Tech
A look at cryptographic security and product development
At the recent Bitcoin conference in Prague, CryptoSlate had the opportunity to sit down Matej ZakCEO of Trezorto discuss the company’s approach to product development, company culture, and the challenges of making complex cryptographic security features easy to use.
Zak, who took over as CEO after joining co-founder Marek “Slush” Palatinus, highlighted the importance of maintaining Trezor’s startup culture and fostering an environment of proactivity and passion for cryptocurrencies.
“We want to see this proactivity. We want to see people who are truly passionate about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies,” said Zak, underscoring the company’s commitment to hiring people who align with these core values.
The CEO also touched on Trezor’s philosophy of radical transparency in terms of technology and business practices. Zak explained:
“Technology-wise, we build everything we can in an open source way, which is also a good security measure, because then you have more eyes to monitor whatever you’re doing.
I think it’s also good for building trust with the community, because it’s basically building, building, like out in the open is great for, yeah, basically gaining the trust of, you know, whatever we’re doing is, it’s the right thing for the community.”
When asked about the challenges of making complex cryptographic security features easy to use, Zak acknowledged the technical nature of cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin, but highlighted the industry’s progress in improving the user experience. He detailed Trezor’s approach to overcoming these challenges:
“We have really strong internal research teams that talk to our users all the time. And we really collect a lot of feedback and a lot of proactive feedback where we really ask these users almost as an experiment.
It’s almost a science that we really want to solve the core problem of where they face certain challenges, you know, why maybe they’re not as comfortable using certain products or certain features.
Zak also talked about the company’s latest product, Trezor Safe 5, describing it as the most intuitive hardware wallet to date. He highlighted its features, including touch display, color support and haptic feedback, all designed to provide a smooth user experience comparable to traditional technology devices.
Addressing Trezor’s internal dynamics, Zak acknowledged the existence of two factions within the company: Bitcoin maximalists and those who support multi-coin functionality. He explained his approach to managing these different perspectives:
“I believe in a kind of free market maximalism, in the sense that Trezor, as a device that protects your private keys, obviously we focus on Bitcoin, and Bitcoin is where we started, and Bitcoin is, always will be, you know, close to our hearts and what we want to focus on as a priority, but TREZOR protects your private keys from other cryptocurrencies too, right?”
Zak’s musical background, having studied at Berklee College of Music, has also influenced his leadership style. He drew parallels between playing in a jazz band and managing teams:
“I play in a jazz band, I think it’s a great example of how teams should work, because, I mean, jazz is obviously full of improvisation, there are certain rules that you want to respect, but it’s nice that you can take a certain action and shine with your solo or whatever in the end, it all just works together.
As Trezor continues to innovate and adapt to the evolving crypto landscape, Zak’s leadership approach, rooted in transparency, user-centric design, and the balance between a focus on Bitcoin and multi-coin support, seems ready to lead the company through the challenges and opportunities ahead in the hardware wallet industry.
Trezor’s presence at BTC Prague and its open approach to product launches, with Trezor Day, where representatives from the cryptocurrency and security industry were able to get hands-on with the new device and ask some extremely in-depth questions, demonstrated his dedication to transparency and the central thesis of Bitcoin.
Trezor launched its new flagship, Trezor Safe 5, at BTC Prague, a hardware wallet with touchscreen, gestures and haptic feedback. The full interview will be published on CryptoSlate X accounts in the next few weeks.