PinnedIndustry buzzwords: breaking down “Embedded Finance”Note: Longer post that’s been sitting in drafts since October last year! I clicked on one too many ads on “Embedded Finance”, and now I see (yes, recency bias) payment provider marketing materials on “Embedded Finance”. However, I’ve been perplexed as to whether everyone means the same thing when they…Banking As A Service5 min readBanking As A Service5 min read
PinnedOn/off Ramps in Web3: Multi processor paymentsAre multiple processors the case of “more the merrier”? In Web2 payments, multi processor is a business working with multiple payment providers. For example, using Adyen, Stripe, Worldpay together. The strategy has its pros and cons explained further ain this post. This post discusses the similar multi processor trend (“the more the merrier”) unfolding in the fiat to crypto…Fiat On Ramp3 min readFiat On Ramp3 min read
PinnedOn/off Ramps in Web3: an Introductory GuideWhat’s a fiat to crypto on/off ramp? When I first heard the term “on ramp”, it seemed to mean different things to people. I’ll define it as: On ramp is the conversion of fiat into crypto. For example, using what you have in your bank account to purchase crypto. Off ramp is the opposite. To convert the…On Ramp3 min readOn Ramp3 min read
2 days agoChange is not a given.The choice to adopt a new, more efficient technological system is not always a given. From an engineering perspective, system efficiency is its own justifications, and engineers are often perplexed when more efficient technologies are not universally adopted. When we take a historical perspective however, we can see that increased…Payments5 min readPayments5 min read
Mar 4What are Sales Splits?A seller/salesperson reading this post might not find it particularly new — it is the water one swims in daily, as natural as breathing air. But, I thought it might be helpful for those not in sales and wondering — what is a sales split? …Sales3 min readSales3 min read
Feb 11What’s in a Name: The usage of “Pay”I admit that when I see a fin tech with a “Pay” in its name, something inside goes “here we go again, what’s new” 😅 . Generally, the businesses seem to fall into a few common buckets, which I then use as a heuristic to roughly understand what they do. …Embedded Finance2 min readEmbedded Finance2 min read
Jan 27Cash is alive (and kicking?)“Low-value cash instruments are enormously flexible and robust payment instruments — you don’t need electricity, Wi-Fi, or cellular signals to make them work. Nor do you need to be literate,” — Peter Sands via IMF.org I’m evaluating my position on cash. It feels odd to declare this, given: (a) my…Cash3 min readCash3 min read
Jan 14Static vs Dynamic QR codesUsually when I hear “static” and “dynamic”, it’s to do with rock climbing. But those terms appear in payments too, when describing QR codes. I’ve found myself explaining static vs dynamic QR codes recently, so thought to document it. Definitions Static QR codes are unchanging How it looks: A printed sticker near the cashier or at…Cash3 min readCash3 min read
Dec 24, 2022“No” seems to be the hardest word: Why getting a Yes/No is better than a “Maybe”Sorry is indeed a hard word (I won’t contradict Elton John), but I propose in this post that “No” is the hardest word in deals and decisions. The infiltration of “Maybe”, instead of a “Yes/No”, while seemingly promising, is the “No Man’s Land”, where deals die and decisions falter. Why…Sales3 min readSales3 min read
Dec 19, 2022Why “Share of Wallet” mattersI’ve written previously that the understanding of “Wallet” depends on audience, and discussed various definitions of “Wallet” here. The share of “Wallet” discussed in this post is NOT digital, mobile or self custodial wallet related. Intrigued? Share of wallet is the share of spend/budget that a customer spends on goods/services…Growth3 min readGrowth3 min read
