Waupsh

“Bankruption is a wild romp through the nascent history of Fintech, punctuated by personal stories and concise, powerful lessons. Do yourself a favor and read this book.”

“Provocative, divisive, insistent, and practical, Bankruption digs deeper than a simple, incredulous contempt for the status quo. It’s a this-generation guide for banking leaders and their board members looking to make the transition back to relevance.”

“Bankruption is an eye-opening read that all community bank leaders need to (uncomfortably) experience... John has packed so many ideas and possible solutions into this book that it would be a disservice to your bank if you don’t give it a read.”

“Bankruption is a road map for community institutions if they want to go the distance. But be prepared for a wild ride, as Waupsh takes us on a gonzo journalism journey through banking, technology, and the wisdom gleaned from industry experts who join him for this crusade to keep home-town community institutions thriving.

It’s a survival guide to navigating the challenges of remaining relevant, avoiding being eaten by the Big 5 banks, and preparing for a future where technology reinvents money movement.

Hidden in this stream of industry-insider conscious storytelling is a practical How-To guide for community bankers: a strategy story for success.”

“Many commentators argue that there is no future for branch-based banking in a digital world. The relentless rise of FinTech adds weight to that argument, but it is a flawed argument. 

If branch-based banking is dead there would be no future for community banking but, as argued persuasively by John Waupsh in Bankruption, there is a strong future for community banks as long as they adapt and change to the digital world. In particular, digital communities alongside physical communities. 

Both communities are just as important today as it was a century ago. People live and work and relate to each other in communities, and hence the idea that FinTech and digital would destroy branch-based banking is about as accurate as saying that humans will no longer live in communities. 

The only difference is that today, those communities are both physical and digital. That is the point that John puts across brilliantly in Bankruption, and if you want to know how to survive as a community bank in a digitalized FinTech world, then this is the book for you.”

“Community banking is at a crossroads. Once the foundation of each community, these institutions are challenged by new regulations, new technology and new competitors. Bankruption provides insights into how to apply what made community banking great to serve consumers who bank differently and have new alternatives.”

“John Waupsh has made an esoteric (and sometimes scary) topic understandable, human and funny. He is the rare combination of a practitioner, researcher and deep thinker on the topic of banking, and what he offers in this book is an approachable and actionable guide. Bankers, as well as those who advise and serve them, will ignore Bankruption at their peril.”

“Bankruption is the book I wish every community bank or credit union executive would read. It would be controversial if it weren’t substantiated with extensive research. Bankruption is a transformational, well-intentioned, prescription for success.”

“Bankruption is a sympathetic yet clear-eyed and thoroughly researched book that documents the ills of community banking and spells out many survival strategies small-bank leaders would do well to consider.”

“Bankruption is a must-read for leaders of community banks and credit unions.

John Waupsh’s perspective on the future of community banking contains neither the overly-optimistic tripe with which out of touch financial executives reassure one another as they whistle past their own graveyard, nor the dystopian hype of their would-be fintech disruptors. Instead, Bankruption takes a practical look at the very real ways the industry is dramatically changing, and offers real world advice on how leaders of financial institutions should respond.

John combines his own deep experience and advice with that of nearly two dozen experts, all of whom would be listed in anybody’s who’s who of fintech.”

“Written by the one of the sharpest observers and innovators in community banking today, Bankruption brings the data and hard-won wisdom bankers need to drag their institutions from the era of “brick-and-mortar museums” to the era of digital service delivery.”

“The monumental problem facing Community Banks is time. The runway to prove out a new product hypothesis, to test the marketplace, to commit capital to product development has shrunk exponentially thanks to technology advancements, the innovation investments by the big banks, and the sheer number of start-up companies aiming to disrupt the financial services space. When facing this type of evolutionary turning point your key advantage is experience.  Simply put, experience matters. 

And that is exactly what John Waupsh uses in this survival guidebook for community institutions. He is able to draw upon his real life experiences as an innovator in the space, the collaboration projects he’s led with fintech companies, and both the successes and failures as a product champion to provide a proven approach to surviving one of the most competitive industries globally. 

Bankruption is a must read for community bank and credit union executives, managers, and front line staff.”

“With good humor and sharp wit, John skewers both the bloated, outdated thinking of yesterday’s banker, as well as the tulip-bulb hype of some fintech entrepreneurs. Community banking is broken, but thankfully, this book offers pragmatic solutions backed by data. Bankruption can help your community bank or credit union to make sense of fintech, and select the right partners to help you succeed.”

“I didn’t know what to expect when I opened Bankruption. John is one of the most knowledgeable fintech execs on the planet, so I knew the analysis would be spot on. He successfully welded together his trademark sarcasm with this very serious topic, and unlike most “wake up calls,” this one has the supporting data to back up the claims. Highly recommended!”

“Bankruption is a smart, relevant must-read for anyone wanting to be part of community banking’s future. Waupsh combines futuristic insights and humor with important banking statistics making this a must-read.”

“The day of reckoning is quickly approaching for banks and credit unions. Will they survive and thrive in the next 10 years or will they go the way of the lamplighters and log drivers from long ago? Bankruption isn’t the same old hype we’ve heard before. Its data-driven insights lend a new perspective to an important question: how can financial institutions evolve to maintain and increase their relevance in the ever-changing marketplace?”

“Banking, like everything else, is being transformed by technology and the changes it has enabled. Bankruption lays out these changes to provide answers to the questions bankers are afraid to ask. It is a must read for community bankers that have any intention of tackling the future.”