Aristotle Walks Into a Bank with Rik Coeckelbergs

In this episode, Pål and Ville sit down with Rik Coeckelbergs, founder of The Banking Scene and author of Ethos in Banking, for a surprisingly philosophical conversation. Yes, this is the first Fintech Daydreaming episode where we willingly tumble down an Aristotle-themed rabbit hole.

Rik’s book dives into how the ancient trio of ethos, pathos, and logos can shape modern banking culture. Tturns out, these aren’t just concepts reserved for toga-wearing philosophers:

.- Ethos: Banks need credibility that runs deeper than slogans and “purpose” posters.

.- Pathos: Customers want to feel understood — not just “KYC’d.”

.- Logos: Logic and competence still matter (even if your strategy deck has far too many slides).

As Rik unpacks how these pillars can help rebuild trust in the industry, we catch ourselves wondering things like, “Did Aristotle ever have to deal with compliance?” and whether all those countless hours spent in corporate value workshops were really time well spent.

Together, we wander into questions such as:

.- Can a large bank genuinely live its values without getting lost in the org-chart wilderness?

.- Do customers actually want ethical banking, or just fewer fees and fewer headaches?

.- And how do you build trust in an industry where most good decisions are the invisible ones?

In summary: jokes, tangents, and at least one moment where someone wonders if Aristotle would’ve made a good fintech founder.

(Consensus: he would’ve hated the pitch decks.)

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- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/

- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/