From the leaders.
Recent posts from tracked thought leaders, grouped by author. Last 7 days.
Ryan Law from Ahrefs discusses practical strategies for winning in AI search with real data, cutting through the hype surrounding AI search optimization and ChatGPT visibility.
Ethan Smith from Graphite debunks common SEO myths using real data, addressing claims that AI and other factors are killing SEO and examining the actual impact on organic traffic.
North Korea has become increasingly sophisticated at cryptocurrency theft and money laundering, leveraging cyber capabilities to fund state operations and bypass international sanctions through decentralized finance networks.
Bitcoin is positioned as a systemic alternative to broken traditional financial systems rather than a speculative trading instrument or get-rich-quick scheme. The argument frames BTC as an escape mechanism from institutional financial failures.
Bitcoin and crypto markets are increasingly correlated with tech stocks and the Nasdaq, suggesting institutional capital flows and macro sentiment are driving crypto prices alongside AI enthusiasm and equity markets.
HubSpot's growth strategy scaled the company to a $30B+ valuation through systematic product-market fit, customer success focus, and integrated platform expansion that converted users into enterprise customers.
HubSpot's CMO shares the marketing strategies and scaling playbook that transformed HubSpot from a $10M to $1B company, covering customer acquisition, content strategy, and brand building during exponential growth phases.
This episode explores how AI-powered search is disrupting traditional SEO and introduces AEO (AI Engine Optimization) as the new strategic framework for surviving and thriving in an AI-driven search landscape.
AI is fundamentally transforming SEO work, making traditional optimization methods obsolete. Caleb Ulku discusses the emerging landscape where AI handles core SEO tasks and explores what this means for digital marketers.
A comprehensive guide covering SEO strategies for 2026 that address both local and national growth opportunities, focusing on optimizing search visibility across different geographic scopes.
I've spent 2 years building on LinkedIn. If I started again today, I'd follow these 25 GTM experts first. This will save you a lot of trial and error. When I started, I had no clue who to follow. I just liked posts, copied tactics, and hoped something would resonate. Most of it (of course) didn't. So I started saving the people who actually knew what they were doing. Here's the list, by category. 1️⃣ GTM Engineering + AI-native plays → Florin Tatulea: Common Room signal-based GTM, real plays not just frameworks → Sam Kuehnle: Loxo demand gen, founder POV on what's working in B2B SaaS → Mark Roberge: Stage 2 Capital, the most-cited B2B sales thinking on LinkedIn → Maja Voje: GTM strategy founder, AI-native motion design → Sumit Gupta: how Notion, Snowflake, Dropbox use Claude for GTM 2️⃣ B2B Outbound systems → 💜 🔮 Will Allred: Lavender, cold email + AI personalization frameworks → Trish Bertuzzi: Bridge Group, the OG outbound playbook designer → Jed Mahrle PracticalProspecting, daily tactical breakdowns from real campaigns → Morgan J. Ingram: multi-channel prospecting + sales development authority → Leslie Venetz: sales-led growth + outbound playbooks 3️⃣ LinkedIn Growth + content systems → Marina Panova: LinkedIn growth for founders, original "creators-to-follow" framework → Jasmin Alić: voice extraction for AI-assisted content that doesn't sound like AI → Lara Acosta: founder personal brand + content systems → Daniel Murray: Marketing Millennials, content distribution at scale → Ruben Hassid: AI-assisted content engine that actually grows audience 4️⃣ Personal brand + founder-led content → Justin Welsh: solopreneur OS, the most-saved LinkedIn templates ever made → Amelia Sordell: Klowt, personal branding for founders → Anthony Natoli: Genesys, sales-led founder content → Jason Vana: brand consultant POV on what content actually converts → Ayesha Ameer: positioning + voice for technical founders 5️⃣ Sales tools + automation → Pouyan Salehi: Scratchpad, AI for sales productivity → Ash Lewis: 3Eight, sales automation deep dives → Sangram Vajre: Terminus co-founder, ABM + B2B sales authority → Toni Hohlbein: Growblocks, GTM data + revenue ops → Frank Sondors 🥓: Salesforge, AI sales agents 6️⃣ Demand Gen + Marketing-Led GTM → Chris Walker: Refine Labs, dark social + demand gen authority → Dave Gerhardt: Exit Five, B2B marketing community + brand-led GTM → Kyle Coleman: Copy ai, marketing-to-revenue alignment → Tas Bober: Delphinium Solutions, B2B SaaS website strategy → Adam Holmgren: DemandGen Maven, founder-led demand gen 7️⃣ RevOps + Data-Led GTM → Jeff Ignacio: RevOps Co-op, RevOps community + practitioner voice → Rosalyn Santa Elena: RevOps strategist + advisor → Sara McNamara: RevOps tools + workflows → Mark Kosoglow: sales execution + RevOps → Eddie Reynolds: Union Square Consulting, RevOps practitioner This list isn't complete. Who would you add? ♻️ Repost to help someone build a better feed
