Next in our ‘getting to know’ series, we speak with the Chief Tech Officer (CTO), Mark Wyman to discuss what it takes to manage Enablo’s tech.
Mark has over 17 years experience in the tech industry, working for the likes of PwC, Cloud Sherpas, and many tech startups, Mark brings a wealth of solution architecture, engineering and management skills to each customer engagement. He’s best known for his highly collaborative approach to solution design and development and his commitment to delivering solution outcomes iteratively.
Let’s get to the questions!
Where in the point of your career did the fusion of your business and technological expertize come together?
I’ve been fortunate that it hasn’t always been ‘just me’. I’ve worked mostly in teams so I have learned from a lot of other people. I will always force myself to step up and play at the level of my team, treating my mind like a sponge in the meantime and soaking up as much knowledge as I can.
I’m not necessarily the best business mind as there are other people in Enablo who can take care of that. As CTO, I’ve been fortunate to be a co-founder with a first-grade team. Our individual skills complement each other but we also bounce a lot off each other and learn in the process.
What is the technological implementation you are most proud of, and why?
Qwic – a single portal for emergency management in the state of Queensland. This was a Hackathon run by PwC and before the days of Enablo, but my team was Daragh McGrath & Dave Nixon (Enablo co-founders). In hindsight, it was Enablo coming together before our eyes as we’ve continued years later to problem solve and execute solutions for the greater good. We were competing against the likes of Telstra, CSIRO & Esri and took out first place.
Which technological innovation do you foresee drastically changing businesses in the next 5+ years?
I haven’t seen a piece of technology that is so inclusive. We are connecting employees across the workplace and breaking down silo’s. This platform, when rolled out properly, connects everyone for the first time ever.
From CEO in the office, to retail staff on the floor via their mobile. The possibilities are endless with this technology and the feedback we receive from customers are much the same.
What resources have proven valuable for your business and technological proficiency?
I haven’t relied upon traditional resources like coding books or online courses. For me, it has always been about the ‘hack’ and having a go. I built my first website in grade 10 by looking at the source code of every other website, and always referred back to them to see where I had made mistakes.
When starting Enablo, what was your technical vision/strategy and how was this formulated?
Our strategy is and has always been to be adaptive and to know there is no problem too big. We have to say yes to everything and work out a way to get it done. If we stick to a vision of only doing x, y, z and we fail, then we fail overall. It’s the only dynamic in an ever-changing ecosystem. This also aligns with our technical vision of always being adaptive to our customer needs.
What advice would you give for the next generation?
- The best resource is work ethic; be a sponge, get real work experience
- Take every opportunity you’re given and take it at 110%
- Fail fast and learn from your mistakes
- You need to make important sacrifices and give up a lot, it keeps you humble. But in return, Enablo is one of the most rewarding outcomes of my life.
In retrospect, I’d go to Hackathons, build networks and meet like-minded people to bounce ideas off.
And finally, what is the best part of your job?
The people and technology. Facebook and our customers are amazing – we work with some incredible brands and organizations. I’m excited by this because our customers understand our technology and are equally excited to join us on this ride. It is for this reason that we excel.
It has been exciting to watch the inclusive technology of Workplace foster great change in organizations.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Mark. Check out the CEO of Enablo, Daragh McGrath, as he discusses what it’s like being the CEO of a startup.
