This month’s “Meet the Team” introduces Martin Dimitrov, Head of Mobile Applications. He believes that challenges are key to success, and together with his team, he builds products that millions of iCard clients across Europe use every day. His story will captivate everyone interested in new technologies and looking to participate in creating the fintech apps of the future.
How did you realize that your calling was software development?
As a student, I was into computers. With time, my interest deepened – I wanted to know exactly how they worked and what could be accomplished with them. From the very beginning, my fascination was with the machine itself. At first, I began installing the games and the operating systems myself. For a while, I even earned a side income from burning CDs with music since many people didn’t have a device for that at home or couldn’t afford it.
When deciding how to continue my education and professional development, I knew it had to involve math and logic. Getting accepted to the “Computer Systems and Technologies” major at The Technical University of Varna was difficult but well deserved. At the time, programmers’ jobs were not as highly valued – there wasn’t enough demand for such professionals, and I wasn’t sure I would make it. Yet, I believed things would change, and I never gave up. The education and the process of gathering experience weren’t as easy as they are nowadays. No intensive and practical programming courses were available, and I had to study mainly from textbooks and specialized journals. I am grateful to my alma mater for giving me the core education that played a key role in my development as a professional.
What’s the most essential quality for becoming a good software development specialist?
It’s essential for your mind to operate in an orderly fashion and to rely on logic and rationality when solving problems. Logical thinking can be trained with math lessons and through the study materials in middle school. To work in this field, one must constantly keep learning and assimilate various new information.
When a problem is posed, it’s important to consider what the specific process and settings need to be, how the particular system will be supported, what libraries will be used, and what other teams we need to collaborate with. All sorts of technical problems pop up during the work process, and you need to read and learn additional skills to address them. That’s why, for me, as a department head, it’s very important when a colleague of mine reaches a dead end to first search for a way to overcome the obstacle on their own before turning to me to discuss a possible solution. I believe it’s crucial for a programmer’s mind to adapt to the situation and to see more solutions than problems.
What was your career path before you started your journey at iCard?
In college, I worked for a company that built websites. After that, I decided to try something different and started working at a firm that developed banking software. There, I upgraded my skills as a developer and enriched my financial knowledge. At the time, smartphones were gaining popularity, and I was intrigued to learn how things worked with them. I gladly took the chance to participate first-hand in developing the technology and establishing new principles.
Tell us more about the “Mobile Applications” team.
My team and I develop and support iCard’s mobile apps: iCard Digital Wallet, iCard for Business, iCard Direct SDK and iCard Mobile Server. Currently, the team consists of 8 developers. Most of them are young professionals who we trained at iCard. They all show a great desire for growth. I am very proud of Petar’s motivation and consistency – he trusted me implicitly with his training upon switching from QA to developer. Milen has been with the company for just a few years but has plenty of experience, and I trust him completely. Lyubo has been at iCard for over 10 years, and I rely on him the most.
I am happy that most of them are loyal and demonstrate excellent knowledge in their work. I believe that they are highly motivated, especially since we are currently developing a project that will be a first in our market. I try to give them new challenges so that they have engaging tasks, and I do my best to ensure they enjoy a calm and pleasant work environment. I am happy we have access to the latest machines to help us develop innovative products. I hope our renovated office and my friendly approach to everyone also contribute to a pleasant and productive working process.
What are the challenges you face?
When I started working for iCard, the biggest challenge was attracting and integrating new talent into the team. Back then, very few specialists had the required skills and knowledge. This was followed by the fast-paced technological rise, which significantly increased the demand for developers. As a result, there were fewer available candidates once again. Another problem I’ve had over the years was finding talent trained in iOS. For a while, we had to train all new colleagues in-house. That included all those with no programming experience and those transitioning to iOS. I had prepared study materials with specific problems and questions to help them learn. With time, new study tools began to emerge, and now, we’ve got a lot more of those integrated into our training process. This allows me to focus on other work tasks and better optimize my time.
In terms of software development, when we started developing the apps, there were no established best practices or quality products to refer to. We had to find most of the solutions ourselves, which motivated us further. Technology and services change over time, and we have to constantly adapt to the evolving environment.
How does technological advancement help your work?
One of the main goals I had as a team leader is now attainable – for every team member to be able to help the others and train the new additions. I believe this significantly facilitates the department’s work process and helps enrich each colleague’s knowledge base. This way, the products we develop maintain the same standards and building them up is much easier.
Which project are you most proud of?
I have always been most motivated by difficult tasks – those that pose a big challenge particularly spark my interest. I am happy that we constantly have the opportunity to work on innovative projects that we create from scratch. I would like to use this opportunity to thank iCard’s leadership for fueling my interest in daring, challenging, and innovative tasks.
I am proud of all our projects, but if I have to point out just one, it would be the first digital wallet we created – LeuPay Wallet. It was the first app we developed, and back then, it was much better than its competitors on the market. My favorite functionalities are those we introduced first on the Bulgarian market or were most challenging to develop. I remember the first version of the contactless payments – we were not just the first in Bulgaria but among the first in Europe. Building an instant notification system was another challenging project.
How do you spend your free time?
Over the years, my interests and preferences have changed. I was very passionate about high speeds, but I’m increasingly looking for peace and comfort these days. I often relax by watching Netflix. I prefer old mafia classics like “The Godfather” and movies like “The Matrix.” I like historical movies and TV series, such as “Vikings,” “Barbarians,” “Game of Thrones” etc. What’s important to me is the plot, but special effects also impress me. Before I start watching something, I always check the rating and the production budget since I don’t want to waste my time with sub-par productions.
I love to watch football and have been a Manchester United fan since 1997. I’ve been to three of their matches – two at Old Trafford and one in Skopje. Most recently, three of my friends and I went to watch a match of theirs, but I have to admit, we all thought it was rather dull. The real fun was the night before when we toured the bars until late. The game wasn’t going well, but Manchester managed to turn it around in the last 5 minutes of the match. That was the latest turn-around in the history of the Premier League. It was nice that we could be there for the memorable event. Watching your favorite team live at the stadium with so many other supporters from all over the world, greeting and hugging each other in the happy moments, is a special emotion.
Who’s always with you on your journey?
That would be my wife Radina and our two kids, Krisia and Dimitar. It’s a big challenge for us to organize our work tasks so that we have enough time with the kids, but this motivates us to overcome the obstacles and have successful careers and a tight-knit family despite it all. I am grateful to Radina, who supports me in everything and helps me follow my dreams. I also have my parents, who encouraged me to embark on this career path, and all my good friends, who are always there for me.
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