I've spent 2 years building on LinkedIn. If I started again today, I'd follow these 25 GTM experts first. This will save you a lot of trial and error. When I started, I had no clue who to follow. I just liked posts, copied tactics, and hoped something would resonate. Most of it (of course) didn't. So I started saving the people who actually knew what they were doing. Here's the list, by category. 1️⃣ GTM Engineering + AI-native plays → Florin Tatulea: Common Room signal-based GTM, real plays not just frameworks → Sam Kuehnle: Loxo demand gen, founder POV on what's working in B2B SaaS → Mark Roberge: Stage 2 Capital, the most-cited B2B sales thinking on LinkedIn → Maja Voje: GTM strategy founder, AI-native motion design → Sumit Gupta: how Notion, Snowflake, Dropbox use Claude for GTM 2️⃣ B2B Outbound systems → 💜 🔮 Will Allred: Lavender, cold email + AI personalization frameworks → Trish Bertuzzi: Bridge Group, the OG outbound playbook designer → Jed Mahrle PracticalProspecting, daily tactical breakdowns from real campaigns → Morgan J. Ingram: multi-channel prospecting + sales development authority → Leslie Venetz: sales-led growth + outbound playbooks 3️⃣ LinkedIn Growth + content systems → Marina Panova: LinkedIn growth for founders, original "creators-to-follow" framework → Jasmin Alić: voice extraction for AI-assisted content that doesn't sound like AI → Lara Acosta: founder personal brand + content systems → Daniel Murray: Marketing Millennials, content distribution at scale → Ruben Hassid: AI-assisted content engine that actually grows audience 4️⃣ Personal brand + founder-led content → Justin Welsh: solopreneur OS, the most-saved LinkedIn templates ever made → Amelia Sordell: Klowt, personal branding for founders → Anthony Natoli: Genesys, sales-led founder content → Jason Vana: brand consultant POV on what content actually converts → Ayesha Ameer: positioning + voice for technical founders 5️⃣ Sales tools + automation → Pouyan Salehi: Scratchpad, AI for sales productivity → Ash Lewis: 3Eight, sales automation deep dives → Sangram Vajre: Terminus co-founder, ABM + B2B sales authority → Toni Hohlbein: Growblocks, GTM data + revenue ops → Frank Sondors 🥓: Salesforge, AI sales agents 6️⃣ Demand Gen + Marketing-Led GTM → Chris Walker: Refine Labs, dark social + demand gen authority → Dave Gerhardt: Exit Five, B2B marketing community + brand-led GTM → Kyle Coleman: Copy ai, marketing-to-revenue alignment → Tas Bober: Delphinium Solutions, B2B SaaS website strategy → Adam Holmgren: DemandGen Maven, founder-led demand gen 7️⃣ RevOps + Data-Led GTM → Jeff Ignacio: RevOps Co-op, RevOps community + practitioner voice → Rosalyn Santa Elena: RevOps strategist + advisor → Sara McNamara: RevOps tools + workflows → Mark Kosoglow: sales execution + RevOps → Eddie Reynolds: Union Square Consulting, RevOps practitioner This list isn't complete. Who would you add? ♻️ Repost to help someone build a better feed
20 B2B SaaS newsletters worth your inbox. Organized by what you need right now. 🤖 AI & Visibility → Anna York – The AI Citation Report → Aleyda Solís – SEOFOMO → Kevin Indig – Growth Memo → Ross Simmonds – The Foundation 📣 Demand Generation → Emily Kramer – MKT1 Newsletter → Dave Gerhardt – Exit Five → Sjeel – Fractional Sjeel → Peep Laja – CXL Newsletter 🚀 Growth & PLG → Kyle Poyar – Growth Unhinged → Lenny Rachitsky – Lenny's Newsletter → Elena Verna – Elena's Growth Scoop → Kieran Flanagan – The Science of Scaling 🌐 Global Marketing → Weglot – Next Market Beat → Andrei Zinkevich – Full-Funnel B2B → Sophie Buonassisi – GTMnow → Andrea Vaugan – International Expansion Playbook 🔧 Marketing Ops → Elric Legloire – Outbound Kitchen → Kyle Norton – The Revenue Leadership → Tittarelli & Waxman – GTM Engineering School → Adam Schoenfeld – Adam's GTM Report Side note: AI search is changing who gets found and who gets cited. Your newsletter choices should reflect that shift. Who are we missing?
20 B2B SaaS newsletters worth your inbox. Organized by what you need right now. 🤖 AI & Visibility → Anna York – The AI Citation Report → Aleyda Solís – SEOFOMO → Kevin Indig – Growth Memo → Ross Simmonds – The Foundation 📣 Demand Generation → Emily Kramer – MKT1 Newsletter → Dave Gerhardt – Exit Five → Sjeel – Fractional Sjeel → Peep Laja – CXL Newsletter 🚀 Growth & PLG → Kyle Poyar – Growth Unhinged → Lenny Rachitsky – Lenny's Newsletter → Elena Verna – Elena's Growth Scoop → Kieran Flanagan – The Science of Scaling 🌐 Global Marketing → Weglot – Next Market Beat → Andrei Zinkevich – Full-Funnel B2B → Sophie Buonassisi – GTMnow → Andrea Vaugan – International Expansion Playbook 🔧 Marketing Ops → Elric Legloire – Outbound Kitchen → Kyle Norton – The Revenue Leadership → Tittarelli & Waxman – GTM Engineering School → Adam Schoenfeld – Adam's GTM Report Side note: AI search is changing who gets found and who gets cited. Your newsletter choices should reflect that shift. Who are we missing?
