Ep. 146. What's the price of getting 5H1T done?

The guys start this week's show by tackling the Revolut founder and CEO Nikolay Storonsky's divisive view on work culture. Should employees be comfortable working 12-13 hours per day and does it make for a sustainable business? And more broadly, does this story hint at a wider issue in the fintech sector?

We also discuss the Lessons Learned report from the FCA Regulatory Sandbox, which allows innovative firms to carry out live testing. We talk about what proportion of firms received investment, whether applicants, like many things, are London-centric, and why distributed ledger technology (DLT) was so popular. Plus, why are startups using DLT being denied banking services?

Monzo and Starling have both moved closer to payments integration. But are services like Android Pay and Apple Pay building a significant following, or are they just a good news story for the mobile banks?

Facebook Messenger has added P2P payments capability - but is PayPal still useful? And why doesn't David Brear make for a good sample population?

The guys discuss the partnerships that Alipay has secured to continue expanding its reach in the US. And do members of boards at big firms really have the right digital experience to lead through technological change?

N26 have decided to make the brave move of entering the US market by mid-2018; so when will other be following them? The team also talk about how N26 has marketed the benefits of network effects; and the source of regulators' fear at losing control of monetary policy.

Plus, the Poppy Appeal has gone contactless; UAE appoints the first Minister for Artificial Intelligence (and why AI is red, red, red hot); childrens' financial education via Digipigi; and why the Bank of England has spent £3000 on Snapchat to promote the new £10 note.

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Special Guests: Kadhim Shubber and Sharon O'Dea.

Links:

• Our culture is 'about getting s**t done': The Revolut founder on why his people work 12-13 hours a day
• Tech workers worry about age discrimination at age 40: Study
• 📄📄📄 The FCA Regulatory sandbox lessons learned report
• Monzo and Starling take bigger steps towards payment integration
• Monzo – Android Pay is Here!
• Fitbit pay arrives with Starling Bank!
• HSBC partners with Bud for open banking trial
• Poppy Appeal goes contactless
• Facebook Messenger adds PayPal as P2P payment option
• Alipay expands US reach with North American Bancard, Poynt deals
• N26 announces plans to launch in the US by mid-2018
• UAE appoints first Minister for Artificial Intelligence
• Viva Kids World: Digipigi – More Than a Money Box
• Bank of England spends £3,000 on Snapchat filter to promote new £10