Clinton Schroeder
Clinton Schroeder
Co-Founder, CEO
Before co-founding TOKN in 2016 and working to implement large scale Enterprise Systems, Clinton’s career began as an industrial engineer in the motor industry. He still focuses on continuous business improvement, using technology as a tool to that end.
What experiences have influenced your thinking and career?
I have worked around the world on large scale Enterprise Systems Implementations and seen firsthand the benefits and limitations that current technology brings to the business process. Originally, organisations focused more on the system and not the user, so we set about creating a better user experience through mobility.
Tell us about your earliest or strongest memories of innovating?
I’m actually not that good at coding, I tend to focus on the problem and then get the help I need to solve it. Sometimes that means removing complexity. It’s easy to build a solution that you think might work, rather than one that will work. I find it fascinating to work with the business to understand the problems and then translate that into solutions. “The part that I find most rewarding about my job is getting the chance to create something new every day. There are challenges all over the place, and some things might work and others not, but that’s what drives me.”
Whom do you admire or aspire to be like (and why)?
I think I admire the approach of David Attenborough. His domain of experience is incredible, because he observes the reality of the subject, and thereby forms a complete, mesmerizing and unique view of it. I think we can all learn from this approach.
What is something that you couldn’t live without?
Apple Pay, I love the simplicity of this and the practicality, I use it everyday.
What are you best known for at TOKN (even your party trick)?
I would say I’m the chef, I like to put the recipe together, including the technology, design, people and process to create something new. Sometimes this might mean simplifying or changing something.
What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime?
I think so far the rise of Apple. There is a difference between innovation and invention, Apple really did not create anything new, but they innovate amazingly. They also have some of the best business process, driven by the very limited simple product range.
How do you define success?
Such a big question, in terms of innovation if someone uses your product, enjoys using it and keeps using it. In terms of life, I think if you are doing something you enjoy without wasting your time on others, but it’s harder than it sounds.
If I had the power to instantly change one thing about the world, it would be…
Greed, I would like to be able to control greed. I think this causes poor decision making and leads to so much anguish in the world today. “The most enjoyable way to spend my spare time is with family and exercise. That, and my meditation time, I can line up my thoughts and I tend to come up with new ideas.”