Every weekend, he took the same exit off the highway. Exit Five into the woods of Vermont and away from the noise. That's where he'd go to think. To get unstuck. To come up with ideas, his mother-in-law would joke about on Sunday mornings. He had no idea the exit would one day become a business. Meet Dave Gerhardt, Founder of Exit Five — the man who went from PR intern to CMO, accidentally invented a category, and then built the community he wished had existed for his entire career. Dave grew up wanting to be a sports writer. Ended up in marketing instead. He worked his way up from PR intern, job by job, role by role — learning as he went, sharing everything publicly on LinkedIn. In 2015, he joined a little-known startup called Drift as their first marketing hire. Nobody had heard of it. Nobody had heard of the category they were trying to create either. Drift needed more than a product. It needed a movement. So Dave built one. He named the category — Conversational Marketing. Wrote the book on it. Literally. Co-authored a bestseller that launched the term into every B2B marketing conversation in the world. He grew Drift from $0 to 8-figure revenue in two years. Deloitte ranked it #6 on the Technology Fast 500 with 35,474% revenue growth from 2016 to 2019. Drift sold for over $1B. But Dave wasn't done. He left. Started posting on LinkedIn. Built a following of 200,000+ marketers on raw, practical, no-nonsense content. People didn't just want his posts. They wanted to talk to each other. So he built a private community. Called it DGMG at first. Then, it was rebranded to the name of the Vermont highway exit — Exit Five. He bought the domain for $400. He almost quit the business three times. He didn't. → Exit Five — 5,700+ paying members, $3M+ annual revenue → 50,000+ newsletter subscribers → 200,000+ LinkedIn followers with organic only → Bootstrapped and profitable from day one → Previously: VP Marketing at Drift ($1B exit) → Previously: CMO at Privy ($100M+ exit) → Author: Founder Brand — top business book He went from wanting to cover other people's stories to becoming the story every B2B marketer talks about. P.S. What's the community or resource you wish had existed earlier in your career? I share stories of exceptional fintech and SaaS founders every Monday. Follow me and hit 🔔 to be notified next week. #FounderStoryMondays
Every weekend, he took the same exit off the highway. Exit Five into the woods of Vermont and away from the noise. That's where he'd go to think. To get unstuck. To come up with ideas, his mother-in-law would joke about on Sunday mornings. He had no idea the exit would one day become a business. Meet Dave Gerhardt, Founder of Exit Five — the man who went from PR intern to CMO, accidentally invented a category, and then built the community he wished had existed for his entire career. Dave grew up wanting to be a sports writer. Ended up in marketing instead. He worked his way up from PR intern, job by job, role by role — learning as he went, sharing everything publicly on LinkedIn. In 2015, he joined a little-known startup called Drift as their first marketing hire. Nobody had heard of it. Nobody had heard of the category they were trying to create either. Drift needed more than a product. It needed a movement. So Dave built one. He named the category — Conversational Marketing. Wrote the book on it. Literally. Co-authored a bestseller that launched the term into every B2B marketing conversation in the world. He grew Drift from $0 to 8-figure revenue in two years. Deloitte ranked it #6 on the Technology Fast 500 with 35,474% revenue growth from 2016 to 2019. Drift sold for over $1B. But Dave wasn't done. He left. Started posting on LinkedIn. Built a following of 200,000+ marketers on raw, practical, no-nonsense content. People didn't just want his posts. They wanted to talk to each other. So he built a private community. Called it DGMG at first. Then, it was rebranded to the name of the Vermont highway exit — Exit Five. He bought the domain for $400. He almost quit the business three times. He didn't. → Exit Five — 5,700+ paying members, $3M+ annual revenue → 50,000+ newsletter subscribers → 200,000+ LinkedIn followers with organic only → Bootstrapped and profitable from day one → Previously: VP Marketing at Drift ($1B exit) → Previously: CMO at Privy ($100M+ exit) → Author: Founder Brand — top business book He went from wanting to cover other people's stories to becoming the story every B2B marketer talks about. P.S. What's the community or resource you wish had existed earlier in your career? I share stories of exceptional fintech and SaaS founders every Monday. Follow me and hit 🔔 to be notified next week. #FounderStoryMondays
“Measurement can kill good #B2BMarketing.” I recently listened to a podcast episode with Dave Gerhardt and Uzair Dada, and this line really stuck with me. Not because measurement is bad, but because over-measurement often becomes noise instead of insight. Of course funnel performance matters. Of course we should understand what moves buyers from awareness to pipeline to revenue. But many #B2B companies become so obsessed with attribution, dashboards, impressions, clicks, and proving the ROI of every single activity… that marketing turns into endless reporting instead of actual market influence. Good measurement in B2B marketing should help teams make better decisions — not distract them from the bigger picture: get discovered → get chosen → close. That’s it. A few more thoughts from the episode that strongly matched how I think about modern B2B marketing: — Brand vs Demand is a false fight. Good marketing should do both. — AI won’t replace marketers. AI democratizes execution. Taste, judgment, positioning, and understanding customers become even more valuable. — Your best content is already inside customer conversations. Sales calls, objections, churn reasons, CS conversations, support tickets — this is where the real messaging gold lives. — AEO is not replacing SEO. Strong SEO fundamentals still matter. Probably a topic for a separate post soon :) Highly recommend the podcast. Link is in the first comment. Curious — what podcasts are you listening to around B2B marketing, product marketing, product management, or B2B SaaS lately? #B2BMarketing #B2BSaaS #ProductMarketing #ProductManagement #SaaSMarketing
