Engineering Leadership Series - Nick Halm
Today we have an exceptional guest in the Engineering Leadership Interview Series. Nick Halm, the CTO at JustiFi joins us to share how his unique journey from the Marine Corps to leading fintech innovation has shaped his approach to technology and leadership.
In this conversation, Nick breaks down how JustiFi is solving overlooked challenges in the SaaS payments space, the evolving role of AI in backend financial infrastructure, and the human side of building and leading high-performing engineering teams. Whether you're interested in scaling a startup, fostering meaningful team dynamics, or embedding AI into financial systems, Nick offers thoughtful insights drawn from deep experience and reflection.
Enjoy the interview and give Nick a follow.
Biography
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The Interview
DoneStreet
Let’s start at a high level. Can you tell us your story? How did you discover your interest in software engineering?
Nick
I didn’t always know I wanted to do this. I was in the Marine Corps for a while, got out, and realized I might be good at it. So, I went through college and started working in healthcare, focusing on eligibility integrations with EHRs. After that, I moved into pharmacy processing, which made it an easy transition into payments since the transactions are similar. Now I’m at JustiFi, and things are going well.
DoneStreet
Did you always see yourself moving into a leadership role, or did you initially think you’d be more of an individual contributor? How did that path develop?
Nick
I started in startups, and at my second company, I was the only engineer for a while. It was a software company, but most of the systems had been running for a long time. I came in, made improvements, and built new products. I've always preferred leadership, though. I spent a lot of time grinding in engineering, but after my second company, I started another one in pharmacy processing. So, I’ve naturally been in leadership roles for quite a while.
DoneStreet
JustiFi provides fintech infrastructure and white-label solutions to help SaaS platforms and franchisors integrate and monetize payment flows. Is that correct?
Nick
Yes.
DoneStreet
What unique problem are you solving that the market was missing?
Nick
There are a lot of payment processors like Stripe, and some competitors position themselves as payments-as-a-service providers. Stripe has a product like that, but it doesn’t fully meet the needs of SaaS platforms. It also limits their potential to generate revenue from integrating those services.
For example, say a platform handles event management where consumers buy tickets. In many cases, ticket purchases, like concerts or youth sports, are non-refundable. There are insurance products that cover those at a low cost to consumers, creating revenue for the platform while solving refund and customer service issues for merchants. We’re not trying to build everything ourselves. Instead, we bring in key partners and integrate all these solutions so our customers only need to work with JustiFi. They sign one contract and don’t have to manage multiple point solutions or build an entire partnerships team to navigate contracts. That’s the real value we provide.
DoneStreet
So, a streamlined and holistic experience that simplifies everything for customers.
Nick
Exactly.
DoneStreet
On the technical side, is your team working on any interesting challenges? AI is a big topic these days. Are you integrating AI, or are there other technical hurdles you’re tackling?
Nick
We’re still figuring out where AI fits. Payments are largely transactional, so AI doesn’t have much use upfront, but we’re exploring how it can improve backend processes like reporting and fee calculations. This helps customers ensure network fees are correct and identify valuable customers.
AI will likely be most useful for querying data. Instead of searching for specific card numbers, customers could ask, “What’s the average order value for this customer?” and get answers in natural language. That’s where we see AI fitting into our platform in the future.
DoneStreet
So, using AI for data analysis and maybe even applying machine learning or reinforcement learning to classify different customer segments?
Nick
Exactly. When working with tabular data, those approaches go hand in hand.
DoneStreet
Looking back at your time in the Marine Corps, are there any lessons that still influence your leadership style today?
Nick
Teamwork is everything in the Marine Corps. There’s very little solo work. That’s helped me throughout my career. Another big lesson is taking ownership of a job and seeing it through. That’s a great trait, though it can sometimes lead to overworking.
Also, the Marine Corps teaches you to present yourself confidently. It’s an environment designed to develop leadership, and that mindset has carried over into my career.
DoneStreet
That’s a great perspective. What do you think are the keys to success, regardless of industry?
Nick
I don’t think you need to be perfect at everything or have the deepest expertise in every area. Success comes from being comfortable not being the best and trusting others who are. Leadership is about taking multiple inputs and producing one useful output.
Early in your career, your value is often measured by what you produce. For example: code written, calls made. But at a leadership level, that’s no longer the best metric. If you’re still doing those things like research tasks and the minor stuff, it might indicate you’re not leading effectively. The transition to leadership happens when you can step back, rely on others, and focus on the bigger picture.
DoneStreet
That’s a great way to put it, taking multiple inputs and creating one strong output. In another interview, you mentioned that when building a team, sometimes you need highly technical people, and other times you need leaders with strong soft skills. How do you determine what type of person is needed at a given stage?
Nick
The way I approach it is that early hires need to be highly execution-focused and flexible since plans often change. You can go a long way with that type of team. As the company scales and expands across more products or features, you need someone who can bridge the gap between multiple groups and manage time effectively.
Once you have two or three technical leaders in place, that’s when it’s crucial to bring in someone with strong emotional intelligence. Someone who can communicate broadly across the company. The exact timing depends on the existing team, but generally, as a company grows, the need for leadership with strong interpersonal skills increases.
Some teams thrive on deep focus and minimal communication, while others prefer collaboration. If you have a team that values working closely together, you need a leader with high emotional intelligence to support them and maintain a positive work environment and happy state.
