Bryce Deeney Of equipifi On The Future Of Money and Banking
An Interview With David Liu
Embrace the Adventure: We operate in a fast-paced environment and strive to be agile and iterative to meet the changing needs of the customer. We encourage a safe environment to test and learn and fail quickly if necessary to adapt and improve.
The way we bank has changed dramatically over the last decade. It was not too long ago when you had to wait in line in a bank to deposit money. Today things are totally different. You can do your banking without ever walking into a bank. In addition, the whole concept of money has changed. In the recent past, money usually meant bills and coins. But today, the concept of money has expanded to include digital currency and NFTs. What other innovations should we expect to see in banking in the short and medium term?
To address this, we are talking to leaders in the banking, finance, and fintech worlds, to discuss the future of banking and money over the next few years. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bryce Deeney, co-founder and CEO of equipifi.
Bryce Deeney is the CEO and co-founder of equipifi, which is modernizing the way consumers shop and pay for their purchases by setting up financial institutions as a major player in the future of retail. equipifi’s mission is to power banks and credit unions to foster financial engagement in new and existing customers, starting with Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). Through their trusted banks and credit unions, shoppers can now have instant access to the cash they need to afford the purchases they want. Bryce has extensive experience in banking and payments, and a passion for entrepreneurship. Before founding equipifi, he was the Vice President of Payments for Alaska USA FCU, a $10B+ financial institution with more than 700,000 members. Bryce was also the former Vice President of Payments for APS Payments, now REPAY. He lives in Scottsdale, AZ.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started in this industry?
Well, as a “mathlete” in high school, I guess you could say that finance was always my destination. My background in payments and credit unions gave me a great basis to build from. I loved the underlying principles of the credit union industry. As non-profit, member-owned financial institutions, they exist to serve the financial needs of the communities in which they operate. I’m trying to help them take that to a new level by adding another flexible payment tool that addresses their evolving needs. equipifi gives banks and credit unions the ability to offer their clients Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options when they are making a purchase.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
This actually happened while I was working at Alaska Federal Credit Union. I started noticing that many of our customers were turning to third-party fintech companies to access the payment options they wanted — specifically, Buy Now, Pay Later. I got to see firsthand what a rapid shift in consumer financing preference looked like from a credit union point of view. I also recognized in this a massive gap in the market for a solution for financial institutions to address this.
I wanted specifically to fill this gap and enable banks and credit unions to provide BNPL services. At the time, the thought of leaving my corporate job and embarking down an entrepreneurial path seemed overwhelming. Fortunately, my wife and I had the opportunity to take some time away and travel to Tanzania to build an elementary school with Mairowa Integrity School. That two weeks took me out of my day-to-day grind and gave me an opportunity to reflect on what I wanted without the corporate white noise. It made me realize that I was prepared to take that leap, that my skills would be useful whether the company succeeded or failed. The only true risk was not taking that chance. So I left my job and started equipifi. It was a leap of faith of a different kind, but it spurred me into action.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“It takes the bittersweet to make the sweet sweeter,” as my grandmother used to say. I grew up what some would call dirt poor, so I learned to appreciate everything I had. My childhood instilled in me a strong work ethic and a positive outlook, as well as the realization that life will have setbacks. Life’s obstacles only make our successes more meaningful.
Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?
Currently, the BNPL market is dominated by third-party fintech companies, creating a confusing — and somewhat risky — landscape for consumers. While the appeal of BNPL is understandable, the experience of repaying these loans can be confusing, and the approval process is murky at best. By integrating the option with their bank, a consumer can use BNPL options with the assurance that they’ll be able to manage the process just as they do the rest of their banking. In addition, banks are far better positioned to determine the spending abilities of their clients, mitigating the risk that shoppers will get in over their heads.
How do you think this might change the world?
While there are many significant innovations in the payments and banking space, the current landscape is quite fragmented and confusing. Consumers should have one point of access that enables them to choose how they want to manage their money, and banks and credit unions are best positioned to provide it to them. Instead, today, consumers face a number of third-party players vying for their attention — and wallet share. You shouldn’t have to download numerous apps for each payment option you are looking for. The goal is a seamless experience for the consumer, and one where they can, at a glance, get a complete picture of their financial health and know how to do something about it.
What most excites you about the banking or payments industry as it is today? Can you explain what you mean?
The freedom of choice consumers enjoy is the most exciting thing happening today. Consumers have total control over how they structure purchases, invest their assets, even accept their paychecks. Never before have so many options been accessible to the everyday consumer.
What most concerns you about the banking or payments industry as it is today? What would you suggest needs to be done to address that?
