Capital One

Capital One is a progressive company in terms of their diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. From an engineering and architecture standpoint, they're very tech-centric, finding tech not only as a means to an end in growing their business but as core to delivering on their intents and audacious goals.

Like many large, well-established companies, especially in the financial services space, the pace of change and innovation here feels glacial at times.

Making changes feels like moving mountains, and while we profess to have many moving independent parts, we quickly find that one wheel cannot turn without the explicit written consent of other wheels which feel affected by the turning of the other wheel.

Decisions by committee and a convoluted hierarchy of decision-making and bureaucracy are stifling for innovative tech thinkers here.

I understand that banking is a highly regulated industry that bears caution in approaching changes and ensuring we do our best for customers and comply with the law. But when you apply that paradigm of slow, cautious deliberation and top-down leadership, you can grind innovative spaces to a halt.

Find a way to loosen the gears inside of the machine to allow pieces that can run more freely to do so, grow more quickly, and evolve sooner.