If you think better data automatically leads to better decisions, think again. One of the most striking takeaways from this session was simple: markets don’t just move on numbers; they move on human behaviour.

Harsh Thakrar, Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, recognised as a “30 under 30 FinTech Leader” and a frequent speaker on AI and financial technology, brought a strong industry perspective to the session.

Far from a typical lecture, he turned the MFWM classroom into a real-world lab, challenging students to move beyond theory and rethink what it means to be “smart” in finance. Through references like The Big Short and Suits, he shifted the focus from numbers to the people behind them, emphasising a simple idea: forget the spreadsheet—it’s all in your head.

From overconfidence to herd behaviour, students saw how these patterns don’t just influence individuals but also can drive entire market trends and bubbles. What stood out was how common these ‘glitches’ are, even among the most experienced professionals.

The session also balanced insight with application. From digital assets to central bank digital currencies, students engaged with the future of markets in a hands-on way.

In the end, the takeaway was not about tools or techniques, but about mindset. Because in finance, the real edge doesn’t come from the spreadsheet, it comes from understanding the human decisions behind it.