“Measurement can kill good #B2BMarketing.” I recently listened to a podcast episode with Dave Gerhardt and Uzair Dada, and this line really stuck with me. Not because measurement is bad, but because over-measurement often becomes noise instead of insight. Of course funnel performance matters. Of course we should understand what moves buyers from awareness to pipeline to revenue. But many #B2B companies become so obsessed with attribution, dashboards, impressions, clicks, and proving the ROI of every single activity… that marketing turns into endless reporting instead of actual market influence. Good measurement in B2B marketing should help teams make better decisions — not distract them from the bigger picture: get discovered → get chosen → close. That’s it. A few more thoughts from the episode that strongly matched how I think about modern B2B marketing: — Brand vs Demand is a false fight. Good marketing should do both. — AI won’t replace marketers. AI democratizes execution. Taste, judgment, positioning, and understanding customers become even more valuable. — Your best content is already inside customer conversations. Sales calls, objections, churn reasons, CS conversations, support tickets — this is where the real messaging gold lives. — AEO is not replacing SEO. Strong SEO fundamentals still matter. Probably a topic for a separate post soon :) Highly recommend the podcast. Link is in the first comment. Curious — what podcasts are you listening to around B2B marketing, product marketing, product management, or B2B SaaS lately? #B2BMarketing #B2BSaaS #ProductMarketing #ProductManagement #SaaSMarketing
100 signups in the first hour. 276 and counting in two days. All from one email to a niche B2B audience. I've been working on a series of live sessions for h2x and after listening to Jay Schwedelson on the Dave Gerhardt podcast, I made four small changes: 1. Stopped calling it a "webinar": We renamed it a "Live Guided Session" instead. Jay's data suggests changing this word can increase registrations by ~35%. The word webinar has become total background noise in 2026. 2. Changed the duration to 27 minutes (not 30, not 45): Non-round numbers feel more specific and credible, like you've actually timed the content rather than just blocked an hour. People also appreciate getting a few minutes back between meetings. 3. Added an "attend to receive" hook: We offered an exclusive live-only Q&A that isn't available on demand. This gives people a real reason to show up instead of just registering and ghosting. 4. Removed the email preview text: Most emails show a snippet of text next to the subject line in your inbox. By replacing it entirely with invisible characters, the subject line sits in white space, making it stand out in a crowded inbox. The graph shows exactly when the marketing email went out and the spike is almost vertical. Has anyone else tested any of these? Curious to hear what's working (or not working) for you lately? #B2BMarketing #EmailMarketing #Webinar #DigitalMarketing #SaaSMarketing
100 signups in the first hour. 276 and counting in two days. All from one email to a niche B2B audience. I've been working on a series of live sessions for h2x and after listening to Jay Schwedelson on the Dave Gerhardt podcast, I made four small changes: 1. Stopped calling it a "webinar": We renamed it a "Live Guided Session" instead. Jay's data suggests changing this word can increase registrations by ~35%. The word webinar has become total background noise in 2026. 2. Changed the duration to 27 minutes (not 30, not 45): Non-round numbers feel more specific and credible, like you've actually timed the content rather than just blocked an hour. People also appreciate getting a few minutes back between meetings. 3. Added an "attend to receive" hook: We offered an exclusive live-only Q&A that isn't available on demand. This gives people a real reason to show up instead of just registering and ghosting. 4. Removed the email preview text: Most emails show a snippet of text next to the subject line in your inbox. By replacing it entirely with invisible characters, the subject line sits in white space, making it stand out in a crowded inbox. The graph shows exactly when the marketing email went out and the spike is almost vertical. Has anyone else tested any of these? Curious to hear what's working (or not working) for you lately? #B2BMarketing #EmailMarketing #Webinar #DigitalMarketing #SaaSMarketing
9 newsletters every payments professional should read Lately I’ve been trying to spend less time scrolling random LinkedIn posts and more time actually reading high quality fintech and payments content. These are some newsletters I genuinely enjoy reading with morning coffee and that help me stay updated on what’s happening across payments, banking, fintech, infrastructure, startups, and the market in general 👇 PYMNTS Daily updates on payments, commerce, BNPL, fraud, AI, and consumer behavior. Good for staying in the loop without opening 20 tabs every morning. This Week in Fintech by Nik Milanovic One of the best newsletters for understanding where fintech is heading globally. Strong mix of startup analysis, market trends, infrastructure, and operator insights. Simon Taylor | Fintech Brainfood Weekly fintech analysis with very high signal and very little noise. If fintech LinkedIn talks about one newsletter every Sunday, it’s usually