Crowdfunding is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting fields in fintech, and even though the field has had a slow start in Norway compared to other countries, the segment is now blooming. What are the problems that the solutions aim to solve, where is the market heading, and is a threat or a supplement to traditional financial services?
Green bonds are picking up the pace
Climate change is real, the earth is getting warmer, and it is our fault. The rate of human-induced rate species extinction is accelerating to more than 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate. Water scarcity is getting worse, where at the current consumption rate, two thirds of the world population may face water shortages by 2025. Our oceans are not in a healthy state either, 63 percent of global fish stocks are considered overfished, and where there are no more fish, we are filling our oceans with plastic waste. In order to combat these and many other challenges affecting the environment, we must all do our part, and that includes the financial services industry.
Join me at Money 20/20 Europe in June
Join me at this year’s Money 20/20 Europe in June where I will be hosting an all-star panel on how all disruptors eventually become incumbents. From the perspective of Sbanken, the original challenger bank, existing digital-only since 2000, I will lead the discussion together with well-renowned fintech unicorns as they are coming of age. Stay tuned for more and get your tickets at Money 20/20.
Tenk som en kjeltring
Samtidig som både norske forbrukere og virksomheter er blant de mest digitale i verden trekkes det stadig frem at Nordmenn både er naive og utsatt når det kommer til digital sikkerhet. Når det kommer til digitale løsninger er det til syvende sist mennesker som ikke bare bruker, men også designer og utvikler løsningene. Ved å tro det beste om folk, risikerer vi å overse hvordan det vi lager kan benyttes til ondsinnede formål.
You cannot step into the same river twice
Why do once great companies continue to fail to keep up with the times? One explanation is that they attempt to solve the problems of tomorrow with the tools of yesterday.
Sbanken chooses Nets to support TPP initiatives under PSD2
Sbanken selects Nets Access to Account Services (NAAS) for a single platform enabling access to banks … Sbanken chooses Nets to support TPP initiatives under PSD2Read more
Scaling development capacity
As head of business development and IT, making sure we have sufficient developer capacity to reach our goals is a significant part of my job. I thought I’d share the story of how we successfully have scaled our development capacity significantly while maintaining productivity and cost-efficiency.
Why is legacy tech a problem and how do we fix it?
One of the issues for incumbents when facing a new digital reality is the burden of legacy technology. Why exactly is this a problem, how do we end up with legacy IT, and how should we approach it?
Building a personal brand
Even though my primary driver for writing this blog is to gain a better understanding of various topics related to my everyday job as well as some out of pure curiousity. In my mind, if I am able to make enough sense of a topic to create an understandable text, I have gained a higher level of understanding than if I just were to read a book or an article. It is no secret that building a personal brand at the same time has been intentional and carefully planned. For those who wish to do the same, here is my advice.
The Norwegian fintech scene illustrated
The Norwegian fintech scene is rapidly expanding. For those wish to stay updated, here is a great visualization provided by The factory.
Nye digitale forretningsmodeller eller digitaliserte raskere hester?
Digitalisering er ingen engangsøvelse, og der vi tidligere har vært dyktige til å digitalisere eksiterende prosesser for å løse kjente oppgaver raskere og mer kostnadseffektivt handler det å være digitalt om å re-tenke sine prosesser og forretningsmodeller ved smart bruk av ny teknologi. Norske banker har lang historikk for å bruke teknologi til å løse kjente problemer, men hvordan skal vi rette blikket fremover og løse morgendagens problemer for våre kunder?
Radical innovation requires discipline
One of the hardest activities in both startups and established companies is radical innovation. While incremental innovation is all about improving the existing, radical innovation is often related to coming up with the next big thing. How shoud both incumbents and startups approach this the mystery of radical innovation?
Do you have a data strategy?
In a world of digital ecosystems, data is the raw material that fuels the digital economy. In order to be a part of this value creation, there is a need to have a clear data strategy. How does one go from the traditional approach to collection, storage and reporting to strategic use of data?
What Bitcoin Did
Bitcoin as a computer system just turned 10 years. Satoshi Nakamoto fired off the system by hand-coding the first block in the system, block #0, and the rest is history. However, the history is still short, and we still do not know what impact cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology will have on our society as a whole, or the financial sector in particular.
Are incumbents seeking comfort in infrastructure
A metaphor describing the challenges incumbent banks were facing at the dawn of fintech was whether the banks were destined to maintain the rails or operate the train in competition with nimble startups and tech giants. Even though every bank out there were and still is unified in their quest to resist disintermediation and maintain ownership of the customer relationships, actions speak louder than words.
Gjør det enkelt
This blog post was originally published at Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian) Det sies at en gjennomsnittlig … Gjør det enkeltRead more
Open banking: Going from vision to execution
By now, open banking has become the talk of the town in the banking industry. However, going from strategy to execution is the tricky part. Moving too fast without sufficient understanding your surroundings may result in unforeseen consequences, and on the other hand playing it (too) safe may result in a never-ending strategic analysis of what you could have, would have and should have been done. In order to get started, one must be able to refine and restrict the scope, focus and deliver.
Sbanken continues to deliver on open banking with student loan integration
Starting this week, customers of Sbanken will be able to view outstanding student debt in their mobile- and online bank.
Building a killer team
Flying solo is a bad idea when facing change. Whether the task is accelerating growth, digital transformation or a turnaround case, a team effort is required to create sustainable change. Knowing who you need by your side and how to make your team act like one singular unit is crucial for success.
Strategic choices in a new world of banking
Fintech has gained momentum in the banking industry and changes in the competitive landscape are already becoming observable. As the majority of players are increasing emphasis on the user experience, the competition is likely to increase. Who are the potential players, and how will this affect customer mobility and profitability in the market.