Chief technical officer
The rapid advances technology has made over the past decades amaze the imagination. The more you think and analyze how much our daily life has changed, the more you will be amazed. Technological evolution has affected absolutely all spheres of our life. Suppose it is possible to assess its influence at the everyday level without much effort. In that case, the degree of importance of evolution in global processes cannot be realized without the help of specialists.
This is precisely what we will discuss with Jason Woods – Chief technical officer of one of the leaders in the trading market, TechBerry.
– Jason, how much has the world changed?
– An intriguing conversation starter. The world has changed. Robots deliver food from a restaurant; cars drive without drivers; humanity is thinking about the colonization of Mars. The world has definitely changed. And our main task now is to have time to change with the world.
– What should these changes be, in your opinion?
Well, I remember how this realization came to me. I sat and looked at my new smartphone and thought, “Man, this little box has more computing power than the Apollo 11 mission ship. If Buzz Aldrin could – we have no right to screw up with such opportunities.
– It was easier for them, in a sense. They were the first; the successes of their predecessors did not dominate them.
– Flexibility and openness of thinking is the primary key to success. My philosophy of life is straightforward – do not drive yourself into a framework. Competitors and predecessors are nothing more than benchmarks. If you start to look back at them, at their successes constantly, you will find yourself in a box. You will limit your possibilities.
For example, think about cars. This invention is over a hundred years old. The principle of operation of a modern vehicle and the very first prototypes are, in fact, identical. The design features remain the same; the tasks are also the same. This did not become an obstacle to development. You see how global changes are taking place in the market today. Electric vehicles, hybrid motors, hydrogen engines. The guys are not trying to change the foundation by attaching a fifth wheel to the car. They think globally, considering development from other points, from different angles.
– Is that what TechBerry does?
– To be honest, I prefer to think so. The solutions we develop are designed to systematize experience in the financial system. Finance, economics, and macro- and microeconomic processes are complex and confusing. Scientists and professors in these subjects have been arguing for centuries. And all to understand how the mechanisms created directly by people function.
It turns out that the algorithms that we have already created make complex things more accessible and allow you to look beyond the horizon and possibly find new solutions in fundamental science.
– What is all this based on? Is it all just machine calculations, neural networks, and similar inventions?
– This, perhaps, is our difference. TechBerry always goes its own way. And that’s what inspires and motivates me. Usually, there is a particular plan that almost everyone follows. If we talk about neural networks, then in a nutshell, the developer feeds the data to the network, expecting it to assimilate it, develop its own algorithms, and get a unique product as a result. This is what I mean. Soullessly following a plan. In my opinion, if you do not invest your soul, and do not look for unique solutions, then the result will not be something to be proud of.
What we do goes beyond conventional patterns. I can’t go into detail about all the details for obvious legal reasons. Standard and direct solutions – this is definitely not the path to new horizons and success, and therefore not our way. I do not like the theory that a straight road is always shorter. The variability of ideas sometimes leads to unexpected and productive results.
Thanks to this, we have a unique product based on advanced mathematical patterns and combines the work of thousands of people. This symbiosis gives such an unexpected and productive effect that cannot be achieved using only software tools.
– You are talking about combining a computer and a person, is that true?
– This is an unnecessarily sloppy definition, but, in a sense, it is true. The area in which we operate is incredibly complex. The factors that influence it are so extensive that they are incalculable. If we try to build them into a single system, subject to a single method, we will very quickly drown in this stream. If we correctly combine the conclusions and diagrams of the machine and proven specialists, we will get an autonomous system that is not only independent but also capable of self-regulating based on non-standard patterns of information analysis.
– Sounds incredible. And very difficult.
– This is true. Our team has spent considerable time and effort to get a result that we can be proud of. Being a perfectionist, I clearly understand: it is not even important that our system functions with phenomenal productivity. The main thing is that we see an incredible scope for growth and development. It motivates and inspires.
– You are very passionate about your work. This may seem complicated. Could you explain, in a simplified way, for an ordinary person?
– If you try to draw parallels with something from popular culture, then I am very impressed by the comparison of our product with the system from the movie Moneyball. It’s a bit of a superficial comparison, but I like to think that the guys in the movie (and it’s based on actual events) were able to turn even baseball into a system where the human factor is the main thing. So, nothing is impossible.
– What inspires you? What part of your life is occupied by work and the industry in which you operate?
– I am a happy man. What I do is my life. The main thing is that I am provided with everything that I need. We have a great team at TechBerry, we have every opportunity to achieve results, and, most importantly, I see a vast room for progress. At times, this inspires fear. You begin to worry that your brainchild may progress faster than you. I look at my colleagues and the team and understand that our resources will last long. We still have something to surprise the world with.