Making access to pay fairer: Martin Slaney, Chief Product Officer

Welcome to the first of our new series of Turbo Tales where we interview a member of the Openwage team and find out what makes them tick by asking them only four questions.

First up is our Chief Product Officer, Martin Slaney, who celebrates his first year with Openwage.

We asked Martin to reflect on his time with Openwage during the first 12 months of its existence, undoubtedly one of the most thrilling and rewarding times to be part of a startup.    

What is Openwage?

Openwage was created from the vision to revitalise the financial health and resilience of working people by giving employees greater control over when they get paid.

For far too long, employees have had to wait weeks for the money they’ve earned.

This extended period between paydays results in severe financial stress when an unexpected expense comes along that shatters even the most financially-resilient person’s budget.

With the Openwage app, employees can instantly access their earnings when they need them without having to wait until payday.

This disruptive approach to paying employees offers a safe and secure alternative to high-cost short-term borrowing such as payday loans, while also boosting employees’ financial wellbeing.

From zero to launch

With our sights set on revolutionising the way we get paid, Martin set about building a remote and geographically distributed team to design, build and launch an app dedicated to helping millions of workers feel more in control of their money.

In under 12 months, our mobile app and employer portal has been completely built from the ground up thanks to an immensely talented and passionate team of individuals who all share the belief that access to earnings should be fairer.

What does Martin have to say about his first year at Openwage?

1. Tell us about your most memorable moments from the last 12 months

“Building a remote-working team and product from zero to launch against the backdrop of the pandemic has been an incredible experience.  

One of the highlights for me has been seeing the effort our team puts in to constantly shape our culture. It makes me feel so proud.”

2. What would you change about the past year, if you could?

“Whilst we’ve had a few social meetups, I regret not doing more social activities with the team. Time to fix that!”

3. And what’s been the most valuable thing you’ve learnt?

“I’ve realised that constraints, plus amazing talent, breed resourcefulness and invention.” 

4. Finally, any words of wisdom for others in the fintech sector?

“Keep the proposition as simple as you can but double down on user experience.

Really be super selective about the first people you hire, then trust them to do what’s best for the business.” 

Great advice, Martin. And here’s to another successful and eventful year at Openwage!

Interested to hear more? Find out more about Openwage.