Happy new year!
As with every time January comes around, the vacation went by so fast it’s almost as if it didn’t happen. Most of us are here back in the office, picking up where we left off in 2017. But before completely getting back to work, we took some time out to think about what the year ahead in fintech will look like.
A few of us here volunteered what we thought would change the Fintech industry in 2018, and shared a few of the books and shows we’re looking forward to for the new year. Let us know your thoughts and additions in the comments!
Debbie
Fintech in 2018
Continued growth of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as society moves to place trust in code over institutions; Growth of AI, specifically in the deferred decision-making process (e.g. Nest to adjust temperature at home etc.); Digital transformation will continue to drive us and other organizations to reimagine their business, how to engage and reshape products and customer experiences; Cyber security will be a key focus for many organizations; Open Banking philosophy gains more traction; Biometrics, facial recognition voice become the gateway for the ‘internet of me’
Reading / Watching in 2018
- Beyond Babylon, Before Bitcoin, David Birch
- Your Turn, Kristine Stewart
- Augmented, Brett King
- The Defiant Ones (HBO)
Kashmera
Fintech in 2018
Businesses will continue to use data and tech to give customers what they want but will have to do so by balancing it with privacy and anonymity that customers are demanding. Think machine learning, artificial intelligence, open APIs, and regulatory implications.
Reading / Watching
- The Song of Roland
- Paul Up North, Michel Rabagliati and
- Paul Joins the Scouts, also by Michel Rabagliati
- The Crown (Netflix)
- Stranger Things (Netflix)
Michelle
Fintech in 2018
Canadians’ love affair with their mobile device gets amplified as they start to pay for products, services and each other via their mobile phone. Canadians will demand more from their merchant and service provider experiences – those that can surprise and delight will win the customer.
Reading / Watching
- re-re-re-reading The Handmaid’s Tail, Margaret Atwood
- Unleashing the Innovators: How Mature Companies Find New Life with Startups, Jim Stengel and Tom Post
- Fingers crossed for the release of Winds of Winter, George R.R. Martin
Nerissa
Fintech in 2018
Consumers will start to change the way they approach security and mobile devices. How you unlock your phone will be important as a bank pin or social insurance number.
Reading / Watching in 2018
- The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
- Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown
- Black Mirror (Netflix)
- Banking on Bitcoin (Netflix)
Rich
Reading / Watching in 2018
- The Design of Everyday Things, Don Norman
- Aaron Draplin (everything)
- The Best Interface is No Interface, Golden Krishna
- Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real, The Imagineerst
- The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown
- The Universe Has Your Back, Gabrielle Bernstein
- The Mist (Netflix)
- Stranger Things (Netflix)
- It’s Your Turn, by Melody Adhami
- The Four, by Scott Galloway
Tracy
Reading / Watching in 2018
The Team
Reading / Watching in 2018
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
