How Ledger is Transforming the Web3 Space

Ever wondered how Ledger is revolutionizing the web3 space? Well, meet Dominic, the Director of Engineering who's at the heart of it all. 

In this blog, Dominic uncovers everything – from his tech journey to the challenges of merging the traditional web with the Web3 space, and his vision for the web's role in Ledger's future. 

And, if you're curious about what it takes to join their tech team, Dominic offers firsthand advice on the skills to develop. Dive in! 

Meet Dominic, Director of Engineering at Ledger

Tell us a bit more about yourself/your journey into tech and how you landed your current role at Ledger. 

I started my career journey with a computer science degree, but I quickly realized that what I was learning wasn't exactly what the industry needed. So, while at university, I started creating websites for local businesses. 

After graduating, I found myself working for major newspapers like The Telegraph and Evening Standard, which was a huge learning experience as print media was transitioning to digital. I then moved into management roles, working with big clients at a tech agency, but I realized I missed being hands-on with tech. That led me to a ASOS where I spent many years as principal engineer rebuilding the whole customer experience. Before joining Ledger, I worked at an art startup as their first tech hire. I built their tech team from the ground up. 

As the art market began embracing digital assets, we ventured into the NFT sector to assist traditional artists in their transition to this innovative medium. We built a custom platform to help artists bring their work to market, and it was a great mix of traditional web, e-commerce, and Web3 experiences.

When the job at Ledger came up, it felt like the perfect fit. I was drawn to the company's rapid growth and the excitement around Web3. Plus, I already knew and liked the brand. So, I was thrilled to join them, and that's how I got to where I am now. 

Can you take me through a day in your life and what are your main focus or key responsibilities as the Ledger Director of Engineering? 

Well, my role isn't always easy to explain. 

Essentially, my job is all about solving problems to ensure our teams can work as efficiently as they can every day. This involves a mix of tasks, whether it's handling budgets, organizing meetings, or helping our tech teams understand architectural issues and solutions. 

I'm also closely involved with the product team, helping to figure out our priorities and making sure we're delivering on our roadmaps. And of course, I'm right there in the hiring process, interviewing potential new hires and helping our engineers plan out their careers. Now and then, I get hands-on with some development work and help with pull requests, though I'm thankful that we've got such a talented team to handle the bulk of that!

You mentioned the importance of staying hands-on with technical work while also managing teams. How do you balance those responsibilities in your day-to-day? What processes or strategies do you use to ensure both aspects of the role get sufficient attention?

It's a constant challenge – I've had managers who tried to code and caused more problems than they solved. To avoid that, I let the experts on my team do their jobs, absorbing knowledge where I can and stepping in only when necessary. 

The key is to keep learning and adding value without becoming a blocker. It's essential not to half-finish tasks. At times, I've stepped in to fill gaps, such as when we're missing a tech lead. This can be both rewarding and daunting. Ultimately, it's crucial to add value without detracting from the team's work. 

What challenges have you faced in bridging traditional web and blockchain technologies, and how are you working to solve them? What was the motivation behind the token game commerce system project and how did it help Ledger make progress in that area? 

Merging web and Web3 spaces is notoriously challenging. The primary issue is the poor customer experience. For example, users have to connect to wallets and deal with possible failures. Many of the surrounding ecosystems and tools are not yet fully developed, resulting in a less than ideal user experience. We're focusing on perfecting the basics to ensure that the experience is not just functional, but enjoyable.

A significant challenge in our work is supporting traditional legal constraints in the Web3 space. Web3 is mostly an anonymized network, while the classic world of purchasing a product has multiple legal requirements. For instance, you need to maintain a record of the order and have the customer's physical address to deliver the item. 

One of the rules we adhere to at Ledger is not linking a user's web wallet to a physical user in the real world. This presents a challenge for systems like the token gating, where you can buy an NFT representation of a device and redeem it on our website. We have to manage a customer's order and their wallet address without directly linking the two. We've built bespoke services and APIs to handle this, ensuring that the user's wallet and the NFT service never directly contact the shop, and the shop doesn't have information about the user's Web3 presence. It's all seamless to the customer, no extra steps are required. It's a lot of work behind the scenes, but it's necessary to keep their data safe. 

How do you see the role of Web3 evolving in the future for Ledger? 

Currently, we're focused on enhancing our existing Web3 initiatives. We acknowledge that the customer experience with Web3 products could be better. Therefore, as the technology gains more adoption, we aim to refine our systems to make them outstanding. 

Over the last few years, we've been at the forefront of innovation, building systems that work. Now, we want to take it a step further and make them exceptional. Hence, we're working diligently on improving our current stack. 

At the same time, we're noticing increased traction on platforms like Forecaster, a decentralized social media platform, and others. We're exploring ways to integrate with such platforms to reach our audience in unique and innovative ways. We're consistently looking towards the future, scanning the horizon for the latest trends. Our goal is to integrate these new developments into Ledger, thereby enabling our Ledger users to interact with them securely and conveniently from their devices. 

What are some of the biggest changes or improvements you've seen in Ledger's web platforms since you first joined? Where do you see the most potential for further evolution over the next year or two? 

Some of the most significant improvements in the web3 space have been the standardization of technology. Ledger has grown extremely quickly, and as a result, many different elements were built in various ways by different people. 

We've standardized around a core framework of technologies such as TypeScript, React, and Index.js. This has enabled us to transition to a continuous delivery model where we

release small, discrete updates multiple times a day. This faster process contrasts with our previous model of large releases once a sprint, which was slower and more prone to errors. By standardizing our technology, we've been able to develop robust unit testing and ensure we deliver everything safely and reliably. Consequently, our rate of release has dramatically increased. 

In terms of future steps, we aim to advance how we monitor and trace our applications. We want our engineers to have full ownership of everything, from development to delivery to the customers. Therefore, we're working towards greater autonomy for our engineers. 

For someone considering a career in engineering management, what advice would you give about skills or mindsets that are especially important to focus on developing? 

The emphasis should be on developing a mindset of humility. Recognise that your value lies in empowering others and amplifying the capabilities of your team. Your role shifts from individual contribution to being a force multiplier for others. Measure your success by the achievements of your team, not just your own.

Surround yourself with excellence by hiring and nurturing talented individuals, and avoid the trap of not hiring people who are better than you. Instead, hire individuals who are more skilled where possible and nurture them to grow in teams where they can thrive and innovate. 

Taking full ownership is crucial. As a manager, you often oversee multiple teams. You need to take responsibility when things are not working well. It's not the team's fault; instead, you need to guide them to deliver better. 

Building strong relationships is also vital. Good relationships with stakeholders are key for aligning your goals and navigating organisational challenges. Focus on continuous learning and emotional intelligence to be the best manager possible. Remember, your success is determined by the people around you. If they are not treated well, they won't work well for you. 

Want to join Ledger? 

If you’d like to join the team at Ledger, then then create a profile on the hackajob platform or log in to your profile here. Follow what they are up to on their hackajob profile.

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