Tearsheet Podcast: Exploring Financial Services Together

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Tearsheet Podcast: Exploring Financial Services Together

Tearsheet Podcast explores financial services together. We're the podcast of record for news and opinion about the finance industry. Weekly, we identify, track, and analyze top trends impacting the business of finance, with an eye on the digital disruption wrought by fintech and new financial technology. Every week, your host, Zack Miller, Tearsheet's founder and editor in chief, interviews thought leaders, senior executives, and entrepreneurs helping to form the next generation of financial services and technologies.

  1. Why Coast's live API demos matter in fintech feat. Kara Parkey

    DEC 2

    Why Coast's live API demos matter in fintech feat. Kara Parkey

    Coast stands out in fintech with its interactive API demos. Kara Parkey, head of strategic accounts at Coast, shares insights on the Tearsheet podcast as to why her firm is working with many of the best fintech brands. It’s that Coast visually simplifies the complexity of API products, making their service essential in today’s fast-changing financial world. Coast lets users view APIs in action, making vendor and partner presentations interactive. It turns static PowerPoints into dynamic, live experiences. According to Kara, “It’s like seeing APIs come to life.” This is especially valuable for fintech companies focused on the API economy and open banking. It resonates with those driving innovation in these areas. How Coast pioneers API demos in fintech Kara explains that Coast’s demos are not just about showcasing APIs. They are about transforming how potential clients experience them. Traditionally, fintech companies relied on static prototypes or lengthy technical documentation. Coast provides a live demo environment. Kara describes it as “a unique URL branded for the client.” This allows users to interact with the APIs in a realistic setting. This approach is especially appealing in fintech, where embedded finance is becoming more common, aligning with the growing trend in the industry. Impact on sales cycle and Time to Value One of the significant advantages Coast offers is the reduction of time of the sales cycle. Kara highlights a case study with Sardine, where Coast helped cut the sales cycle by 20% to 25%. This efficiency comes from cutting down the time needed to build demos. It also gives account executives a tool to easily explain complex APIs. As a result, the process is faster and simpler. “It’s huge for embedded technology,” Kara emphasizes. She points out how it aids in reaching both technical and non-technical buyers. Facilitating API integration and onboarding Coast’s technology also simplifies the onboarding process, enabling clients to get up and running swiftly. Kara notes that while typical onboarding can take 30 days to 60 days, some clients go live within a week. Coast enables quick setup by using existing API documentation. Companies can import their APIs and build stories around them easily. No deep technical integration is required. How Coast meets the needs of Financial Institutions As Open Banking and Section 1033 expand, financial institutions are updating their APIs. The pressure to upgrade is increasing. Kara mentions that Coast is actively engaging with banks to help them “increase adoption of their APIs and make it more scalable.” The ability to visualize complex data flows in a secure environment is crucial for banks. It helps them navigate these new regulatory landscapes. Ensuring security and compliance within Coast Security is paramount in the fintech industry. Kara says that Coast takes this seriously. Coast reduces compliance risks by serving as a visual overlay instead of storing sensitive information. This approach minimizes data security concerns. Kara states, “We are your API documentation, just a visual representation.” She says that Coast’s solutions integrate without compromising data integrity.

    21 min
  2. Peter Renton's Forecast: Banking as a Service, Embedded Finance, and the Future of Open Banking

    NOV 21

    Peter Renton's Forecast: Banking as a Service, Embedded Finance, and the Future of Open Banking

    In the ever-evolving world of fintech and open banking, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Few understand this better than Peter Renton. He is the CEO and founder of Renton Co., a fintech consulting firm specializing in media, thought leadership, and event support. Renton is the former chairman and co-founder of Fintech Nexus (formerly LendIt Fintech). He has led fintech innovation for over a decade. His work has shaped the industry during this time. In today's episode of the Tearsheet podcast, Renton shared his insights on the current state of fintech. He shares his insights on where he sees the industry heading. Renton has a keen understanding of the fintech sector. His insights provide valuable guidance for established companies and newcomers in the industry. "Without doubt, the most interesting space in fintech in 2024 is the banking as a service space," Renton states. "Because of the way the banking system in this country is structured, we need banking as a service. And it's not going away." The evolution of fintech events Renton's journey in the fintech world was punctuated with the creation of LendIt. It is a conference that grew from a small gathering of 350 people to a major industry event attracting 5,000 attendees. As the fintech landscape evolved, so did the event. It expanded its focus from peer-to-peer lending to encompass broader fintech topics. "We expanded beyond lending and started it in 2017 and got going in like 2018, 2019 where we became a real fintech event," Renton explains. This evolution mirrors the broader changes in the fintech industry. These include specialized lending platforms to comprehensive financial services providers. The changing face of fintech conferences Large-scale events like Money 2020 and Fintech Meetup still attract many attendees. Renton observes a rising trend of smaller, more specialized events organized by fintech companies. "What you're seeing in the event space is more and more companies doing their small events," he observes. These specialized gatherings allow companies to showcase thought leadership. They help to engage with their target audience. Opportunities in Banking-as-a-Service and Embedded Finance Renton sees significant potential in the banking-as-a-service (BaaS) sector, despite recent challenges. He believes that new regulations will provide clarity and stability. This will create opportunities for community banks. As a result, they will be able to expand their reach through BaaS offerings. "If you want to grow your community bank, it's hard to do that geographically now," Renton explains. "But if you open up a BaaS line of business, there are ways you can grow your bank." Embedded finance is closely related to BaaS. It is another area Renton highlights as ripe for innovation. He points to companies like Pipe. They are bringing fintech solutions to non-financial businesses. Particularly in the vertical SaaS space. The promise of Open Banking Looking ahead, Renton is particularly excited about the potential of open banking. With the anticipated release of new CFPB rules on open banking, he foresees a wave of innovation. "Open banking... is going to be a moment in time, but then that's going to be in place and people are going to understand the rules of the road," Renton predicts. "I think there's a massive opportunity once that gets going. And when all the data, when your data becomes yours and it becomes more portable. There's going to be a wave of new fintech companies that are going to kind of use that and take advantage of that."

