Every few years, something changes, whether it’s technology, market structure, geopolitical events, or customer needs. The market today is very different from the market 20 years ago, and the problems financial professionals face continue to evolve.
Most recently, I’ve been focused on building the Terminal of the future. Understanding how large language models, AI agents, and open-source protocols will transform both our product and the broader financial landscape is incredibly interesting. That constant evolution has kept the work exciting.
How did you grow from being the engineer who was doing software work to being a leader?
Moving from individual contributor to leader requires learning how to delegate, which is one of the hardest transitions. Engineers often make one of two mistakes: either holding on too tightly to the technical work or delegating everything and losing touch with it.
Engineers want to be led, not managed. To lead effectively, you have to understand what they do. Early in my career, being hands-on meant working directly in the code and architecture. Over time, being hands-on evolved into shaping organizations and defining systems.
Trust is critical — both trusting your team and earning their trust. As a leader, your job is also to provide context. You have to understand the broader business and bring that context back to your team so they can be successful.