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from payments, he stated. They rely on old networks and infrastructure to PayPal and Alipay also run on
achieve new objectives. existing rails.

"If you look at banking in general, it is not innovative," Sunderji said. "Solutions Sunderji pointed out that legacy
that claim to be innovative are really just iterative. Products that are digitalized players need to harness the power
are still the same products." of blockchain and other emerging
technologies to compete with
Hiding behind the mantle of digital transformation, banks and service providers challenger banks and big tech and
update products and services from the safety of their comfort zones, Sunderji remain relevant to their customers.
noted. Apple Card, for example, is not innovative. Apple may have technical If they add these capabilities by
prowess and access to customer data, but it still relies on Mastercard's network. acquiring tech startups, they
should give the startups the
autonomy to keep on dreaming
and innovating, he stated.

Dream big
Do you ever dream about your
job? Today I woke up feeling as if
I'd spent a full day at the office.
But I felt more inspired than tired,
because a helper showed up with a
message of hope.

In the dream, I'm reviewing
a document draft with four
executives. As we trace the
narrative arc, someone suggests
introducing the CEO earlier in
the story. This would show how
one person's vision transformed a
business plan into a company and
mobilizing force in the payments
industry. This simple change
brings the story to life. It becomes
a hero's journey.

"Draft copy doesn't have to be
perfect or even on point," the
helper said. "The simple act of
putting words on paper will help
you frame the story and figure out
what you really want to say."

That's encouraging, because in
this business, sales quotas and
deadlines wait for no one. Whether
our hero-journeys begin by picking
up a phone or putting words on
paper, we gain confidence with
every small win .

Dale S. Laszig, senior staff writer at The
Green Sheet and managing director at
DSL Direct LLC, is a payments industry jour-
nalist and content development specialist.
She can be reached at dale@dsldirectllc.
com and on Twitter at @DSLdirect.

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