    26 min
  3. From Bitcoin to Tokenized Assets: A roadmap for Web3 in finance with Rumi Morales

    NOV 14

    From Bitcoin to Tokenized Assets: A roadmap for Web3 in finance with Rumi Morales

    Is the promise of Web3 in finance finally coming to fruition, or are we still in the early stages of a long journey from Bitcoin to tokenized assets? As the cryptocurrency and Bitcoin market evolves, Bitcoin's price swings draw attention. Traditional banks explore blockchain cautiously. People are curious about the current stage of Web3 development. The question remains: where are we on the timeline? Today's episode of the Tearsheet podcast features Rumi Morales. She is a partner and board member at Outlier Ventures. She discusses the current state and future potential of Web3 in the financial sector. Morales brings extensive experience from her roles at CME Group, Digital Currency Group, and Goldman Sachs. Morales reflects on her decade-long journey in the cryptocurrency and Bitcoin space. She shares, "I would have answered this question a lot better 10 years ago when I first got into the space. I think I was full of hope and excitement and a lot of ambition." Her perspective offers a nuanced view of the industry's progress. She recognizes the progress and challenges of Web3 technologies in achieving mainstream adoption. As the discussion unfolds, Morales provides valuable insights into the current state of Web3. She discusses the role of decentralization. She elaborates on the potential for blockchain technology to reshape traditional financial services. Her position bridges traditional finance and emerging technologies. This gives readers a well-rounded view of the future of digital assets and decentralized systems. The Big Ideas Morales emphasizes the importance of data ownership and privacy in the Web3 ecosystem. She states, "I do think when it comes to data and data ownership and privacy and individual rights, this idea that humans and individuals should be owning their data. And not giving it away to centralized entities is becoming more and more and more important." There is tension between centralization and decentralization (such as with Bitcoin) in the Web3 space. Morales notes, "The question is, is that theory of decentralization ever gonna take over centralization? The jury is completely out for me on that one." This observation highlights a fundamental challenge in the Web3 ecosystem. It is balancing the ideals of decentralization with practical implementation and human nature. Web3 startups face significant hurdles when trying to collaborate with traditional financial institutions. These challenges stem from mismatches in resources, bureaucracy, and operational timelines. Morales explains, "Many times to get that contract signed, it has to go through how many layers of checks. And you're just hoping that they don't run out of money to get something done to prove that you can do this."  Accelerators are essential for nurturing Web3 innovation by supporting early-stage startups. This highlights the importance of investing in startups. Morales explains the role of Outlier Ventures in this ecosystem. She says, "We've probably accelerated around over 200 companies at this point, helping them in their earliest stages of growth. So these are pre-seed or seed stage companies." Tokenization of real-world assets represents a promising area for convergence between Web3 and traditional finance. Morales states, "That is around being able to tokenize most anything. It doesn't have to be a traditional security in the stock or bond sense of things."

    26 min
  4. How U.S. Bank is reinventing itself for the digital age with CPO of Digital Platforms, Gareth Gaston

    OCT 30

    How U.S. Bank is reinventing itself for the digital age with CPO of Digital Platforms, Gareth Gaston

    In an evolving financial landscape, US Bank has emerged as a leader in digital transformation. It has reshaped the way customers interact with their finances. Today's episode of the Tearsheet podcast features Gareth Gaston, Chief Product Officer of Digital Platforms at US Bank. He discusses the bank's decade-long journey of innovation and customer-centric development. "We've been on a multi-year journey on digital transformation across all facets that you can think of digital," Gaston explains. This transformation has been more than just a technological upgrade. It's been a cultural shift that has positioned US Bank at the forefront of banking innovation. The journey began with the recognition that customers were using more than just physical branches. "When we started this journey, we were renting all our digital tools," Gaston recalls. "We didn't have a mobile app. We were kind of renting our online banking and bill pay." From these humble beginnings, U.S. Bank has built its own digital platform and in doing so, laid the groundwork for successful future product development. In doing so, it has created award-winning apps and platforms that serve millions of customers. Here’s my conversation with U.S. Bank’s Gareth Gaston.

