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How can commercial banks have 90% of the market when they lack innovation, are slow-moving, and culturally bureaucratic?
The answer to this logical but puzzling question is multifaceted. Keep in mind banks come in all sizes and each type of banks has strengths that FinTechs lack. Any combination of these points may explain why banks still dominate the market. FIRST MOVER ADVANTAGE - Banks have been around a lot longer than FinTechs so they had ALL of the market before FinTechs showed up on the scene. It's incredibly hard to displace an entrenched provider regardless of how slick your UI is.
Andrew Woelflein
5 days ago2 min read
How a FinTech and Commercial Bank Make On-The-Fly Product Enhancements
These two examples illustrate the difference in speed-to-market with a simple product enhancement at a FinTech vs. a Bank. FinTech A product manager wants to make a small product enhancement on-the-fly. This isn't a must-fix bug, it's a small but NEW feature that's added to the the existing product. Let's say it's feature X that has four requirements - we'll call them requirements A,B, C, and D. The product manager writes a Use Case describing feature X and requirements A,
Andrew Woelflein
Dec 17, 20252 min read
Commercial Banks Can't Innovate - Ever Wonder Why?
Commercial banks lack the ability to truly innovate because of the way they are structured and their culture. BANK STRUCTURE Commercial Banks core function is to lend money and that whole business model is predicated on loans being repaid. Failure to have loans repaid is not an option. Consider this lesson taught on day one in every bank credit class taught to new loan officers. If a bank loans 100 companies each $1 million with a standard 1% ROA the bank earns $1 million o
Andrew Woelflein
Dec 2, 20252 min read
5 Negative Traits of Monopoly or Oligopoly Organizations
Engaging with a MONOPOLY or OLIGOPOLY whether it's a vendor, partner, or strategic supplier is extremely difficult and frustrating. Here are some common negative traits of these organizations: Poor customer service Lack innovation & urgency Expensive Bureaucratic Resistant to change Monopoly or Oligopoly organizations - regardless of industry - manifest these 5 negative traits because they lack real competition and switching costs can often be exorbitant. Their dominant mark
Andrew Woelflein
Nov 14, 20251 min read
Lots of AI Compliance Questions - Do You Have The Answers?
Do you know where the AI Act (AIA) is enacted into law? If you are subject to the AIA, are you compliant with AIA provisions around...
Andrew Woelflein
Oct 10, 20251 min read
AI as "Personal Trainer"
I am running a HALF Marathon on Oct 12. During the training period I had Covid and also had a few minor leg muscle strains that delayed...
Andrew Woelflein
Oct 6, 20252 min read
What Motivates Performance?
Motivation is an important intangible factor that has a dramatic impact on results. Motivated individuals, teams, or organizations...
Andrew Woelflein
Sep 30, 20251 min read
AI's INTERESTING BUT CAN IT DO MORE THAN JUST WRITE NICE EMAILS?
Here's a great story of how AI drove significant process improvement in a HealthTech business that I heard at the #NextGen Venture...
Andrew Woelflein
Sep 19, 20251 min read
AI Is Transforming Financial Services NOW - Do You Have Multiple AI Projects Up & Running?
AI is deployed in multiple ways within financial services NOW. Here are just a few examples: CREDIT - Faster and more accurate credit...
Andrew Woelflein
Aug 20, 20251 min read


WELLNESS MATTERS - EVERYONE SHOULD EMBRACE IT
Years ago, when I started my career at American Express, I was impressed by the fact that Jim Robinson, then CEO and Chairman, made time...
Andrew Woelflein
Aug 6, 20252 min read


Businesses Can Learn A Lot From a Well Run Restaurant Kitchen
The other night at dinner in Hendersonville, North Carolina, I had an elevated seat that looked right into the restaurant's busy kitchen....
Andrew Woelflein
Aug 1, 20252 min read
Customers vs. Clients
What is the difference between a “Customer” and a “Client”? Does your company serve customers, clients, or both? How does your staff...
Andrew Woelflein
Jul 23, 20252 min read
Generalist vs. Specialist
Business "Generalists" see across business functions to drive successful holistic outcomes. Specialists often develop silo-vision and...
Andrew Woelflein
Jul 7, 20251 min read
What Marathons Teach About Business
Have you ever thought how training for and then running a MARATHON teaches many lessons directly relevant to the business world? Probably...
Andrew Woelflein
Jul 3, 20251 min read
AI – Your Co-Pilot or Boss?
AI is a true game-changing technology that can drive operational efficiency if used correctly. AI accesses reams of information and...
Andrew Woelflein
Jun 30, 20251 min read
Why is "Packaging" a Product Important
Packaging a product properly should factor in how the END USER experiences the product and should ideally make their life easier. We...
Andrew Woelflein
Jun 26, 20251 min read
Corporate & Personal DRP Planning - Are You Ready?
Anyone involved in corporate Disaster Recovery Planning ("DRP") planning knows the importance of formulating detailed business redundancy...
Andrew Woelflein
Jun 26, 20252 min read
What's a critical success factor for senior leaders in any organization?
COMMUNICATION. Clear, concise, consistent communication is a critical success factor for any executive regardless of industry. A McKinsey...
Andrew Woelflein
Jun 26, 20251 min read
Product Development vs. Product Management
Product Development and Product Management offer two different approaches to building and managing technical products. Product...
Andrew Woelflein
Jun 26, 20251 min read
Does your organization have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)?
A great BHAG typically has a longer-term horizon, like 5 years, with one major clearly stated stretch objective. For example, be the #1...
Andrew Woelflein
Jun 3, 20251 min read
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