DoneStreet
That makes sense. Are you referring to how remote work has changed the way teams interact?
Nick
Yeah. When I started, everyone worked in an office, but interactions were different—people stayed in their own lanes. If I needed to talk to someone, I could, but it wasn’t as fluid as it is now.
With remote work, communication had to evolve. Personally, I’d rather jump on a Zoom call than rely on typing because so much context gets lost in text. Remote work forced people to develop new tactics to connect. During COVID, when we were all isolated, we had to make an effort to get to know each other beyond just showing up to stand-ups. That shift led to stronger workplace relationships, which, in turn, changed how leadership needs to engage with teams.
DoneStreet
Interesting perspective. Some people say remote work creates more distance, but you’re saying it can actually build stronger connections if leaders foster the right environment.
Nick
Exactly. One big change in engineering has been the rise of collaboration, what used to be called “pair programming.” Teams spend more time working on tasks together. If you’re on a call with someone for hours writing code, you naturally get to know them beyond just their daily stand-up update.
DoneStreet
Right, it’s like continuous time together, leading to organic conversations.
Nick
Exactly.
DoneStreet:
From a leadership perspective, are there any things you try to avoid? Have you identified any anti-patterns in leadership?
Nick:
One thing I actively work on is avoiding snap decisions. In the Marine Corps, I had to make rapid choices, but in other environments, quick decisions aren't always the best ones. Taking a bit more time allows others to digest the situation and often leads to better solutions than I might come up with alone.
Another area I try to manage is my natural tendency to be authoritative. While structure is important, people appreciate solving problems themselves. If I jump in with a solution too quickly, it can cut short their learning opportunities, create a missed learning opportunity and sometimes result in a less effective outcome.
DoneStreet:
In those situations, do you try to coach them through it by asking questions to help them arrive at solutions? What’s your approach?
Nick:
Yes, I try to create a structured pause. If we're meeting about a problem, we first need to clearly define it, then take time to consider solutions before reconvening. Even a short break, like 30 minutes, can lead to better clarity. Writing down the issue often makes the solution obvious.
DoneStreet:
That makes sense. Shifting gears a bit, how do you approach hiring software engineers? Do you have any strategies or patterns you follow?
Nick:
Right now, I’m not directly involved in hiring, but in the past, I’ve found that long, labor-intensive technical assessments don’t necessarily predict a great employee. A 15-hour take-home project doesn’t guarantee success in a real-world setting.
Instead, I focus on understanding the person. What are their career goals? How do they like to work and operate? Do they align with the team’s dynamics? Culture evolves with new hires, but we want to maintain a level of continuity in how the team collaborates. Do they fit is really the question.
DoneStreet:
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So it’s really about soft skills. Technical skills can be assessed, but team fit is the bigger question?
Nick:
Exactly. And while not everyone loves this strategy, I believe in a clear 30-60-90-day plan for new hires. Within a couple of weeks, it’s usually clear whether someone has the technical skills. If they don’t, it’s best to address it quickly rather than hoping it resolves itself. Hiring isn’t perfect, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. The key is identifying that as soon as possible.
DoneStreet:
That makes sense. And looking back over your career, what advice would you give your younger self?
Nick:
I probably would have taken more diverse job opportunities early on. My path worked out, but staying in one place for six years limited my exposure to different team dynamics. Had I experienced more varied management styles and cultures sooner, I might have learned some valuable lessons earlier.
Also, I would have focused more on balance and patience. Early in my career, I was eager, starting companies and working long hours, but you don’t have to hit that 10,000 hours number of experience in 24 months. Spreading that effort over time is more sustainable.
DoneStreet:
That’s insightful. Digging a little deeper, when you say “team dynamics,” are you referring to different management styles, collaboration methods, or something else?
Nick:
Yes, I think so. My first two jobs were at small startups where the CEO or president was deeply involved in day-to-day operations. That was great for learning business fundamentals, but those environments often don’t empower teams to make decisions independently. Earlier exposure to more autonomous teams would have been beneficial.
DoneStreet:
Sounds like you have an entrepreneurial mindset. Do you think you’ll start your own company again?
Nick:
We’ll see. Startups are a real grind. Everyone hopes for an exit in two or three years and a massive acquisition, but in reality, it takes much longer. Often six to ten years of hard work before real traction. The idea of an overnight success is mostly a myth.
DoneStreet:
Absolutely. You usually only hear about the successes, not the years of struggle behind them.
Nick:
Exactly. In a startup, you end up doing 50 things outside your core skill set. Suddenly, you’re an Excel expert because it’s just something that has to get done. You have to be flexible and continually adapting.
DoneStreet:
As we wrap up, looking ahead to when you're 80, what do you hope to have accomplished in life?
Nick:
I’ve got a big family and I would like to see them be successful. It’s hard to explain, however, it sort of comes down to the question, “Did you have a good time”? I don't want to be 80 and living with regrets about things I did not do. I want to spend time working on myself, overall health, and time with my family and friends and find that balance. Of course I’m gonna work. It's a question of are the things that I'm working on continuing to be challenging and exciting and then am I able to balance that with my family and all that?
DoneStreet:
That’s a solid perspective. You want to find purpose in work while maintaining balance with relationships and personal well-being which at the end of the day is most important.
Nick:
Yeah, that’s what I meant to say.
DoneStreet:
Well, that's what I took out of it. Thank you again for taking the time to share your story. It’s been great learning from you.
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