Thoughts on Friction, Fintechs and Focus, With Bryce Deeney of equipifi
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“I think it’s still all exploratory right now. 20, 30, 50 years from now, I think 90% of the cryptos available today won’t exist, but there are probably 9,000 more that will. I think you have to separate crypto into several different components. It’s hard to talk about. Is it a currency? Is it a token? Is it an asset? The answer is that, technically, it could be any or all of those, but one token or coin can’t be all.”
Episode Summary
Community financial institutions are unique in that they have high-touch relationships and services built into their culture. But if they want to keep pace with – or even outpace – the mega banks, they must be willing to use that uniqueness to their benefit and take some risks, too.
That was the message from Bryce Deeney, the co-founder and CEO of equipifi. In this episode of the Digital Banking Podcast, host Josh DeTar talked to Deeney about the importance of providing an exceptional user experience, keeping pace with the digitization of money movement, and why fintech companies and credit unions should collaborate more.
Key Insights
⚡ What does frictionless really mean in the world of technology?
Frictionless is one of the hot buzzwords for 2022, but what does it really mean. “Frictionless is the new digital transformation … If we’re all in a room trying to strategize how to remove friction, what we should be asking is: How do I deliver the exact user experience or member experience [I’d want] if I were on the other side of this device?” said Deeney.
⚡ The only constant in life is change.
Community FIs need to be open to change because they’ll lose market share to their competitors if they’re not. Echoing a popular sentiment, Deeney said that community FIs need to stay focused on innovative technology. “You come at it with a consultative approach like, hey, we want to serve you and your family for generations, so we need to make sure we’re staying at the forefront of delivering products and enhancing your financial life,” he said
Fintech companies can bring innovation to the table.
Fintech and community FIs can work together to solve critical problems like friction and deliver an exceptional user experience. Deeney understands that community FIs once saw fintech as a threat. Addressing community FIs, he said, “We’re here to serve you lunch, not eat your lunch. The momentum has shifted so drastically that credit unions are eager to partner. They’re eager to participate. They’re just still trying to figure out who is a friend and who’s a foe.”