this one. Fintech Today More startup and VC focused. Useful for tracking who raised, who launched, and where the market is moving. Sifted One of the best sources for tracking the European startup ecosystem. Great coverage of fintech startups, fundraising, product strategy, and what is happening inside fast growing companies across Europe. Finextra Enterprise fintech and payments news without the startup influencer vibe. Fintech Takes by Alex Johnson One of the smartest voices in fintech right now. Excellent breakdowns of banking, payments, fintech products, and where the industry is actually moving. Nilson Report The industry bible. Old school, expensive, but still one of the most valuable sources in payments. The Paypers Great source for global payments, fraud prevention, digital banking, ecommerce, and payment regulation updates. Saving this list for slow mornings and coffee. What else are you reading right now that deserves attention? #fintech #payments #banking #embeddedfinance #openbanking #psp #paymentgateway #merchantservices #b2bpayments #fintechnews #digitalbanking #paymentprocessing #acquiring #paytech #fintechcommunity
While I directionally agree with you Simon Taylor that finance is an unusually good environment for AI because workflows are structured, outcomes are measurable, and there’s already a massive amount of operational exhaust to learn from. But I think your analysis doesn’t address how there’s still a missing layer in many “AI operating system” discussions. The challenge isn’t just orchestrating workflows or connecting systems. It’s that financial institutions rarely operate with complete context in a single place. Context and deterministic rules do not live in structured DB’s, and worse yet policies, especially in banks, let alone fintech are static and non-deterministic. The intent behind a payment may live in email. The risk posture may sit inside policy docs. The approval chain may happen in Slack. The exposure may exist across custodians, cores, PSPs, ERPs, and spreadsheets. And the most important signals are often contradictions between systems, not the systems themselves. That’s why simply deploying agents on top of fragmented infrastructure can create the illusion of intelligence without true operational understanding. It makes for thought provoking LinkedIn posts In regulated environments especially, the hard problem isn’t generating an answer. It’s establishing enough contextual coherence to know whether the answer should be trusted, acted on, escalated, or blocked. AI will absolutely reshape financial operations. But the winners probably won’t just be the firms with the best models or workflow automation. They’ll be the ones that can reconstruct context across fragmented systems well enough for AI to operate safely and consistently in the real world. #coordination is the product Simon Taylor’s article on comments Fintech Brainfood – Finance is Perfect for AI
While I directionally agree with you Simon Taylor that finance is an unusually good environment for AI because workflows are structured, outcomes are measurable, and there’s already a massive amount of operational exhaust to learn from. But I think your analysis doesn’t address how there’s still a missing layer in many “AI operating system” discussions. The challenge isn’t just orchestrating workflows or connecting systems. It’s that financial institutions rarely operate with complete context in a single place. Context and deterministic rules do not live in structured DB’s, and worse yet policies, especially in banks, let alone fintech are static and non-deterministic. The intent behind a payment may live in email. The risk posture may sit inside policy docs. The approval chain may happen in Slack. The exposure may exist across custodians, cores, PSPs, ERPs, and spreadsheets. And the most important signals are often contradictions between systems, not the systems themselves. That’s why simply deploying agents on top of fragmented infrastructure can create the illusion of intelligence without true operational understanding. It makes for thought provoking LinkedIn posts In regulated environments especially, the hard problem isn’t generating an answer. It’s establishing enough contextual coherence to know whether the answer should be trusted, acted on, escalated, or blocked. AI will absolutely reshape financial operations. But the winners probably won’t just be the firms with the best models or workflow automation. They’ll be the ones that can reconstruct context across fragmented systems well enough for AI to operate safely and consistently in the real world. #coordination is the product Simon Taylor’s article on comments Fintech Brainfood – Finance is Perfect for AI
Most “top voices” lists only tell part of the story. Fintech isn't shaped by a single voice, it's shaped by a network of people thinking out loud, pressure-testing ideas, and trying to make sense of an industry that’s evolving in real time. That’s why being included in Favikon’s Top 10 UK LinkedIn voices for fintech is genuinely appreciated, at #5, right in the centre of this fintech creator pyramid, with folks I've worked with and admired. Simon Taylor who I worked with back in 2020 and who consistently creates thought-provoking and high quality analysis of where our industry is heading. Sandra Mianda🖇, a payments expert who I've shared many a virtual stage with and who simplifies the complex web of payments Katie Ramsey, fellow StartedPR board member, and someone who is a flag flyer for UK fintech innovation and investment. David Birch, an industry stalwart (I love that word btw) and a constant source of knowledge in digital payments, identity and more. And congrats to the rest of the top 10, Sam Boboev, Jordan Lawrence, Sam Tidswell-Norrish, Ronit Ghose, Anatoly Crachilov There are also some brilliant experts in the remainder of the top 100 who I've had the pleasure to work with over the past ~20 years and outside of this list, there are so many seriously smart people building in fintech who aren't posting, but share their knowledge though direct conversations. Here's to all of you who make this community what it is 🙌🏽 And to everyone who reads, comments, challenges, or shares anything I write, thank you as always 🙏🏽
