From India to Silicon Valley: Arun Dobriyal’s Path to Fintech Excellence

Byline: Shannon Sparks
Image: Arun Dobriyal

In India, Arun Dobriyal grew up in a lower-middle-class household where daily compromises were a reality due to limited resources. Despite these challenges, his parents instilled in him unwavering values of honesty and hard work, guiding him toward a future filled with promise and potential.

The foundation of Arun’s career was laid by his early love of computer science and his conviction that technology can level the playing field in terms of opportunities for everyone. His breakthrough occurred when he was accepted into India’s top government college after passing the national entrance exam, the IIT JEE. This government-subsidized opportunity was crucial in helping his family afford him a good education.

Throughout his career, Arun has held important positions in the fintech and payments industries. His background includes key roles leading revolutionary projects at Meta and Snapchat. One of Dobriyal’s proudest career achievements was at Meta to create an in-house direct debit functionality when a bank payment provider threatened to disrupt the platform’s operations. His strategy ensured that more than 100K global advertisers continued to access Facebook’s advertising platform, preserving an astounding $100 million plus in repeat ads revenue. His strategies enabled Meta to expand its reach in European and Latin American markets, empowering local businesses through targeted ads and effectively connecting them to consumers.

At Snapchat, Arun founded the teams in charge of payments and commerce. The payments team, led by him, produced technologies that handled billions of dollars, giving big advertisers crucial assistance. Additionally, he led the creation of a commerce team that further revolutionized the app by introducing a native checkout product used by thousands of Snapchat brands and influencers, seamlessly integrating social network interaction with frictionless shopping. This innovation significantly enhanced both user experience and revenue potential. His work optimizing performance saved the company millions of dollars spent in data and computing waste and enhanced the mobile user experience, particularly for low-end devices.

As Head of Engineering at Vartana, Arun is now working to bring the archaic B2B lending sector up to date. Vartana’s cutting-edge platform seeks to improve the efficiency, speed, and transparency of financing transactions, which large, sluggish banks have hitherto dominated. Vartana gives small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) quicker access to finance, enabling them to better manage their working capital. This invention for Vartana made the successful completion of a Series B investment round possible in large part.

Moving from India to the United States was challenging. Arun initially felt out of place in his new surroundings and faced linguistic and cultural challenges. However, his tenacity and dedication to learning the nuances of the local language and culture enabled him to adapt and thrive. Arun said, “This experience deepened my appreciation for America’s innovative and open culture, which celebrates hard work and merit.” Arun’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and the boundless opportunities that await those who embrace change and diversity.

Over time, Arun has refined his leadership style to foster the success of those around him. Arun’s character shines through in his eagerness to mentor and nurture numerous professionals, spanning engineers, product managers, and designers, throughout his career.

He says, “It’s essential for leaders to build strong trust within their teams, solve problems collaboratively, and focus on team members’ success. This is table stakes.”

Those mentored by Arun attest to his high standards and the sense of purpose and passion for innovation he instills within them. His hands-on approach and unwavering commitment to problem-solving have earned him the reputation of a genuine leader and trusted advisor.

Continuously driven by a thirst for knowledge, Arun seeks to expand his expertise in software engineering, consumer technology, finance, and leadership. His ultimate vision is to be the head of companies that deliver impactful solutions, particularly benefiting SMBs, fostering innovation, and driving overall economic prosperity. In his envisioned future, technology acts as the great equalizer, facilitating financial inclusion and opening doors to greater opportunities for all.