Welcome to the latest edition of the Finovate eMagazine. As we kick off another issue full of fintech insights and profiles, I’d like to start with an old joke that’s been on my mind recently. It goes something like this: two men were hiking in the woods when they came upon a bear. One of the men immediately knelt down and began lacing up his shoes. The other one said, “it doesn’t matter how tight your shoes are, you’ll never be able to outrun that bear.” The first one replied, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.”
For a long time, fintech innovators have been able to survive simply by beating their closest competitors, making sure that they are one step ahead of those they perceive to be running from the same basic threats that they are. For the most part, this has been true. Banks that have ignored new technologies have failed to attract new customers, and they’re dying out, leaving a greater market share for those that remain. Legacy fintech providers that haven’t updated or upgraded aggressively are losing out to those that have. And fintech startups that haven’t wisely used the capital they’ve been allotted have been forced to endure painful layoffs or, in some cases, shutter their doors altogether, leaving more room for those that have been able to operate more efficiently.
In short, falling behind your closest rivals has been costly, while staying ahead of them has been rewarding.
Our Finovate conferences showcase key insights that will help you run faster. In this eMagazine, we bring fresh content from FinovateSpring 2023 and discuss the most important trends in fintech today.
- Learn about the key developments making financial services more accessible for both consumers and businesses
- Watch interviews with key industry giants, including Wade Arnold, Barb MacLean, Charles Potts, and Sarah Hinkfuss
- Get up to date with new developments in generative AI and metaverse use cases, embedded finance, geopolitical risks, and more
- Read unpopular tech opinions from our demoers and the key issues surrounding card programs
- Catch up with our fintech founders and see what they have to say about launching startups in the current landscape