Most “top voices” lists only tell part of the story. Fintech isn't shaped by a single voice, it's shaped by a network of people thinking out loud, pressure-testing ideas, and trying to make sense of an industry that’s evolving in real time. That’s why being included in Favikon’s Top 10 UK LinkedIn voices for fintech is genuinely appreciated, at #5, right in the centre of this fintech creator pyramid, with folks I've worked with and admired. Simon Taylor who I worked with back in 2020 and who consistently creates thought-provoking and high quality analysis of where our industry is heading. Sandra Mianda🖇, a payments expert who I've shared many a virtual stage with and who simplifies the complex web of payments Katie Ramsey, fellow StartedPR board member, and someone who is a flag flyer for UK fintech innovation and investment. David Birch, an industry stalwart (I love that word btw) and a constant source of knowledge in digital payments, identity and more. And congrats to the rest of the top 10, Sam Boboev, Jordan Lawrence, Sam Tidswell-Norrish, Ronit Ghose, Anatoly Crachilov There are also some brilliant experts in the remainder of the top 100 who I've had the pleasure to work with over the past ~20 years and outside of this list, there are so many seriously smart people building in fintech who aren't posting, but share their knowledge though direct conversations. Here's to all of you who make this community what it is 🙌🏽 And to everyone who reads, comments, challenges, or shares anything I write, thank you as always 🙏🏽
Three inspiring days at the Richmond Events Switzerland 19th Financial Industry Forum in Interlaken — filled with great conversations, fresh perspectives, and meaningful connections. 🏔️ What stood out most was the open exchange around the future of the financial industry, innovation, digital transformation, and the challenges shaping our sector right now. 🏦 One thing became clear once again: the best ideas happen when people come together and have real conversations. „From physical to digital to intelligent“ (Chris Skinner😉) A big thank you to all participants, speakers, and the Richmond team for creating such a great atmosphere and a truly well-organized event. And of course — Interlaken is always an amazing setting for bringing people together. 🙌 Heading back with new ideas, valuable connections, and plenty of inspiration for what’s ahead. #banking #switzerland #RichmondForum #FinancialIndustry #Finance #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #Networking #Leadership #Interlaken
Three inspiring days at the Richmond Events Switzerland 19th Financial Industry Forum in Interlaken — filled with great conversations, fresh perspectives, and meaningful connections. 🏔️ What stood out most was the open exchange around the future of the financial industry, innovation, digital transformation, and the challenges shaping our sector right now. 🏦 One thing became clear once again: the best ideas happen when people come together and have real conversations. „From physical to digital to intelligent“ (Chris Skinner😉) A big thank you to all participants, speakers, and the Richmond team for creating such a great atmosphere and a truly well-organized event. And of course — Interlaken is always an amazing setting for bringing people together. 🙌 Heading back with new ideas, valuable connections, and plenty of inspiration for what’s ahead. #banking #switzerland #RichmondForum #FinancialIndustry #Finance #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #Networking #Leadership #Interlaken
Chris Skinner, writing about retail banking rather than cash, goes to the heart of the problem we need to solve for payments. 'This is the dirty secret of digital banking: we’ve optimised the happy path, but abandoned the exception path. The moments that actually matter.' '... people don’t want another app notification. They want a human being.' 'What we’ve created is a system that is highly efficient when things go right, and completely ineffective when things go wrong.' 'The real question is not physical versus digital. It’s how to design physical and digital together' '... rethinking distribution for a new era combining physical presence with modern infrastructure, using shared services, smarter economics, and yes, AI ...' '...in the end, banking is not just about transactions. It’s about trust … and trust is human.' Time to rethink physical payments in a digital world from the ground up. https://lnkd.in/eX72XJA5
Chris Skinner, writing about retail banking rather than cash, goes to the heart of the problem we need to solve for payments. 'This is the dirty secret of digital banking: we’ve optimised the happy path, but abandoned the exception path. The moments that actually matter.' '... people don’t want another app notification. They want a human being.' 'What we’ve created is a system that is highly efficient when things go right, and completely ineffective when things go wrong.' 'The real question is not physical versus digital. It’s how to design physical and digital together' '... rethinking distribution for a new era combining physical presence with modern infrastructure, using shared services, smarter economics, and yes, AI ...' '...in the end, banking is not just about transactions. It’s about trust … and trust is human.' Time to rethink physical payments in a digital world from the ground up. https://lnkd.in/eX72XJA5
Banks are more than just digital ...
Banks are more than just digital ...
