Fintech
Arun Dobriyal’s Journey to FinTech Excellence
Author: Shannon Sparks
Image: Arun Dobriyal
In India, Arun Dobriyal grew up in a lower-middle-class family, where daily compromises were a reality due to limited resources. Despite these challenges, his parents instilled in him unshakable values of honesty and hard work, guiding him towards a future full of promise and potential.
The foundation of Arun’s career was laid by his early love for computer science and his belief that technology can level the playing field in terms of opportunities for all. His breakthrough came when he was accepted into India’s top government college after cracking the national entrance exam, IIT JEE. This government-funded opportunity was instrumental in helping his family afford him a good education.
Throughout his career, Arun has held senior positions in the fintech and payments industries. His background includes key roles leading game-changing projects at Meta and Snapchat. One of Dobriyal’s biggest career successes was at Meta, where he built an in-house direct debit capability when a bank payment provider threatened to shut down the platform. His strategy ensured that over 100,000 global advertisers continued to access Facebook’s advertising platform, preserving an astonishing $100 million+ in repeat advertising revenue. His strategies enabled Meta to expand its reach into European and Latin American markets, empowering local businesses through targeted ads and effectively connecting them to consumers.
At Snapchat, Arun founded the payments and commerce teams. The payments team, which he led, has built technologies that have handled billions of dollars, providing critical support to large advertisers. He also led the creation of a commerce team that further revolutionized the app by introducing a native checkout product used by thousands of Snapchat brands and influencers, seamlessly integrating social interaction with frictionless shopping. This innovation significantly improved both the user experience and revenue potential. His performance optimization efforts saved the company millions of dollars in data and computing waste and improved the mobile user experience, especially for low-end devices.
As Head of Engineering at VartanaArun is now working to upgrade the archaic B2B lending industry. Vartana’s cutting-edge platform seeks to improve the efficiency, speed, and transparency of financing transactions, which have so far been dominated by large, slow-moving banks. Vartana offers small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) faster access to financing, enabling them to better manage working capital. This invention has largely enabled Vartana to successfully complete a Series B investment round.
Moving from India to the United States was challenging. Arun initially felt out of place in his new environment and faced linguistic and cultural challenges. However, his persistence and dedication to learning the nuances of the language and local culture allowed him to adapt and thrive. Arun said, “This experience deepened my appreciation for America’s innovative and open-minded culture, which celebrates hard work and merit.” Arun’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and the endless opportunities that await those who embrace change and diversity.
Over time, Arun has honed his leadership style to help those around him succeed. Arun’s character shines through in his willingness to mentor and develop a variety of professionals, including engineers, product managers, and designers, throughout his career.
He says, “It is essential for leaders to build strong trust within their teams, solve problems collaboratively, and focus on the success of team members. This is what is at stake.”
Those who have been mentored by Arun attest to his high standards and the sense of purpose and passion for innovation he instills in them. His practical approach and unwavering commitment to problem solving have earned him a reputation as a true leader and trusted advisor.
Constantly driven by a thirst for knowledge, Arun seeks to expand his expertise in software engineering, consumer technology, finance and leadership. His ultimate vision is to lead companies that provide impactful solutions, especially for the benefit of SMBs, fostering innovation and driving overall economic prosperity. In his envisioned future, technology acts as the great equalizer, facilitating financial inclusion and opening doors to greater opportunities for all.