Tag: Innovation

AI, Growth, Progress

We Need a New Science of Progress

Colin Henderson

Humanity needs to get better at knowing how to get better. By Patrick Collison and Tyler Cowen July 30, 2019 In 1861, the American scientist and educator William Barton Rogers published a manifesto calling for a new kind of research institution. Recognizing the “daily increasing proofs of the happy influence of scientific culture on the industry and the civilization of the nations,” and the growing importance of what he called “Industrial Arts,” he proposed a new organization dedicated to practical knowledge. He named it the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rogers was one of a number of late-19th-century reformers who saw that the United … Continue reading We Need a New Science of Progress

Uncategorized7 Comments

The true meaning of innovation in financial services lies in the plumbing, not UI

Colin Henderson

This piece on internet and evolution of financial services has the best quote I have seen for some time. “these companies have merely built nice UI’s to Wall Street” How To Disrupt Wall Street | The Business Insider As I see it, these companies have merely built nice UI’s to Wall Street: Mint connects to your banks and Square to Visa and Mastercard and the bank that issued the credit card. If people at farmers’ markets use credit cards instead of cash, that means more money for Wall Street, not less. Brilliant. I take no issue with the likes of … Continue reading The true meaning of innovation in financial services lies in the plumbing, not UI

Business Models5 Comments

The coming media crisis and parallels with the financial crisis

Colin Henderson

A general thread that has been building for me for some years now is highlighted in a few things I have seen recently. The thread is my hatred of advertising and in particular online advertising. For me it lies in the same category as junk (paper) mail except worse. I can simply throw paper junk mail out as one package, so it is not intrusive. Online advertising is horribly intrusive because it is pervasive. I use lots of things to ensure my online experience is minimally interrupted by ads In 2004 people were asking about blog business models. Now it … Continue reading The coming media crisis and parallels with the financial crisis

Innovation

You know its bad when … the government is more innovative than your Bank

Colin Henderson

This post from James following his first week at the DWP (Department of Works and Pensions, and hosts of direct.gov). DWP, is running an innovation experiment where they allow citizens to put their own applications on top of government data. Yes, that’s right: an API for the government.Show me a bank with API. You can’t, because there isn’t one. I have to go to a third party like Wesabe, who basically have to suck data out of banks without their permission, to get one. I think it is early days for what Direct.Gov is doing, but you can see the … Continue reading You know its bad when … the government is more innovative than your Bank

Innovation, VRM2 Comments

A market test alternative for credit cards

Colin Henderson

This is a variation on the theme I cover periodically called Vendor Relationship Management (VRM). The variation here is that the Vendor must place the consumers product up for bif from competition when they are considering changing the terms, such as interest rates.  The consumer would then have the choice of accepting the change, or accepting one of bidders. (HT Payments News) A Market Test for Credit Cards We have an alternative solution, employing a market test of a proposed change. At the time when the lender proposes a unilateral change, it would be required to put the existing account … Continue reading A market test alternative for credit cards

Innovation, Payments

DOCOMO to Launch Mobile Remittance Service

Colin Henderson

Banks continue to be challenged by disintermediation from telco’s and here is another example, this time in Japan.  The service will launch 21st July, and allow sending up to $200 with only the payee’s phone number being required. An interesting tweak is the ability to have the money deposited with DOCOMO under the guise of a credit to your account, however this is deposit taking by another name. DOCOMO to launch mobile payments service Customers of DOCOMO’s i-mode™ mobile Internet service on the FOMA™ 3G network will be able to remit up to 20,000 yen (about 208 U.S. dollars) per … Continue reading DOCOMO to Launch Mobile Remittance Service

Innovation

BBVA pays staff to take 5 years off

Colin Henderson

A very unusual and novel cost cutting measure from BBVA, the Spanish bank.  The 70% cost reduction, with a guaranteed pool of employees after the period is up is certainly a new approach. Can’t help but think there will be unintended consequences after the 5 years are up, built certainly the immediate consequences will be more palatable than normal layoffs, which generate acrimony, as well as an expense one time charge.  This approach will drive accountants nuts. It will allow the bank to make future hiring plans, and attrition management with some knowledge of the future. Bank pays staff to … Continue reading BBVA pays staff to take 5 years off

Innovation

Where will the innovation come from in financial services?

Colin Henderson

A central question for financial services is this:  “Where will the innovation come from in financial services?” I read this piece from Dave over at Digital Money Forum, and it highlights a central problem that traditional financial services falls into. The 50 year plan : Digital Money forum That sounds like the Greek restaurant will have to give a British cardholder a couple of pages of A4 and make sure that the customers reads them before they punch in their PIN. Anyway, the point is that for banks, the PSD comes at an interesting time when transaction banking is becoming … Continue reading Where will the innovation come from in financial services?

Uncategorized

Amazon are the most innovative company

Colin Henderson

Thinking about innovation:  other companies including banks talk about innovation and Amazon just do it.  With revenue increases of 32% in areas that most of the population are possibly not even aware that Amazon is involved in (don’t they sell books??) this reflects an approach that levers what they have built to do other things. Read through for Kevin Kelleher‘s views and some facts on Amazon that might surprise you. Why Jeff Bezos is obsessed with waste Amazon Web Services, meanwhile, offers some of the company’s technology to others. Amazon’s “other revenue” — which includes that of AWS — totaled … Continue reading Amazon are the most innovative company