The sun shines on the brave

Written by Dave Wallace
8th November 2024

This week, I have decided to take a leaf from my good friend Leda Glyptis’s book and talk about human things that affect us.

A stable future for us all will rely on harnessing the technology we are building with big ideas and innovations

This article is about those weird chance encounters and why, if you are curious and brave, it is always worth grabbing these opportunities when they come along.

Some of what I’m about to share might sound out there, but I’m just reporting the facts as they happened.

A few years ago, Dharmesh and I decided to start a podcast. We chatted with a brilliant producer, Lou, who has his own Stateside podcast focused on fintech. Lou told us how easy it was to get started and gave us a shopping list. His one word of advice was to try to find a different angle.

Dharm and I have always seen ourselves as the yin and yang of fintech – Dharm, the technologist, and me, the UX guy. We have always shared some common opinions, but Dharm has always been my go-to when I needed help demystifying what the hell this technology stuff was all about.

We started our podcast, and I love doing it. I get to chat about what interests me with my friend Dharmesh and talk to amazing people who are changing the world of finance most weeks.

I have learnt so much and feel humbled that these extraordinary people take the time to share their experiences with us. I even sometimes feel like a proud parent as we watch some of our guests flourish and excel, be it Naya going global, Financielle helping so many people get on top of their finances, with its founder Laura becoming a BBC superstar, or talking to Huspy, who are becoming ever more famous for changing the home buying process for the better.

Fast-forward a few years, and the podcast opened another door. FinTech Futures was interested in hosting it. What a vote of confidence from Tanya Andreasyan, a genuinely global fintech and financial technology authority.

This relationship has turbo-charged us. It has meant building up a library of content on subjects ranging from core banking to quantum computing to GenAI and, of course, UX and design.

It has also taken us to places such as Dubai, where we have had the incredible fortune to meet leaders driving Dubai forward into its high-tech future.

It also took us to GITEX Global and Expand North Star, a vast technology event with lashings of fintech. Dharm and I were invited to speak. Post what was a successful talk by a couple of grey hairs about living through the emergence and evolution of digital banking and why we are so excited by what is happening now, a tiny stand caught my eye as we wandered around. The sign on the stand said, “We are Digitilising the Sun”.

I was intrigued.

Let’s rewind a few weeks.

I love the sun. I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and have always found the darkness of UK winters brutal to cope with. My happy place is sitting in the sun, feeling its warm embrace. I like how you can still see its radiance when you close your eyes.

One morning, I was feeling particularly grateful for the sun’s restorative energy, and I suddenly had a thought. Why do we not worship the sun as a deity? It has been there for eons, watching silently over the earth as life flourished. I couldn’t shake the thought, and eventually, an idea formed in my head. I was going to write a book.

I met with a friend for breakfast and outlined the start of the narrative arc for it. “Paul,” I said, “I want to write a book in which the sun is a conscious entity and tries to talk to us, to tell us how it can help us solve the energy crisis.” And then, dejectedly, I added, “I am not sure. That’s all I have. I need some inspiration.” Paul liked the construct but agreed that it needed a bit more.

Back to “We are Digitilising the Sun.” I poked Dharm and said, “What do you think that is about?” Dharm said to go and talk to them. I then found myself talking to Georg, the founder of Shaowmap.org, which has mapped the sun’s influence on any point on earth at any time of the day. It’s possible to see its effect on buildings and land by layering in Google Maps. It is a brilliantly simple idea, fantastically executed.

Georg showed me how solar implementations could be optimised to maximise sunshine, telling me that harnessing the energy of the sun effectively would solve the world’s energy problems. I then asked him to show me the Shadowmap of my house. It showed why my house could be like an icebox in the winter. I said to Georg, if I had been able to access Shadowmap when I bought my home, I would have decided against it. After the number of bedrooms and the size of the kitchen, the sun orientation is the next significant factor. Georg explained they had just implemented this feature on Austria’s largest property platform. And like that, my book was writing itself in front of me.

Georg and I are now firm friends, and I have someone who knows what he is talking about to ponder my ideas.

It has made me think again about how energy-intensive banking is and will be in the future as more technology comes online to support operations as banking becomes “limitless”. Solar has to be a significant part of the solution.

But also, and this is crucial, embrace chances to meet people and discuss ideas. A stable future for us all will rely on harnessing the incredible technology we are building with big ideas and innovations. Our imaginations will be crucial.

As it’s common to say at the start of brainstorming – there are no bad ideas.

About the author

Dave Wallace is a user experience and marketing professional who has spent the last 30 years helping financial services companies design, launch and evolve digital customer experiences.