BankingON Family Stories: Ryan's Edition

Why did you choose to join BankingON?

My history with BankingON is different. I worked for the previous company Agile Fusion on various projects and then transitioned over to BankingON. The idea for BankingON was actually inspired by a consulting project which led to a transition to a product company. BankingON reinvented the banking platform for that first client, and I wanted to be involved with the development of the new product. I was able to directly influence the new project, and I was excited about being able to take ownership from the very beginning.

How long have you been a part of the BankingON family?

From the beginning when it was first incorporated. Our first big partner was Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, and I chose to move to Minnesota and oversee the project directly alongside them for three years. That was about six or seven years ago, and now I am based out of the main office in Austin, Texas.

What is unique about BankingON to you?

We don't stop dreaming about how the product could be better! That mindset is held throughout the company, and we always consider how an idea will benefit the end-user. It's not just about making money at BankingON. We make stuff that adds greater value and actually fixes problems. This place of inspiration allows us to know the user and understand how they would use a feature.

How would you describe BankingON's culture?

Humble, smart, and blunt. People at BankingON are intelligent, yet also have humility. That's a hard combination to find. The team will be blunt or honest with feedback. There is the freedom to share opinions on whether a new idea is perceived as "good" or "bad". People don't lack the confidence to tell you their opinions, yet they have humble characteristics and hear each other's viewpoints.

Explain your average day or week at work.

I just answer emails. :)

No, my average week really consists of running projects with partners. I help other product managers through a dedicated agile scrum methodology. Everything has a cadence for when something is supposed to happen. When exploring a big idea, it's sometimes hard for product managers to say how long it will take for the actual implementation, so we use pieces that help us plan well. We have weekly demos with the team and stakeholders which holds everyone accountable. My day-to-day consists of exploring bigger topics with product managers, planning existing/future roadmaps, and prepping for weekly demo days. I am responsible for making sure everyone on our teams is supported and feel successful in doing their job well.

What is one of your favorite work memories?

Funny memory: I was helping one of our partners do a complete core conversion and there was a big upcoming deadline. I was going back through testing things to make sure everything was working and done on time, and I noticed a problem in the middle of the night. I looked up information for one of our developers and called them for an urgent fix at 3:00 AM. Well, the wrong number was listed on our developer's profile. I ended up calling a random person who was upset by the intrusive, late-night call. After the fact, I was laughing at the irony of the situation.

Memorable memory: My most memorable moment was our first sale with BankingON. It was a big moment. We had a product people wanted to buy and someone who was invested in supporting what we were building. They believed in our worth. Instead of contract agreements, we had our first partnership agreement and a long-term relationship was formed.

What value does BankingON bring to employees?

If you are a person that has opinions on how things should be done, you will do really well at BankingON. People are allowed to think through things and have opportunities to take initiative and lead. A lot of problems that we face are new. There are innovations that have never been solved before and different conversions all the time. Every bank and financial institution has different needs. Therefore, BankingON team members get an opportunity to think actively beyond the standard requests and truly make an impact.

Anything else you want people to know?

Our office in Austin, Texas is green. Literally, the walls are painted lime green.