Episode 4

Goldman Sachs – A Multi-Billion Dollar Misstep in Digital Transformation (Part 2)

Published on: 4th April, 2025

Imagine Goldman Sachs’ top brass gathered in 2014, ready to rewrite the rules of consumer banking using digital as their weapon of choice. This isn’t a story of triumph, it’s a cautionary tale of ambition outpacing alignment.

In Part 2 of our Goldman Sachs deep dive, we unpack how Marcus, the bank's bold foray into consumer banking, ultimately had its ambitions curtailed—not because of poor execution, but because the strategy itself lacked stakeholder alignment.

🔍 What went wrong?

🎯 What if they had used a different framework?

💡 What can your business learn to avoid the same pitfalls?

We apply our proprietary SWIFTER framework to reveal where Goldman misstepped—and how a stakeholder-first approach could have saved billions.

This episode is a must-listen for CEOs, digital leaders, and transformation consultants looking to get digital right the first time.

What You'll Learn:

  • Why Marcus by Goldman Sachs didn’t live up to its disruptive ambitions
  • How cultural divides within a business can derail even well-funded digital strategies
  • The three biggest stakeholder mistakes Goldman made—and how to avoid them
  • How to use the SWIFTER framework to stress-test your own transformation efforts


Resources & Links:

Learn more about the SWIFTER framework: www.vedanvi.com

Connect with Jay Tikam on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaytikam

Book a digital transformation audit or rescue: www.vedanvi.com




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About the Podcast

Impact with Digital with Jay Tikam
Innovating, Adapting, and Succeeding in the Digital Age
Impact with Digital, hosted by Jay Tikam, explores the strategies and insights behind successful digital transformations in the financial services and public sectors. Each episode features expert-led discussions on how businesses can adapt to the digital age by focusing on people-first strategies, rather than just technology. From practical advice on frameworks like the SWIFTER model to in-depth case studies, Jay and his guests share real-world experiences and lessons on how to achieve sustainable change. Whether you're navigating digital transformation or seeking to understand its impact, this podcast offers valuable perspectives for leaders and decision-makers.

About your host

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Jay Tikam

Jay Tikam is the visionary host of Impact With Digital and the CEO of Vedanvi, a strategic advisory firm that helps companies achieve high-impact digital transformations. With a global career spanning over two decades, Jay has worked with financial institutions, scale-ups, and regulatory bodies across both developed and emerging markets.

Renowned for cutting through digital hype with clarity, Jay brings a unique perspective that blends strategy, stakeholder-centric thinking, and actionable insight. He’s passionate about helping CEOs and boards move beyond buzzwords—like "digital-first mindset" or "culture change"—to make smarter, high-ROI digital decisions. Through his stakeholder-first framework and deep experience with transformation audits, he equips leaders to avoid the 70% failure rate that plagues most digital initiatives.

Whether he’s unpacking billion-dollar missteps or highlighting real-world case studies, Jay's mission is simple: empower business leaders to listen, learn, and lead meaningful transformation that creates lasting impact—for the business, its people, and society at large.