Talk of Many Things – Page 6 – Personal Blog of Ketharaman Swaminathan

Shattering The Myth Of Exorbitant Credit Card MDR

13 December 2023

Since times immemorial, merchants have complained that banks charge exorbitant fees for processing credit card payments. Called Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), this fee is around 2% of the transaction value,…

Will ChatGPT Kill Coders?

6 December 2023

While building the new GTM360 website, I asked ChatGPT for code for the following responsive design elements: 3 images side by side Table with 2 rows, first row with 3…

Five Tips To Spec Trial Version To Boost Conversion To Paid Version

16 November 2023

Right sizing of the trial version is key to the success of a SAAS product. If the trial version is as heavy as the full version of the software, customers…

Technology Matters – Just Not At The Top Of Funnel

8 November 2023

Back in the day, technology vendors used Feature Selling to sell their products. In this technique, they use product features to create interest among the target audience. As everybody and…

Twitter Blue – Pros & Cons

1 November 2023

Twitter announced a paid blue check plan at a price of $8/month soon after Elon Musk acquired the company last year. The company advertised the following features for this premium…

Credit Card Primer – Interchange, MDR & Surcharge

25 October 2023

This post provides a quick primer on MDR, Interchange, and Surcharge, and covers a few recent updates to rules around these key concepts in the credit card industry. 1. Merchant…

Six Sharp Practices Followed By New Age Startups

18 October 2023

Here are six sharp practices followed by new age startups: #1. REDBUS This bus ticket aggregator buys five seats in a bus with 45 seats. When four out of these…

Unveiling What Merchants & Banks Learn About You When You Tap Your Credit Card

11 October 2023

Among others, the credit card value chain comprises the following entities: Consumer (aka Customer, Cardholder), who uses the credit card to pay for the purchase Merchant (aka Store, Retailer), who…

Zepto Becomes The First Quick Commerce Unicorn

4 October 2023

Zepto just became the first unicorn in the Quick Commerce space. Zepto, an India-based grocery delivery company, secured a $200 million Series E at a $1.4 billion valuation in a…

Pune Metro Second Impressions

27 September 2023

After trying out the Aqua Line of Pune Metro last month, I recently checked out the Purple Line. When it's fully commissioned, this route will connect PCMC on the north…