Provoke.fm Media

Banks love to tout their "unique strategies" (spoiler it is usually "our unique relationship with our customers"). Reality: must are doing exactly what every other bank is doing. I start most first conversations with bank CEOs by asking about their strategy. Inevitably the strategic plan includes obligatory buzzwords like "digital transformation," "customer-centric approach," and "operational excellence" pillars. I like to follow up by asking what they were deliberately choosing NOT to do. The silence is usually deafening. Most strategic plans are not strategic. They are a wish list. Real strategy hurts. It means saying no to good opportunities because they don't fit your differentiated approach. It means making trade-offs that your competitors wouldn't make - and sticking to them even when it's uncomfortable. Michael Porter taught me that strategy isn't just about being different - it's about being different in ways that create sustainable advantages. When I worked with him years ago, it was drilled into us that what you choose not to do defines your strategy more than what you pursue. But regulated entities face a special challenge. Banking exists in an ecosystem that rewards conformity and punishes deviance. A bank CEO recently confided: "My examiners get nervous when we're too far from industry norms. They prefer we look like everyone else." This creates the strategy paradox for banks. Success requires differentiation, but regulation encourages sameness. The banks that succeed don't ignore regulation - they work within it to find meaningful differentiation. One consortium member focused on a very specific customer segment within CRE they could serve exceptionally well rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Their efficiency ratio shows it works. Strategy isn't about checking boxes. It's about making deliberate choices that create sustainable differentiation - and having the courage to stand behind those choices when conventional wisdom pushes back. The hardest part? Saying no to opportunities that don't fit your strategy, even when they seem profitable in the short term. Real strategy requires marching to the beat of a different drummer. What are you willing to give up to march to your own drummer?

What does it take to win Best of Show at FinovateEurope? Host Greg Palmer sits down with Mark Katenyi, CEO & founder of R34DY, to discuss how their Best of Show-winning platform, Ablements, is revolutionizing IT integration for banks and financial institutions. Márk dives into how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and agentic AI are simplifying complex banking systems, reducing costs, and unlocking new efficiencies. With banks eager for AI-driven solutions, the response at #FinovateEurope has been overwhelmingly positive! Tune in now to hear how AI is delivering real results in financial system integrations. Link to full episode in the comments. #FinTech #AIforFinance #BankingTechnology #EnterpriseAI #DigitalBanking

"??????????????" ???? ?????? ?????????? ???? "????????????????." ?? Let me know if this sounds familiar: Months of requirements gathering, documentation of every possible edge case, and review by every department. By the time your "perfect" product launches, market conditions have shifted, customer expectations have evolved, and competitors have moved ahead. The "I" in our FIRE? framework — ?????????????????? — challenges this conventional approach. Instead of aiming for perfection on day one, high-performing banks embrace continuous improvement driven by market feedback. They understand that version 1.0 is just the beginning of the journey, not the destination. Consider this: Would you rather launch a 70% solution that can be improved weekly based on actual customer usage, or spend an extra six months pursuing a theoretical 100% solution that customers may not even want? The iterative mindset transforms how you view "failure". Each shortcoming becomes valuable data that drives the next iteration, not evidence that the project should be abandoned. This approach doesn't just accelerate time-to-market; it creates offerings that genuinely reflect what customers want rather than what internal stakeholders assume customers want. ???????? ???????????? ?????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ???????? ?????????????????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ??????????????? #UnbreakTheBank #BankingInnovation #ProductStrategy #FIRE

Looking forward to more of this!

Expanding credit for women entrepreneurs in the Global South, and how fintech can help. ?? Women's World Banking CEO Mary Ellen Iskenderian joins this episode of Finovate for an inspiring conversation on innovations for credit access. ? https://bit.ly/4af01ZB

What creates economic mobility? Is it money? Access to capital? Political power? Aaron Swenson has thoughts. Find the full episode of Breaking Banks in the comments. #FintechInnovation?#OpenBanking?#FinancialData?#BankingTech?#FintechLeadership?#Finicity?#Mastercard?#USbank? U.S. Bank?Stena Center for Financial Technology?Jason Henrichs

Check out our 2nd episode of "Breaking Banks Africa." #fintech #banking

A ?? take from Breaking Banks Fintech Podcast’s own JP Nicols:

Community banks are evolving to survive—but are fintech startups meeting their needs? On the latest Finovate Podcast, Carey Ransom of BankTech Ventures shares how community banks are adopting AI, automation, and fintech partnerships to modernize. But the real challenge? Aging bank staff, shifting technology, and fintech founders who don’t fully understand community banking operations. Carey explains why fintech startups must go beyond flashy solutions—by embedding themselves in bank culture, identifying real pain points, and delivering incremental, high-value innovations. If you’re building the future of fintech, this is the insight you need. Link to the full episode in comments. #FintechGrowth #BankingInnovation #AIFinance #CommunityBanking

How do we start "The Talk" about passing down generational wealth? In this episode of Social Currency by Sunrise Banks, hosts Tyler Seydel, MBA and Eric Schurr sit down with Emily Cisek, co-founder and CEO of Paige (Formerly The Postage?), a platform dedicated to simplifying long-term financial planning and legacy management. Emily shares her journey from startup life to founding Paige, inspired by personal experiences with loss and the challenges of end-of-life planning. They discuss the importance of financial preparedness, overcoming the social friction of these conversations, and how Paige is helping families and small business owners secure their futures. Check out the full episode - link in comments - for insights on financial wellness, social connection, and the evolving role of community banks in supporting generational transitions. #FinancialPlanning #LegacyManagement #StartupSuccess #WealthManagement #CommunityBanking