Honestly, the freedom of choice I just described as the most exciting thing in the payments industry is also the most concerning. While consumers have infinite choices, they don’t have a way to see how those choices impact their overall financial health. For example, when I accept a BNPL offer from a fintech provider today, how much visibility and understanding do I really have in terms of how that’ll impact my cash flow in the coming months? How many people are actually keeping track of whether or not they will have enough money to fund the payments and not overdraft? How about taking on multiple loans? These options are currently being provided mainly by a few large fintech companies who don’t understand a consumer’s financial health or goals. Many smaller financial institutions may get left behind if they don’t make significant changes in how they serve their communities, and their members may suffer too.
How would you articulate how the concept of money has changed in recent times? Is it really a change? How is it still the same? Can you explain what you mean?
Money has moved from a slow-moving physical asset to something real-time and digital. In the not-so-distant past, it could take three to five days to shift assets from one place to another. This same process now occurs immediately and at no cost. While many of the old tools still exist, from checks to cash, most people now view money more abstractly, relying on apps to view their accounts and expecting any changes to be reflected immediately.
Based on your vantage point as an insider in the finance industry, what innovations should we expect to see in banking in the short and medium term?
We’ll see a convergence of products and services among banks and credit unions. I believe they are in the best position to serve as the primary provider of these services for their customers. For example, crypto, BNPL, and investing currently require multiple relationships with multiple companies. But in the very near future, people will be able to log into one account that does all of that, plus more. The whole industry is set to be democratized, giving all consumers — not just the affluent — more control over their finances.
How has the pandemic changed the way banks interact and engage with their customers?
Financial institutions were forced to move from 0 to 60 in record time during the pandemic. Banks and credit unions are not always thought of as technology leaders, but the pandemic caused them to accelerate their plans in ways they never had before — what was a five-year roadmap quickly became a one-year implementation. Many of their traditional channels of reaching customers were suddenly gone, and I think they did an admirable job adjusting.
In your particular experience, how has the pandemic changed the way you interact with, and engage your customers?
As a company built during the pandemic, decentralization, or being a remote-first organization, is standard operating procedure for us. We’ve got twenty employees spread across ten states, and our customer base is even more spread out. We understand how to communicate remotely among ourselves and with our customers. I think this decentralization will serve us well moving forward.
In my work in the telecom space, I’m very interested in the importance of user experience. How much of your interactions have moved to digital such as chatbots, encrypted messaging apps, phone, or video calls? How has this shift impacted the user and customer experience? What challenges do these apps present when used as a customer engagement tool?
Since we’re a B2B business, our communications with our clients haven’t relied on automation. Many of the banks and credit unions we’re working with had to rely on automated solutions during the pandemic. Chatbots, new mobile apps, even digital lending have all been part of their communications evolution. And while all of these new tools have their place, I think banks and credit unions also need to maintain the warm personal touch that makes them unique and keeps them tied to the communities they serve.
If you could design the perfect communication feature or system to help your business, what would it be?
Honestly, I’m already using it. Zoom has been fantastic in bringing our company together, and Slack keeps us on track. Since we’re B2B, we didn’t need to build an extensive support network or phone system to provide excellent client service.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Modern Finance, Banking and Fintech industries?
This is a great question. We built equipifi on five fundamental values that go beyond just fintech and banking. We manage our company by these values and measure performance by how well we abide by them.
They are:
Radical Transparency: We are open, honest, and transparent with each other. We use data to determine the best path forward and challenge each other to improve. We are accountable for our commitments and are not afraid to ask for help when needed.
Infinite Curiosity: We are here to solve some of the biggest challenges financial institutions face in their ability to compete for market share. As such, we leave our egos at the door and work as a team to continuously find better ways to meet the needs of our customers.
Pride and Purpose: We take pride in what we produce. Our standard is excellence, and our success is determined by our ability to address the needs and improve the lives of our customers.
Embrace the Adventure: We operate in a fast-paced environment and strive to be agile and iterative to meet the changing needs of the customer. We encourage a safe environment to test and learn and fail quickly if necessary to adapt and improve.
It Takes a Village: Our culture is valuable to us, and we invite the voice and contribution of every member of the team. Our culture is positive, embraces challenges, and is fun. We treat our teammates with empathy and support. When we win, we win together.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would like to inspire the fintech world to democratize access to financial products and services no matter who you are. Everyone deserves financial education and the tools to reach their financial goals, regardless of where they are in their financial journey. We may not live in a fair world, but as long as more people try to make it fair, we’ll at least be heading in the right direction.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can follow my company at www.equipifi.com or follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-deeney-112b5839/. We’ve got some exciting things coming up!
Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.
