On the TechVancouver stage ×1
First seen on the TechVancouver stage in 2016. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Matias ↗
In their words
you have this large opportunity which can be endless you've limited resources so the decisions you make are super important
the worst thing you can do is do them and pretend like you didn't
just be proud of it say listen I did this shortcut and here's why I did it right and for the business it made a ton of sense
Around the web ×1
Quick answers
Who is Matias Marquez?
The founder of Buyatab, the Vancouver company that builds the software brands use to sell their own gift cards online. He started it as a 21-year-old student at Simon Fraser University; Stored Value Solutions acquired it in February 2019.
Which brands used Buyatab?
On the TechVancouver stage in March 2016 he named Whole Foods, Tim Hortons, Four Seasons, Cineplex and The Keg, and said the company worked with hundreds of brands across North America, Europe and Asia.
What did he say about technical debt?
That shortcuts are unavoidable when the opportunity is large and the resources are not, and that taking one deliberately is fine — the damage comes from taking it and pretending you didn't. His rule was to name the shortcut out loud and schedule the fix (TechVancouver, March 2016).
How did Buyatab get its first client?
"We kind of faked it till we made it." He asked a brand why it wasn't selling gift cards online, was told what a solution would have to do, said Buyatab did that, and then went back and built it (TechVancouver, March 2016).
What is Matias Marquez doing now?
Not established. He led Buyatab through its 2019 sale to Stored Value Solutions; no public source read for this page states a current role, and this page does not publish from LinkedIn or contact-data aggregators.