Digital banking and fintech have ruined the customer experience #DigitalBanking #Banking #Finance #Fintech #Tech #Innovatoin https://soamp.li/mMNq
Digital banking and fintech have ruined the customer experience #DigitalBanking #Banking #Finance #Fintech #Tech #Innovatoin https://soamp.li/mMNq
Introducing our CEO, Kevin Smith…out & about finding our first few branch locations! Kevin in his own words: “I’ve worked within retail banking for over 30 years. The shift to digital channels and apps has largely been ‘transactional’. Not product, not service, not emotion. & it all just happened to customers, whether they liked the changes or not. When exiting my previous business and banking partner in July 2025, we had amassed over £425million in retail savings deposits, across 8,000 customers. Over 23,000 people walked through our doors every year. One banking partner. One service offering. Two branches. Our vision of banxlocal.uk takes this to the next chapter - with a new and evolved distribution model in retail banking. Driven by product, service and emotion. Community & service, not transactions. We’re coming soon!” Comment below 👇 if you’d like to see a Banxlocal branch near you? #banxlocal #bankbranch #communitybanking #accesstocash #highstreetbanking #multibank #betterhighstreets Ally Merchant Assoc CIPD Kevin Smith Mike Ozanne Nicholas Collinson Rob Fisher Martin Kearsley Daniel Saliba Hansen Canagareddy, FCCA, CFE, MIoD, AICA Chris Hopwood Chris Skinner
Introducing our CEO, Kevin Smith…out & about finding our first few branch locations! Kevin in his own words: “I’ve worked within retail banking for over 30 years. The shift to digital channels and apps has largely been ‘transactional’. Not product, not service, not emotion. & it all just happened to customers, whether they liked the changes or not. When exiting my previous business and banking partner in July 2025, we had amassed over £425million in retail savings deposits, across 8,000 customers. Over 23,000 people walked through our doors every year. One banking partner. One service offering. Two branches. Our vision of banxlocal.uk takes this to the next chapter - with a new and evolved distribution model in retail banking. Driven by product, service and emotion. Community & service, not transactions. We’re coming soon!” Comment below 👇 if you’d like to see a Banxlocal branch near you? #banxlocal #bankbranch #communitybanking #accesstocash #highstreetbanking #multibank #betterhighstreets Ally Merchant Assoc CIPD Kevin Smith Mike Ozanne Nicholas Collinson Rob Fisher Martin Kearsley Daniel Saliba Hansen Canagareddy, FCCA, CFE, MIoD, AICA Chris Hopwood Chris Skinner
Viva la Revolución! Chris Skinner shared his strategies of success for launching a next-generation digital bank with 160 finance leaders and experts this morning at the 19th Richmond Financial Industry Forum. If you weren’t one of those lucky attendees, here are the key insights: ⚡from physical to digital to intelligent ⚡how can you prove you are you? (digitally) ⚡you can't be smart with dumb data Are you and your institution ready for the third financial revolution or do you need more insights on “how to”? 👇 To make sure you get all the insights on the future of banking next year, contact Lorena Syla, if you are a senior finance leader Aleksandra Papierz, if you are finance solution provider. #richmondevents #richmondfinancialindustryforum #swissfinance #swissbanking
Viva la Revolución! Chris Skinner shared his strategies of success for launching a next-generation digital bank with 160 finance leaders and experts this morning at the 19th Richmond Financial Industry Forum. If you weren’t one of those lucky attendees, here are the key insights: ⚡from physical to digital to intelligent ⚡how can you prove you are you? (digitally) ⚡you can't be smart with dumb data Are you and your institution ready for the third financial revolution or do you need more insights on “how to”? 👇 To make sure you get all the insights on the future of banking next year, contact Lorena Syla, if you are a senior finance leader Aleksandra Papierz, if you are finance solution provider. #richmondevents #richmondfinancialindustryforum #swissfinance #swissbanking
Let’s be honest: retail banking is broken Chris Skinner “What we’ve done is move from a simple, relationship-driven model – one account, one branch, one manager – to a fragmented, multi-channel mess. Most of us now have multiple bank accounts, multiple apps, multiple passwords, and multiple security layers. The result isn’t empowerment. It’s cognitive overload. And when something goes wrong? You’re stuck in a call queue for an hour; the chatbot can’t understand your issue; the app menu doesn’t cover your problem; and the branch you used to visit no longer exists. This is the dirty secret of digital banking: we’ve optimised the happy path, but abandoned the exception path. The moments that actually matter.”
Let’s be honest: retail banking is broken Chris Skinner “What we’ve done is move from a simple, relationship-driven model – one account, one branch, one manager – to a fragmented, multi-channel mess. Most of us now have multiple bank accounts, multiple apps, multiple passwords, and multiple security layers. The result isn’t empowerment. It’s cognitive overload. And when something goes wrong? You’re stuck in a call queue for an hour; the chatbot can’t understand your issue; the app menu doesn’t cover your problem; and the branch you used to visit no longer exists. This is the dirty secret of digital banking: we’ve optimised the happy path, but abandoned the exception path. The moments that actually matter.”
