This article is part of a series of 5 CTOs you should know in Austin. Click here to see more.
Mozido spent most of 2015 on an enviable growth trajectory, expanding its mobile fintech software to merchants and consumers in Russia, China, India and Africa. The company builds tools to connect retailers, telcos and other merchants to consumers who have cell phones, but are “unbanked,” meaning they handle their money without the structure of a financial institution.
As Mozido’s CTO, Pat Downing oversees the architecture behind the company’s mobile financial networks. Before joining Mozido, he led IT operations at AllClearID and Hoover’s.
We caught up with Downing to find out what’s next in mobile fintech and the lessons he’s learned as a leader in the space.
What are the biggest tech projects your team is working on this year?
Our team is currently focused on opening more access to China for US and global merchants. Mozido provides a payment gateway in China enabling merchants around the globe to have a payment source for their e-commerce and mobile applications in China. Other initiatives are centered around breaking down barriers for anyone to provide mobile loyalty and payment services. This includes everything from mobile advanced ordering of your favorite burger and shake to paying for that order without waiting at a cash register.
What are the biggest technology challenges you've faced in the past? How did you overcome them?
The biggest technology challenge is scale. Now you may think scale is not a technology, but it is the thing we tend to overlook the most. No matter how complex a final solution turns out to be, you have to always remember to break it down into simple, autonomous chunks. Then once you have that, remember scale. In today’s mobile world you cannot operate with the assumption you will have a few simultaneous users, not even hundreds or thousands, you will have millions. This is the challenge put to the team and this is the drive.
What are lessons you've learned about working in Austin that other local entrepreneurs can learn from?
It basically comes down to people and respect. The goal is to hire the best you can find and allow them to do the job you hired them to do. People thrive on challenge and opportunity to grow. Remember, your business is not dependent on you, but the people you hire. Provide a positive, challenging environment and you will build the world’s best widget.
Austin is known for having a large talent pool of thirsty, young workers. What are the top characteristics you look for in a potential hire?
I agree Austin has an amazing talent pool. When I need to dip into that pool to grow my staff, I look for people who are what they do. So what does that mean? If I am looking for a security analyst, I want to know what do they do in their off hours, what magazines they read, what groups or organizations they belong to, what conferences do they attend on their own dime and what kind of lab setup do they have at home. This is how you find the person who truly is a security analyst and not just doing it while they figure out what else they want to do.
