Meet Ivan Dromin, CTO, Team Lead, and Product Owner at FF Group.

Meet Ivan Dromin, CTO, Team Lead, and Product Owner at FF Group.

Ivan plays a key role in shaping the technology behind our AI solutions. He focuses on transforming complex technical ideas into practical products, guiding teams through challenging problems, and ensuring that innovation stays aligned with real-world needs. His work brings together deep technical insight, strategic thinking, and a strong commitment to continuous improvement.

Read more about Ivan’s journey, his approach to problem-solving, and his vision for the future of technology below 👇

‍

What inspired you to join FF Group and work on AI-powered traffic solutions?

I was really inspired by the chance to bring to life ideas that once felt almost unrealistic. At FF Group, those ideas weren’t just understood but also supported from all sides. That gave me the motivation to turn bold concepts into real solutions, not only in AI-powered traffic projects and products but in other areas as well.

What’s one complex problem you’re currently working on or recently solved that makes you proud?

I often find myself working on complex challenges. Recently, what I’m most proud of is solving data processing problems and jumping into a whole new area for me – contributing to a new internal project. Together with my colleagues, I also worked through some IT infrastructure challenges, which turned out to be a really valuable experience.

How do you see FF Group’s tech shaping the future of traffic management and Smart Cities?

Right now, I’m most excited about something new we’re working on internally. It’s just a working concept, and only a small part of the ideas behind it has been shared so far. But for me, it already feels like the doorway to a whole new universe of products and challenges, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced since joining FF Group, and how did you overcome it?

My challenges at FF have been very diverse — almost impossible to compare, like trying to compare something long with something red 🙂. What stands out the most from the beginning is how quickly I had to adapt to an entirely new environment and responsibilities. From day one, I had to learn fast, think fast, and deliver fast — and that push helped me grow enormously.

What’s one thing you’ve learned in your career that you wish you knew earlier?

They say that “history doesn’t deal in what-ifs,” and I tend to agree. I don’t really see my journey at FF as a classic career path. And even if I had known earlier how to handle certain things differently, I’m not sure it would have changed much. Every challenge, mistake, and unexpected situation taught me something important and shaped the way I solve problems today. Would skipping those experiences have been better? Not necessarily.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I believe the best kind of rest is simply changing the type of activity. It doesn’t always have to be sun and beach. And the brain isn’t a muscle, so it doesn’t really need to “rest”; it just needs a different kind of load.Sometimes (though lately not as often as I’d like) that means sports: cycling, rollerblading, skiing. More often, it is doing something with my hands, like working with wood or metal or experimenting with 3D printing. It is useful, but also meditative. More rarely these days, I play guitar or a MIDI keyboard with Ableton. And from time to time, video games too.

What do you think is the most underrated skill in your industry today?

If only I knew, that is a billion-dollar question. But I do think that in our industry and related ones there will soon be a noticeable shortage of people with a strong physics and math background and with experience in mathematical modeling of physical processes. That is on the technical side.

On the management side, it is an even bigger question mark, especially with all the new technologies, methods, IT ecosystems, and the growing influence of LLMs. In that area, things are even less defined.

How do you stay focused, organized, or inspired when working on tough problems?

For me, it is simple: the problem, or its solution, has to be interesting. The real billion-dollar question is how to turn any problem into something interesting. I think I have mostly figured out how to do that, but only for myself. I cannot really give recommendations to anyone else.

What sparked your original interest in technology?

Oh… that probably goes way back to my childhood. I guess only a really good psychologist could untangle that knot 🙂.

Anything else?

I see myself as just one part of the FF team. What matters most to me is that my colleagues understand my work well, and they do. I fully trust them to decide what the world should know about us, just as they trust me when it comes to new technologies.

‍

‍