9 newsletters every payments professional should read Lately I’ve been trying to spend less time scrolling random LinkedIn posts and more time actually reading high quality fintech and payments content. These are some newsletters I genuinely enjoy reading with morning coffee and that help me stay updated on what’s happening across payments, banking, fintech, infrastructure, startups, and the market in general 👇 PYMNTS Daily updates on payments, commerce, BNPL, fraud, AI, and consumer behavior. Good for staying in the loop without opening 20 tabs every morning. This Week in Fintech by Nik Milanovic One of the best newsletters for understanding where fintech is heading globally. Strong mix of startup analysis, market trends, infrastructure, and operator insights. Simon Taylor | Fintech Brainfood Weekly fintech analysis with very high signal and very little noise. If fintech LinkedIn talks about one newsletter every Sunday, it’s usually this one. Fintech Today More startup and VC focused. Useful for tracking who raised, who launched, and where the market is moving. Sifted One of the best sources for tracking the European startup ecosystem. Great coverage of fintech startups, fundraising, product strategy, and what is happening inside fast growing companies across Europe. Finextra Enterprise fintech and payments news without the startup influencer vibe. Fintech Takes by Alex Johnson One of the smartest voices in fintech right now. Excellent breakdowns of banking, payments, fintech products, and where the industry is actually moving. Nilson Report The industry bible. Old school, expensive, but still one of the most valuable sources in payments. The Paypers Great source for global payments, fraud prevention, digital banking, ecommerce, and payment regulation updates. Saving this list for slow mornings and coffee. What else are you reading right now that deserves attention? #fintech #payments #banking #embeddedfinance #openbanking #psp #paymentgateway #merchantservices #b2bpayments #fintechnews #digitalbanking #paymentprocessing #acquiring #paytech #fintechcommunity
9 newsletters every payments professional should read Lately I’ve been trying to spend less time scrolling random LinkedIn posts and more time actually reading high quality fintech and payments content. These are some newsletters I genuinely enjoy reading with morning coffee and that help me stay updated on what’s happening across payments, banking, fintech, infrastructure, startups, and the market in general 👇 PYMNTS Daily updates on payments, commerce, BNPL, fraud, AI, and consumer behavior. Good for staying in the loop without opening 20 tabs every morning. This Week in Fintech by Nik Milanovic One of the best newsletters for understanding where fintech is heading globally. Strong mix of startup analysis, market trends, infrastructure, and operator insights. Simon Taylor | Fintech Brainfood Weekly fintech analysis with very high signal and very little noise. If fintech LinkedIn talks about one newsletter every Sunday, it’s usually this one. Fintech Today More startup and VC focused. Useful for tracking who raised, who launched, and where the market is moving. Sifted One of the best sources for tracking the European startup ecosystem. Great coverage of fintech startups, fundraising, product strategy, and what is happening inside fast growing companies across Europe. Finextra Enterprise fintech and payments news without the startup influencer vibe. Fintech Takes by Alex Johnson One of the smartest voices in fintech right now. Excellent breakdowns of banking, payments, fintech products, and where the industry is actually moving. Nilson Report The industry bible. Old school, expensive, but still one of the most valuable sources in payments. The Paypers Great source for global payments, fraud prevention, digital banking, ecommerce, and payment regulation updates. Saving this list for slow mornings and coffee. What else are you reading right now that deserves attention? #fintech #payments #banking #embeddedfinance #openbanking #psp #paymentgateway #merchantservices #b2bpayments #fintechnews #digitalbanking #paymentprocessing #acquiring #paytech #fintechcommunity
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
Quality content means content that is packed with clear utility and is brimming with inspiration, and it has relentless empathy for the audience. –Ann Handley
I just read Ann Handley's recent article on the current state of emails She's been in email marketing since before most of us knew what a subject line was. So when she speaks, I listen. In the article she makes the argument that AI inbox management means permission and deliverability no longer guarantee visibility. Your reader's AI decides what they see before they do. And it has zero loyalty to your sender reputation. She's absolutely right. Permission used to be enough. Then deliverability. Now neither guarantees you get seen. The new bar is being chosen. The AI assistant doesn't care about your open rate strategy. It doesn't care that you spent three hours on that subject line. It's asking one question on your reader's behalf: is this worth their time? Many newsletters cannot honestly answer yes. And I'd argue that, for many founders, the underlying cause of bad writing is shallow thinking. They have the experience. They have the insights. But they've never taken time to excavate them. So they write around their ideas instead of through them. And a newsletter that circles the truth without landing on it is exactly the kind of content an AI will summarize into a single sentence before your reader ever sees it. Go read Ann's full piece. Link in the comments.
I was at a conference last month when someone asked me to recommend a newsletter. Not "a good marketing newsletter." They specifically wanted to know what I personally read and actually looked forward to. I named three people without hesitating. Ann Handley. Joe Pulizzi. Justin Welsh. And then I tried to remember what any of them had sent me in the last two weeks. I could piece together fragments. A topic here, a line there. But none of it was crisp. What was crisp was the certainty that I'd open the next one from all three of them without a second thought. That hasn't wavered regardless of whether a specific issue landed or not. That's not how we talk about content that's performing well. We talk about open rates and engagement and which posts got traction. None of those metrics explain a relationship with a writer where the trust has become the point, not the individual piece. Most content strategies aren't built for that. They're built for the piece.
10 marketing voices worth following in 2026: 1- Ruben Hassid AI Marketing 2- Pierre Herubel — B2B Content Strategy 3- Charlie Hills 🦩 — AI and Content Creation 4- Gary Vaynerchuk — Brand and Social Media 5- Chris Donnelly — AI Search and Personal Branding 6- Allie K. Miller — AI Business Strategy 7- Ann Handley — Content and Brand Writing 8- Andrew Bolis — AI Tools and Marketing Automation 9- Neil Patel — SEO and Growth Marketing 10- Rand Fishkin — Audience Research and AI Search Who did we miss? Drop their name below, especially if you are a Perth or WA-based business owner with someone local worth following. Repost if you discovered someone new today. Follow Ravix Creative. Perth's go-to for marketing that actually works. P.S. Which one of these does your team already follow? #AIMarketing #ContentMarketing #SEO #PersonalBranding #Perth