    28 min
  5. Banks need a north star for successful core modernization ft. Galileo and Valley Bank

    OCT 23

    Banks need a north star for successful core modernization ft. Galileo and Valley Bank

    Most banks right now are at a crossroads: Either they choose to overhaul their legacy systems or come to a point where they will continue to battle the complex legacy spaghetti of multiple software systems, struggle to access talent that can manage their tech, and alienate customers that expect the best of everything. Although the choice is obvious, going through with core modernization is extremely hard. Guests on the show have been excited about moving to the cloud for many years, but very few have really taken it on, which is why when I have the chance to talk to not one, but two individuals that have hands-on experience with helping banks modernize, I really dive into their recipe of success. Joining us on the show today is Russell Barrett, COO at Valley Bank, who shares the path to modernization his $60 billion institution took, how he and his leadership team devised the bank’s change management policies, the role of consultants in this process, and the challenges the bank faced. Pouring his deep experience into this conversation on Valley Bank’s work is David Feuer, CPO of Galileo Financial Technologies, who brings his expertise of handling and guiding multiple banks of all sizes on their transformation journey.

    49 min
  6. How supporting SMBs creates a thriving economy & community

    OCT 22

    How supporting SMBs creates a thriving economy & community

    SMBs face critical challenges such as lack of access to credit, barriers for women entrepreneurs, and lower levels of digital enablement, which have limited their growth and success globally. Salah Goss takes us through the Mastercard's SMB strategy, which through initiatives like Strive, focuses on easing credit access, providing digital tools, and building networks, with a particular emphasis on empowering women-led enterprises and fostering community-driven growth.

    11 min
  7. FIs and fintechs can learn to partner more intelligently with Pacemakers' Alessandro Hatami

    OCT 21

    FIs and fintechs can learn to partner more intelligently with Pacemakers' Alessandro Hatami

    As the financial world evolves, open banking and digital transformation are opening up new opportunities. This comes with several challenges for banks and fintechs. In today's episode, I sit down with Alessandro Hatami. He is a managing partner of Pacemakers, a consulting firm that offers a systematic approach that allows its clients to find the partner that is right for them. Today we discuss some of these seismic shifts in the fintech industry. Hatami has a unique background in financial services, spanning both upstart tech companies like PayPal and traditional institutions like Lloyds Bank. His background offers a compelling perspective on the future of financial services. "Financial services is the ideal digital product," Hatami asserts. "because there isn't a real tangible exchange," he says. Yet, despite this potential, many institutions are struggling to embrace digital transformation. I’ve been saying for years on this podcast that the ability for both larger and smaller institutions to partner – to partner well, at scale, quickly, and deeply – can be a differentiated, defensible model moving forward. Hatami explains, "They have gone through an evolution. But they haven't gone through a transformation." The challenge facing the industry today lies in balancing adaptation with true transformation. from legacy systems to cultural barriers. Through Pacemakers, Hatami aims to bridge this gap. He wants to improve partnerships between established financial institutions and agile fintech innovators. Here’s my conversation with Pacemakers’ Alessandro Hatami.

    28 min
  8. How to get the most out of partnerships in serving SMBs ft. Citizens' Mark Valentino

    OCT 18

    How to get the most out of partnerships in serving SMBs ft. Citizens' Mark Valentino

    SMBs need more from their FIs, and data echoes this demand. 62% of SMB owners have reported feeling like their business banking options don't go any further than the services already available in their personal accounts.  So banks have to find a way to not only differentiate their business banking products from fintech and platform competitors but their own personal banking products as well. One bank that is leading the way is Citizens, which has a three-pronged strategy for SMBs, according to its President & Head of Business Banking, Mark Valentino. Valentino talks about how Citizens is getting closer to the needs and wants of SMB owners by focusing on gathering feedback through surveys and its bankers.

    14 min
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About

Tearsheet Podcast explores financial services together. We're the podcast of record for news and opinion about the finance industry. Weekly, we identify, track, and analyze top trends impacting the business of finance, with an eye on the digital disruption wrought by fintech and new financial technology. Every week, your host, Zack Miller, Tearsheet's founder and editor in chief, interviews thought leaders, senior executives, and entrepreneurs helping to form the next generation of financial services and technologies.

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