I think I speak for many when I point out that some of the lists of FinTech companies, such as the American Banker’s Top 100, well, just aren’t especially good examples of FinTech (see list).

Maybe I’m reflecting my SF/tech-centric view, but I’m not alone saying if you did a word association test with FinTech, most are more likely to mention companies like Square or Lending Club – and not IBM or TCS.

                      

Yes – I know, IBM and TCS sell technology to banks. In fact, I negotiated the first core banking system license from TCS for use in U.S. at Morgan Stanley, and used to work as a strategy consultant at CapGemini, so I know that category well. I’ve also worked in Product Management teams launching online services, and new products. Partners are often pivotal to success.

But by saying FinTech is anyone who sells products or services to financial services companies — and including retailers and card/payments and Bitcoin – you may be technically correct, but it’s just too broad a category.

Those selling to banks, especially start up’s in New York and London, such as those helped by the accelerators like the FinTech Innovation Lab, do matter. I’ve attended the NY FinTech Lab’s final presentation, and Maria Gotsch does a superb job. In the UK, Ian Ellis of the London Enterprise Tech Meet Up, and leaders like Silicon Valley Bank and Level 37, are helping to create new technology jobs ithrough their engagement.

But selling services and products to banks is not my focus, which is leading technology-enabled apps, services or digital channel leaders for consumers and businesses. Money 20/20 says FinTech is “enabling payments and financial services innovation for connected commerce at the intersection of mobile, retail, marketing services, data and technology.”

I believe strongly that, by being too inclusive (e.g. including retail), you can define FinTech to the point of it being meaningless. In fact, as I tweeted, magazines like Forbes got it wrong: Pitney Bowes is not one of the FinTech leaders. But a big company, like Wells Fargo can still very much be a leader in FinTech.  As I noted, Wells Fargo is actually one of the world leaders from a UX and digital channels perspective.

But I intend to be a little exclusive with the FinTech definition and my scope. I think we are also right to give an bigger voice to the likes of Patrick Collison of Stripe, who spoke last week at the Technomy event on the future of payments and innovation, and maybe a little less to the likes of IBM, BCG and Fiserv.

There’s a lot to learn from start up’s – like Betterment, Personal Capital and Credit Karma – and big company disruptors, like Apple with Apple Pay, than speaking to the average executive at your typical bank or payment company.

                      

I think it’s no coincidence that one of the bigger laughs at Money 20/20 came from a speaker who noted that while Apple Pay dominated a lot of the debates — and American Express and First Data sent their CEO’s to speak — no one senior had come to the FinTech conference from Apple.

The speaker went on say that Apple had apparently sent a couple of product managers to the event, although few had actually seen them, and boasted in jest that he’d in fact been lucky enough to shake one of their hands, telling the audience, “I still haven’t washed that hand.”

Looking ahead, in early December I’ll be reporting live from Future of Money in San Francisco, and will be guest blogging on Yodlee’s blog as well as profiling them in light of their recent successful IPO, and recent positive analyst coverage.

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