Celebrating the wins of 2020
We made it, folks! It’s been a tough year for all of us. One where both our professional and personal lives have been impacted in a big way.
Standing back, I can honestly say it’s been the hardest year in my career to date.
Like many other businesses in the financial services sector, we had to make decisions this year that we never thought we’d have to make. Ever. We said goodbye to a number of talented people in the business who were not just colleagues, but friends and cultural pillars.
But at the same time, we’ve grown stronger in our resilience to change, and I’m grateful to be surrounded by some truly amazing people who’ve helped us move forwards and achieve some amazing things this year regardless. As with any challenging situation, there are learnings we can take. But this year more than ever, it feels important to celebrate the wins, too.
So with that in mind, here are 11 of our top wins of 2020. A HUGE thank you to the 11:FS team for making these happen 💙
Work 💼
1. Large Middle Eastern bank
One of the many awesome projects we’ve worked on this year. This one involved a deep-dive into the culture in the region to form the basis of a truly customer-centric proposition.
2. US retail bank
Helping a large US retail bank shape their own digital offering allowed our team to get stuck into opportunities, cultural insights and trends for the US banking market. We’re super excited to support them on the external launch in 2021!
Content 📜
3. Minimum Lovable Brand (MLB)
Our Design team created the ultimate handbook for creating a brand that punches above its weight. Learn how to create a Minimum Lovable Brand with 11:FS 💙
4. Truly Digital After Dark
Our After Dark event went Truly Digital - in every way. With Starling’s Anne Boden, Chime’s Maia Bittner and Nick Ogden from RTGS Ltd on our live recording we chatted about what Truly Digital really means in financial services and why it’s so important. Watch the event on demand now!
5. Fintech marketing podcast
We spotted a gap in the market: a key audience wasn’t being addressed. So we moved rapidly to create a podcast specifically for fintech marketers. 12 episodes later, we’ve got some amazing behind-the-scenes insights from the likes of Xero, Transferwise, Revolut and Mastercard!
6. The Breakfast Show launch
Remote working meant our recording studio was off limits 😞 But did that stop our Media team? Of course not. We went virtual with the new Breakfast Show over the summer lockdown and Sam & I were lucky enough to chat to people from FS and fintech brands around the world.
7. How to Build a Bank report
Our Consulting team put together a useful, insightful and easy to understand report that explains the challenges, early-stage and long-term considerations to help you build a sustainable new business.
8. Banking as a Service reports
The hottest topic of the year! The industry just couldn’t stop talking about BaaS, and really it’s just the beginning. Our two Banking as a Service reports set the scene and set the standard for insights from our incredible Consulting team. We’re super proud of this work.
And hot on the heels of our BaaS reports, we also released our first docuseries, Decoding: Banking as a Service, where we talk to industry experts from the likes of Synapse, Galileo, Marqeta and Bond. You don’t want to miss it!
9. Digital financial services for US SMBs
Helping US financial services understand the needs of SMBs couldn’t be more important in designing the right services. Our Jobs to be Done (JTBD) experts dug into cultural insights and SMB goals to do just that.
❗Fun fact❗ Our code name for this report internally was ‘Springsteen’, because, well, what could be more American? 🤷🏻♂️
Recognition 🎉
10. 11:FS Pulse 2020 Awards
Back in January, before the world flipped on its head, our 11:FS Pulse team ran their third awards round where we celebrate the best in UX, brand and design, as well as ‘fintech for good’. We’re proud to be able to honour fintechs with these awards for making a real difference to the industry and having a wider impact on society.
11. LinkedIn 2020 Award
We were named a LinkedIn Top Startup for the 3rd year in a row. We couldn’t be prouder! (Our ‘Consultancy of the year’ award at the 2020 British Bank Awards, and the FT’s ‘Management Consultancy of the year’, also deserve a shout out 🥳)
Finally, never again will someone have to wonder ‘What does 11:FS actually do?’ Because here’s the answer!