Last month, our COO, Mike Gatny, connected with Grand Rapids-based product innovations and venture studio, City Innovations, to chat with their CEO, Josh Barker, for the Venture Unscripted podcast.
The episode revolves around Mike’s journey not only in software development but also in helping Connamara shift from service-oriented goals into product-oriented success. Watch the full interview, or check the recap below.
Podcast Recap (via City Innovations)
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.
Be sure to listen to the full podcast to hear all of Mike’s great takes.
