In this episode of Venture unscripted., Josh Barker, Founder and CEO of City Innovations, talks with Mike Gatny, the Chief Operating Officer at Connamara. The episode revolves around Mike’s journey not only in software development but how he helped Connamara shift from service-oriented goals into product-oriented success.
Watch the podcast video below or read the recap to continue learning.
Podcast Recap
The conversation starts by looking at Connamara, a company that creates custom software for the financial markets. Mike explains their niche — developing software for exchanges, brokers, market makers, and other financial institutions, including both traditional and newer markets like cryptocurrency exchanges. Between the challenges and opportunities in the financial markets, Mike also highlights the importance of reliable, secure, and always-available software.
When looking back at Connamara’s beginnings, its Founder and CEO, Jim Downs, first started the company as a consulting business. However, Mike dives into the company’s exciting evolution, using agile development and test-driven methodologies to adapt to the close-knit and reputation-focused nature of the capital markets community.
A big part of the conversation revolved around Connamara’s shift from a service-focused model to a product-oriented one as they discussed the challenges of managing a product within a services company. This episode also includes a peek into the strategic decisions made during this shift and the unique challenges faced by startups in financial markets.
From tackling the complexities of financial markets, to strategically shifting to focusing on creating a successful product-oriented business, be sure to listen to the full podcast to hear valuable insights for corporate innovators and businesses looking to navigate similar transformations successfully.
