Blog Index

The main blog discussions this week include … Is Google going head-to-head with banks? We talk a lot about Big Tech moving into big banking … but then we have talked about that for years. Now, with the revamped strategy for Google towards payments and finance, is Big Tech finally …

The main blog discussions this week include … Brace yourself for the Great Unlock Way back in March 2020 – what month is it now? – I said that lockdown would be a challenge for all. Obviously. Now, so many months later – what year is it now? – it …

The main blog discussions this week include … Why banks don’t die Have you noticed how people talk about disruption more and more, and note the collapse of companies like Blockbuster, Kodak, Nokia and Thomas Cook? In fact, there are more companies entering and leaving the stock market lists than …

The main blog discussions this week include … The impact of the US election on finance and FinTech No politics from my side here, but just reflecting on the politics of America. The US election – whatever your view of its process and outcome – leaves us with a different …

The main blog discussions this week include … The difference between cloud-based and cloud-native I am having a debate on a regular basis about being cloud-native and digital at the core versus cloud-based and adding digital. The two are very different. Most big banks are moving to be cloud-based and …

The main blog discussions this week include … It’s all about supply and demand … and right now everyone is demanding from home My father was a teacher. His expertise focused upon economics. Does it show? I am an economics fan, and studied consumer economics as a specialist subject as …

The main blog discussions this week include … Will DeFi destroy banking? It has been a while since I sat back to think about the future bank. I talk about the future bank all the time, but the overall view of a bank in its totality. What will it look …

The main blog discussions this week include … Talking to the elephant in the room Yes, we’re all doing stuff from our home offices. I don’t know what your office is like, but mine’s quite nice. I like it. Until I noticed a strange smell yesterday. Didn’t know what it …

The main blog discussions this week include …. Change the System (#FinCEN) I got this endorsement from the one and only Alice Cooper the other day … … it was sent by a friend to cheer me up and it surely did. A lot. Love Alice Cooper. But it made …

The main blog discussions this week include …. The rise of the mobile wallet I first started blogging about smart mobile wallets in earnest in 2014. Back then, the mobile network operators were starting to get active and to try and bring the M-PESA and other experiences to the modern …

The main blog discussions this week include …. True innovation comes from collaboration This week is a bit different on the blog as I’m going to introduce you to one of my other businesses: Nordic Future Innovation. Nordic Future Innovation (originally Nordic Finance Innovation) is a venture I  started almost ten years …

The main blog discussions this week include …. Does management theory work anymore? After blogging the other day that big banks will never be replaced and they’re just playing a game of Pac-Man, I was watching this two-minute explainer of Michael Porter’s five forces from Harvard Business Review (a two-minute video): …

The main blog discussions this week include …. Why big banks get bigger (it’s all about Pac-Man) I’ve spent a long time writing about how bad banks are with technology and digital transformation … but I’ve never said banks will be eaten by technology. So many other companies and industries …

This week continued the focus upon the challenges for challengers: [Monzo + Starling + Revolut] – Pandemic = The End? Over the past week or two, the neobank and challenger bank sector has been issuing financial reports. If you haven’t noticed: WHERE WERE YOU? Monzo got a particular hammering for …

This week focused upon the challenges for challengers: [Monzo + Starling + Revolut] – Pandemic = The End? Over the past week or two, the neobank and challenger bank sector has been issuing financial reports. If you haven’t noticed: WHERE WERE YOU? Monzo got a particular hammering for warning that …