CultureThis month, Buyatab hosted its first Buyatab Mini-Conference, a three-day event with two different tracks, Development and Architecture and Product Management and XaaS Business Fundamentals. While the Development and Architecture track was aimed toward our Tech team, the Product Management and XaaS track was a perfect opportunity for more business-oriented employees to learn more about the company and the structure of XaaS companies.
I started in January and was new to the tech and FinTech industries. Having this mini-conference just a few weeks later was the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about XaaS Fundamentals and Product Management. Having these sessions helped me learn more about the industry overall and it was a good opportunity to figure out how my role, Marketing Manager, fits into the larger vision that Buyatab is working to achieve. Below are a few of my takeaways from the conference.
The Fundamentals of XaaS Companies
One of main focuses of the business and XaaS tracks of the conference was to provide a better understanding of how companies like Buyatab are structured. There were several different topics covered under this track and each topic and covered a range of topics such as how companies have shifted to SaaS or XaaS models, what challenges they face, and how they structure pricing in order to make a profit. Having a good understanding around the fundamentals of the XaaS industry helps provide a clear picture on how the work we do at Buyatab fits into the broader tech industry.
Fraud is Everywhere
Often a popular topic at our client summits, Chris educated the team on fraud, and how Buyatab works to mitigate it. The presentation gave a broad overview of why fraudsters target certain companies and which industries have been a growing target. In fact, digital card not present (CNP) purchases are now 90% more likely to be fraudulent than PoS purchases, up from 81% in 2017 [1]. With many purchases now being made where a card is not present, more fraudsters are turning to online transactions. However, utilizing proprietary technology, a lot of fraudulent activity can be detected beforehand so that we can work to reduce fraud.
Buyatab has big plans for 2020
One of the last sessions I attended was Buyatab’s 2020 Product Road Map. Product Manager, Maria Nearing, provided a detailed overview on what products Buyatab is working on this and what features we should expect to see for the remainder of the year. It was great to be able to have a visual of what is coming for this year and what to expect. We’re excited for our new product features that enables Buyatab to expand our offerings even further.
Our three-day mini-conference also included topics for our more technically focused team members which were hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and a select few of our expert Buyatabers. This was an opportunity for our software development and DevOps teams to take a deep dive into cloud computing, including tools, practices, and architectural pattern. If you would like to learn more, head over to our Tech Re-cap.
One of our core values at Buyatab is to be entrepreneurial. By offering employees an opportunity for continuous education internally, it allows each team member to think about other ways they can contribute to our shared vision. Additionally, it allows each one of us to see how our roles impact and influence the company. This type of learning is great for employees at all levels and is a great way to spark new ideas, interests, skills, and conversations. We learned a lot over the course of the conference and are looking forward to the next one!