Twenty years ago, fintech looked completely different.

Before smartphones, instant payments and digital wallets, payments relied on cheques, manual reconciliation and physical currency.

Rob Darby from IDT Finance joins tell.talks to discuss how the industry evolved from prepaid cards into modern fintech, why consumer expectations changed everything, and why strong foundations still matter in an industry obsessed with speed.

We also discuss:

• how the payments landscape changed after the iPhone
• why disruption alone isn’t enough
• the importance of timing in fintech
• how partnerships create longevity
• and what 20 years in payments teaches you about building sustainable businesses

Cash is disappearing, only 9% of UK retail transactions are now cash, and the workers who've always relied on tips are quietly losing out. Hotel cleaners, gym trainers, bar staff, mechanics: people giving great service in industries where there's no bill at the end to add a tip to.

In this episode of tell.talks, Alan Smith, CEO of Rebel Tip, joins David to explain why he's built a digital tipping platform that bypasses employers entirely and goes straight to the worker. 100% of the tip, no POS integration, no admin overhead, it's just a QR code in an Apple or Google Wallet.

Alan argues that hospitality tipping isn't broken, the bill works fine. It's everywhere else that needs fixing. We get into the rise of the "tippler society," why pooled tipping drags strong performers down, what's gone wrong with tipping culture in America, and why a fintech background matters when you're navigating FCA rules, card scheme compliance, and client money regulation behind a deliberately simple consumer product.

Topics covered: digital tipping, cashless economy, fintech UK, worker-first payments, QR code payments, FCA compliance, embedded finance, service economy, hospitality vs gig economy tipping.

Listen to tell.talks for honest conversations with the people shaping the our digital economy.

In this episode of tell.talks, we sit down with Alana Parsons, COO at Caxton, to unpack what it really means to step into leadership.

Alana shares her journey from operational roles to the C-suite, and the mindset shift that comes with it, from being the one doing the work to trusting others to deliver it.

We cover:

• The hardest part of moving from operator to leader
• Why trust becomes your biggest unlock (and biggest challenge)
• How to lead teams through change when not everyone is ready
• The role of networking, and why starting earlier matters
• What AI and regulation could mean for the future of payments

It’s a grounded, honest conversation about leadership, growth, and the realities behind building and scaling in fintech.