CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Srajan Agarwal, Engineering Manager, Mercari Inc.
1) As the Engineering Manager at Mercari India, can you share some insights into the specific technical challenges and projects your Trust & Safety team is currently working on to ensure a secure and reliable digital ecosystem?
– TnS division of Mercari is a vertical that involves fraud prevention and security checks at all areas of our products such as EKYC, Listings, Accounts.
– Thus a major challenge is to make sure that we update our systems and strategies based on any new features released in our products.
– Be it features like Dropshipping or Alerts that help customers to rectify issues and have a favorable experience in listing, we have to keep ourselves updated in terms of technology and security measures.
– We deal with a lot of data that gets generated to make sure listings or accounts are flagged in case of fraudulent and appropriate actions are taken.
2) With your extensive experience in the software industry, how has your diverse background influenced your approach to leadership in the technology sector?
– I have been part of multiple organizations at different roles. So I understand the system or rather software life cycle in a better way.
– From a leadership perspective, I can say that being a leader is a huge responsibility.
– My past mentors and leaders have taught me to keep on learning and keeping ourselves motivated.
– Be it newer technologies or leadership skills, we must adapt and be ready for changes.
3) Diversity and inclusivity are important aspects of the Mercari India Centre of Excellence. How do you plan to foster these values within your teams and ensure a diverse and inclusive work environment?
– Of course Diversity and inclusion is very important and Mercari India takes it very seriously.
– I was the first female as well as Engineering Manager in Mercari India. This proves how important it is for us to maintain the diversity within our teams.
– Our leadership is making conscious efforts to have more diversity in our teams by taking up initiatives such as “Return to Work”, “Hiring activities targeted towards Graduates from Women College” etc.
– Even though we were very few initially, we placed all our policies and mandates by the Government in place to make sure we can create a safe environment for all our employees irrespective of gender.
4) Mercari has also ventured into the crypto asset and blockchain business with Mercoin. How do you see emerging technologies like blockchain influencing Mercari’s future products and services?
– As we might know that these technologies are super booming currently, Mercari is trying to leverage the same advantages. Mercari aims to be one of the leaders in technology, so investing in these technologies will be a new marketing strategy for us to move towards our vision.
5) What advice do you have for individuals aspiring to pursue a career in technology leadership, based on your own journey in the software industry?
– My advice to all such individuals, would be to be passionate about their work and be curious like a kid. Technology is a vast area, we have many updates happening everyday with new technologies entering the market. It is difficult to keep up with the growing changes but being ready to learn and accept the fact that one might not be the most intelligent/ best engineer in the team is an important fact. I am still learning from my super talented team and will continue doing it. I am ready to guide and empower them with all the knowledge acquired so far.
6) Can you share some examples of innovative projects or technological advancements that have originated from Mercari India since its establishment as a Centre of Excellence?
– I don’t think I can answer that question, as we are still one bigger tech team, nothing like India or Japan. Our goals, projects or initiatives are one, so it will be difficult to declare any projects as Mercari India.
