Arvind Ronta retweeted
I changed my mind on minimum wage after reviewing the data. I used to believe in letting the free market handle it, like most of you.
However, when California raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers, it increased prices for consumers by pennies (~1-2%).
There was zero downside... it didn't drive massive automation, nor did it cause businesses to shutter.
Exactly the same result as Australia and other American cities... no changes in jobs; restaurants didn't close.
We are at record profits for corporations.
We are at a record low in unemployment in America over the past five years.
We are at maximum social unrest due to wealth disparity.
We should WANT to see the lowest-earning Americans go from $12 to $15, to $20, and then to $25 an hour over the next decade.
This isn't virtue signaling; this is good business!
Why?
Individuals earning under $40,000 a year spend 100% of their income.
They save nothing... they just spend it at the same companies they earn it at (Amazon, McDonald's, the Apple Store, DoorDash, Uber, etc).
It increases monetary velocity.
Take the time to research all of this, and you'll find the only downside is for teenage workers, who aren't worth $15-20 an hour. It does depress those jobs, so we should keep teenagers at a lower rate.
Increasing the minimum wage has had exceptional results over the past two decades.
That's just the reality of the game on the field, even if it's easier to say “free market will handle it!”
It makes no difference to the majority of businesses whether they pay $12, $14, $18, or $20 an hour in practice.
The gains to society are immense, and the impact on consumers and businesses is minuscule— and they have easily absorbed the costs.
Do the research!
I did it, and it was very surprising to me.
Changed my opinion on the subject, in fact.
Checkout the top10 trends from top fintech and payment conferences this year #fintech #payments. open.substack.com/pub/vueins…
Two bank acquisitions in 48 hours.
Neither buyer was a bank.
Credit unions (GECU + Community First) just snapped up two profitable community banks — and dealmakers say 2026 could be even busier.
This isn’t a glitch. It’s a shift.
• Credit unions are moving upstream
• Community banks are feeling the tech + margin squeeze
• Policy fights over CU tax status are heating up
The quiet reshaping of “Main Street banking” is already happening.
Article: americanbanker.com/payments/…
New data from @jdpowerfs shows fintechs are not just competing with banks. They’re redefining what “banking” even means.
70% of new accounts at @Chime become primary accounts.
72% of consumers opened their last new account outside their main bank.
Young users don’t care what a “checking account” is.
They care what money tools do.
Read this blog analysis: 👉 open.substack.com/pub/vueins…
#Fintech #Banking #Payments
After eight unforgettable years, I’m wrapping up an incredible journey with Visa — capping a story of two chapters, countless memories and lifetime of learnings. Thank you to incredible teams, clients and partners. #payments #fintech #nextchapter linkedin.com/posts/aronta_co…
Stablecoins won’t replace banks.
But they’ll replace waiting.
T+3 becomes T+0.
Settlement becomes streaming.
And “money” stops being just paper — and becomes code.
#Stablecoins #DigitalAssets
Abraham Lincoln on starting now
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
Open Banking ≠ Free Banking
In the U.S., open banking remains market-led (not mandated, unlike in the UK or EU). JPMorgan’s move essentially redefines open banking access as a premium product, especially for commercial use cases like lending, PFM, and payment initiation.
On #happiness: @DalaiLama said once, “If you want to be happy, think of others. If you want to be unhappy, think of yourself.” It’s a bad trade to be “special” rather than happy. It’s also a bad trade to be “right” rather than happy. Happiness is not a destination but a direction
#PMF is not a milestone but a momentum signal. See how VCs assess whether startup achieved PMF or not. open.substack.com/pub/vueins…
Ever wondered what’s going on with your #PMF ? How long will you wait? How would you know when you get it? It’s more critical than ever to get this right - or be ready to get killed. vueinsights.substack.com/ linkedin.com/posts/arvindron…
Arvind Ronta retweeted
Integrating AI agents into daily operations will become a leadership skill that separates companies that thrive from those that fall behind.
We’re moving toward a world where AI is everywhere and part of everyday life. The models themselves are becoming commodities. The true value of AI is in the data.
This is happening already. At the consulting giant @Accenture, our Agentforce digital labor platform is extending the reach of the firm’s 52,000 sales people around the world. For example, a coaching agent empowers sellers by autonomously facilitating role-plays, tailored to each deal, providing personalized feedback afterward.
Our own support platform at Salesforce, serving hundreds of thousands of customers, now includes AI agents working with our 9,000 customer service representatives. In just three months, AI agents resolved 84% of incoming customer queries on their own, with only 2% of requests requiring escalation to humans. This allows us to redeploy as many as 2,000 support roles elsewhere in the company. As measured by a recent Morgan Stanley research report, our customers are already seeing 20% to 50% cost reductions in customer support, driven by savings in head count, office space and overhead.
Business is the greatest platform for change. With Agentic AI, we can revolutionize work and create a more prosperous, sustainable world. By focusing on trust, accountability and our common humanity, we can ensure that Agentic AI becomes a force for good. —@Benioff
Markets in tumbledown. And seems @FoxNews has completely removed #marketnews and @CNN has nothing else than markets to report.
#tarriffs
Visa #flexible credential is reinventing how consumers pay and think of their financial lives. @Visa clients are leading the way in reimagining these experiences for their customers. linkedin.com/posts/arvindron…
Super proud of our @Visa teams and partners in @amazon , @RBC and @scotiabank, involved in bringing this product to life. We believe Installments is a core feature of Visa credential, providing greater #choice, #flexibility, and #transparency to drive the future of commerce. Through this product, we are bringing the best-in-class experience to Amazon.ca customers that I’m sure they would love. ❤️ 🇨🇦
