On my substack I write a lot about the collision of what people want to do in their lives and the technology of how financial services products & services actually work – or don’t.
When I recently came across Jay’s piece about his experience as an Uber Eats driver, I read it and then read it again. I saw 3 connected levels of storytelling:
Jay’s story in the context of our current business environment. His piece has an incredible level of vulnerability that you don’t find on a platform that increasingly has posts that are some variation of “5 Ways to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Save $5,000,000.00 Before You’re Thirty.” It reminded me of Frank Eliason’s piece about working at Amazon.
How UBER actually works for drivers.
A guide for marketing leaders – in marketing with integrity, customer experience, employee experience and management.
Naturally this piece let me to other pieces at the Marketing Accountability Council substack. I discovered a number of them were involved banking or payments and how customers’ experiences with their financial services products result in the dissolution of trust.
In our conversation, we talked about the failure of customers’ experience and how financial services generally and marketing in particular can stop the stink: By paying more attention to what people really want and need and being honest about how the bank can help could lead to better products and services and marketing. We talked about what marketers must do in 2026 and why AI isn’t the solution.
Interestingly, improving marketing has more to do with technology, product development and listening to customers than you might think.
I’m an independent analyst, strategic advisor & consultant (& a former Gartner analyst). I’ve worked in and covered the banking industry for over 2 decades.
My aim with this newsletter is not to confirm what you know (and you are plenty smart!) but to challenge you & give you a fresh perspective & analysis on the transformation that is —and isn’t happening - in the industry.
PivotAssets is my consultancy. I help FIs and software companies world-wide cut through the technology and other hype that can get in the way of your strategy and plans to increase profitability, innovation or transformation.
Ensure your financial institution can deliver small innovations, stop ghosting customers, uncover its hidden tribes and leverage your legacy. Should you start a new digital bank brand?
Help you tap into hidden customer segments that will unlock your FI’s innovation capabilities.
Position your solution(s) or fintech to meet the demands of today’s banking environment? I can:
Assist you in creating a narrative that reflects your mission, goals, market and product(s) - and isn’t a copy of what everyone else is doing.
Help you tap into capabilities to support hidden customer segments that will unlock your ability to support innovation.
Analyze your GTM strategy to help you address a new market.
Help you prepare for your first vendor briefing or your first funding pitch meeting.
Write thought leadership pieces relevant to your business, solutions or technology.
Organize and moderate webinars, podcasts, panels and other events.
Contact me at stessa@pivotassets.co or via LinkedIn.
Ivo Spigel and Nick Holland and I co-founded FinVino, a new banking/fintech retreat for CxOs coming to Hvar, Croatia in 2026. It’s an opportunity for senior banking executives to explore the intersection between banking and the wine industry - two legacy industries facing disruption and innovation in a beautiful location. Follow our LinkedIn page for details. Interested in sponsoring this event? Send me an email or direct message!
I’m an expert advisor at Third Eye Advisory. Check out my latest research there. Third Eye services include 1:1 discussions, thought leadership and strategy sessions.
Fintech Book Club - Jim Perry, Efi Pylarinou and I - discusses 1 fintech book every quarter. Our most recent discussion was about Brett King’s Branch Tomorrow with contributions from our own Efi Pylarinou, Paolo Sirioni, Jim Marous, Richard Turrin and Bruno Diniz.
Our next book discussion is Friday 13 March 2026 at 10:00 EST. The book we will discuss is Wealth Management with a Difference by April Rudin and Nick Rice. Please join us!
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