Patralekh Satyam
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Long-form writing on AI in banking, and the machinery underneath it.

Every article also appears on LinkedIn; this site carries the canonical version. Guest contributions are welcome; see write for us.

27 August 2026
40 min read
A plain guide to the insurance business

Who owns the risk

Insurance looks like one industry from outside. Actually it is a chain of very different businesses, and only some of them lose money when a claim arrives. This is a guide to who does what, who owns what, and who is finally holding the risk.

19 August 2026
5 min read
From shadow AI to governed AI

Shadow AI: Your Credit Union Already Adopted AI. Nobody Told You.

Shadow AI is the adoption that happened without a decision, and in a member-trust institution it is the quietest serious risk on the books.

19 August 2026
9 min read
AI governance, built

Inside My First Digital Employee: The Architecture of the AI Auditor

In my previous article I argued that the first AI employee a bank hires should be an internal auditor. The most common reply was: show the build. This is the version I would hand a new engineer on my team, written like a user guide.

14 August 2026
5 min read
AI governance, built

The Audit Trail That Audits Itself

How I build AI systems for banks and credit unions that catch onboarding irregularities at the first occurrence, not at exam time.

14 August 2026
5 min read
Agentic AI in banking

The First AI Employee Your Bank Should Hire Is an Auditor

Why the safest place to start with agentic AI in banking is the job nobody staffed for: reading everything.

13 August 2026
5 min read
You can outsource the work. You cannot outsource the fine.

Six Vendors, One Fine: How Regulators Decide Who Pays

Who gets caught when regulators catch something: the bank, or the vendors that serve it?

24 January 2026
2 min read
AI leadership

The AI Story We Keep Forgetting

Think of AI not as one thing, but as a living city. Generative AI is the voice. The rest of AI is the body.

15 December 2025
3 min read
Generative AI in production

RAG Did Not Fail, Our Mental Model Did

Treating RAG as a single pattern is like calling every vehicle transport and assuming a bicycle, a delivery truck and a cargo ship can all do the same job.

6 December 2025
3 min read
Digital identity

Should Email Providers Like Google and Microsoft Be Regulated?

Convenience versus security in a world where your digital identity has quietly become more important than your physical one.

2 November 2025
4 min read
AI leadership

Language Alone Cannot Run the World

Generative AI is stealing the show, but what happens when the rest of the orchestra stops playing?

1 March 2025
5 min read
Payments and digital money

Central Bank Digital Currencies: A Technology and Financial Innovation

CBDCs combine the trust of central banks with the efficiency of digital technologies. This paper reviews their technological foundations, their potential in fintech, and the risks and regulatory questions that come with them.

25 January 2025
4 min read
Credit unions and policy

Impact of Eliminating the Credit Union Tax Exemption on the American Economy

The credit union tax exemption is often framed as a benefit for members. The research suggests its removal would cost non-members, rural and minority communities, and the Treasury as well.

30 August 2024
6 min read
Product leadership in banking

Creating Product Vision and Strategy for a Bank on a Modernization Journey

For traditional banks, especially regional and private banks, the journey to digitalization is both an opportunity and a challenge. This guide walks through the step-by-step approach, using two illustrative bank journeys.

15 April 2024
3 min read
Product leadership

Understanding Vision, Strategy, and Roadmap in Product Development

Three terms every product team uses, explained with examples so that even an entry-level developer can see where their tasks fit into the larger picture.

15 April 2024
3 min read
Product leadership

Demystifying Product Development: A Tale for Every Level

Once upon a time in the bustling town of Techville, everyone played a different role in the grand production of a product. Here is what each of them needs to know.

13 April 2024
3 min read
Product leadership

Why Every Tech Innovator Needs a Product Leader

In the kitchen of startup innovation, the chefs cook the next big thing. Someone still has to make sure the diners will eat it.