Bankloch

In recent years, I have delved into the domains of   DeFi (decentralized finance), Web3, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies , building a solid understanding (although far from being an expert) of their underlying concepts and technologies. Nonetheless, I continue to grapple with the business and economic aspects surrounding these innovations. Surprisingly, there are very few articles focusing on the economics of DeFi and blockchain businesses and this in sheer contrast to the enormous amount of content focusing on the technology and the innovative and disruptive nature of this technology. As an engineer, I find the technology behind permissionless decentralized blockchains and smart contracts immensely captivating. However, as a business and functional analyst, I struggle to   discern the business dynamics : the viability of the business case, the definition of customer support models and the customer journeys both in happy and unhappy flows. Unfortunately, these critical aspect...

In my work, I have been confronted a lot with the crucial question of how to establish an effective connection between business and IT. In the pre-Agile era, this responsibility typically fell on the Business Analyst, who would hand over business requirements (needs) to the Functional Analyst for conversion into a functional design (solution). However, even then, discussions revolved around: Should a business analyst be   part of the business or IT team ? Where are the   boundaries   of a Business Analyst versus a Functional Analyst, considering cost and technical restrictions that may challenge certain business needs. Who takes care of   small enhancements   for which there is no need of a detailed and complex analysis and process? Who makes the   bridge with the end-users   and all non-IT activities (like marketing roll-out, process adaptations…​)? To fulfill these requirements, organizations often introduced additional roles such as Process Analysts...

In my blog post " The financial sector boundaries are blurring " ( https://bankloch.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-financial-sector-boundaries-are.html ) I explored the evolution where traditional financial companies are expanding their offerings with adjacent services, while companies from other sectors are also offering more and more financial services. As a result, the boundaries of the financial sector are blurring. Although this blog focused primarily on large players striving to become super-apps (or semi super-apps) and providing end-to-end journeys, there is an equally fascinating narrative to explore about   SaaS vendors offering solutions for a niche market . In my other blog " Every neobank its own niche " ( https://bankloch.blogspot.com/2022/10/every-neobank-its-own-niche.html ), I discussed how certain   neo-banks   concentrate their efforts on specific customer segments. This deliberate focus enables them to provide highly targeted value-added services to th...