working—wouldn’t work.
He handled the situation under intense pressure and admitted his mistake to his superiors: “I messed up on one parameter—period.”
That honesty changed the conversation. And out of that disaster came the idea for a new credit product.
Fired Three Times and Reinvented with AI: The Story of Carlos Valderrama, Legal Paradox
Carlos Valderrama, a founding partner of Legal Paradox, spent 11 years working on the biggest deals at México. He was fired three times. He lost his savings and his family, and moved back in with his mother in Iztapalapa.
From there, he founded one of the world's first law firms focused on fintech and blockchain. He grew it to 30 people. Then he lost his entire team.
He didn't give up: he reinvented the company using native AI and earned recognition from Stanford and the British financial regulator, the FCA.
Why is it important to tell these stories in the financial sector?
Because it's an industry where a single mistake costs millions and trust is everything. And where, for that very reason, almost no one talks about what goes wrong.
The three stories showed this. None of those mistakes made it into a press release. They made it onto the stage.
In an industry that sells trust, clearly admitting a mistake also builds it. Arturo experienced this firsthand: saying “I messed up” changed the conversation with his superiors. In front of a room full of potential clients, sharing a failure shows how a leader reacts when things go wrong.
Can you celebrate an anniversary by talking about failures?
Yes. Coinscrap Finance did this because it understood that, in finance, credibility doesn't come from hiding mistakes, but from showing what you learn from them.
Even the decision to hold the celebration at México rather than in Spain sent a message: “It’s our way of demonstrating our commitment to the Mexican market, ” said Diego Romero.
Do you want your next celebration, off-site, or client event to leave you with more than just photos? Find out how to bring " Fuckup Nights " to your company at Fuckup Nights at Work or contact us directly.
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