Payment Expert’s ID Check: Payments Professionals offers insight from industry leaders and experts on how they got their start in the financial industry, from their early years in education, to how they have been able to climb the corporate ladder.
This week, Conor Lyden, Founder and CEO of Trustap, reveals how his trips from Ireland to Liverpool for football matches triggered his start into payments and why simplifying complex situations has been the backbone of his entrepreneurial mindset.
Where did you go to university and what did you study? What impact did this have on your current journey?
I went to UCC in Cork and studied Engineering. At the time, I wasn’t entirely sure which career path I wanted to pursue, and engineering offered the perfect, versatile foundation. This allowed me to improve my mathematical, analytical and problem solving skills.
Those skills have been absolutely vital to navigating the unpredictable challenges of building a company.
What first drew you to the payments industry and why have you stayed?
I didn’t consciously seek out the payments industry, rather, I was focused on solving a specific, real-world friction point. While in college, I regularly traveled to Liverpool for football matches, often buying tickets on resale sites. Sending money without knowing if the ticket was legitimate or would even arrive was incredibly stressful. I started thinking about how two strangers could transact safely.
When I set about solving those problems and building Trustap, it became very clear that the world of payments was going to be front and centre of our solution. I’ve stayed because I think the space is evolving so fast and there’s still an incredible amount of opportunity and the potential increases everyday.
Are there any lessons from your first role in the industry which you still draw on?
Trustap was my first formal role in the industry, so I’m still learning every single day! Because payments is such a complex space, I realised early on that I couldn’t know everything myself.
From the beginning, I’ve focused on building an incredible network of mentors and peers. They have taught me so much, and their guidance and inspiration have been invaluable.
When was your first big break in the industry? Why was this such a significant moment for you?
While there have been bigger financial milestones since, a key breakthrough was when our first customer got fully set up and started processing payments through our platform. Seeing real money move securely, through a platform we built from scratch, was such a proud moment and validated what we were building and gave us momentum to keep pushing forward.
Was there a moment you faced in the industry which really challenged you? How did you overcome this?
The biggest challenge has been bridging the gap between what merchants expect and how the payments industry actually operates. Business owners and merchants understandably expect payments to just work, but behind every transaction there’s a complex ecosystem of processors, banks, networks, compliance requirements, and risk controls.
When issues arose, I realised it was crucial to simplify that complexity and manage expectations while finding solutions. We overcame this by prioritising radical transparency: keeping communication open while we handle the heavy lifting in the background.
What are some of the skills you deem essential to starting in your industry and how have yours developed over the years?
The single most essential skill is problem-solving.
Payments is a complex industry with a lot of moving parts, so being able to quickly grasp deep technical concepts and then translate them clearly to merchants and partners is essential. Over the years, I’ve become much better at simplifying complex issues, managing diverse stakeholder expectations.
Beyond the technical stuff, my focus has also expanded to deeply understand the broader commercial and operational dynamics that drive the entire industry.
Who was your biggest role model – inside or outside of your industry – who continues to inspire you in your current career?
I’ve always admired people who can take complex problems and make them simple for customers. Nik Storonsky from Revolut immediately stands out.
He looked at a fragmented, bureaucratic financial ecosystem and re-engineered it into a simple user experience. That’s exactly the kind of impact that continues to inspire my own career.
If you didn’t work in the industry, what other career option would you have pursued or would have loved to
I would have pursued a different entrepreneurial endeavor but I would be surprised if I didn’t end up in payments eventually!
Look closely at the market today, and you’ll find countless companies that don’t look like payment companies from the outside, but actually drive most of their revenue from transactions.
I would have found my way here sooner or later.
Lastly, what is some advice you would give to an aspiring person looking to get a start in your respective industry?
Stay curious and don’t be intimidated by the complexity of the industry. Payments can seem overwhelming at first, but if you focus on understanding how money moves and always keep the customer experience in mind, you’ll learn quickly.
The people who thrive are those who aren’t afraid to ask questions, who focus on building genuine relationships and who are excited to keep learning as the technology evolves
