Intuit revolutionized the landscape of Fintech (Financial Technology) mobility, fundamentally transforming how businesses track and manage their finances. At the forefront of this innovation stands Pranay Airan, a seasoned technologist with 14 years of experience. His long-held passion for technology and software development has shaped many groundbreaking advancements in Fintech, resulting in multiple patents that solved critical challenges in mobile technology.
One of Airan's most significant accomplishments is his work on mileage tracking, the process of logging distances driven for tax deduction or reimbursement purposes. Mileage tracking is vital for small businesses, freelancers, and self-employed individuals to accurately track business-related travel so they not only save time but also adhere to tax regulations.
The Beginnings of a Stellar Career
After graduating from college, Airan started out as a research engineer at Siemens, where he discovered a new career trajectory. "A pivotal moment in my career was during my tenure at Siemens. Working on interfacing home automation systems with mobile devices showed me the transformative potential of mobile technology in everyday life. This experience solidified my decision to focus on mobile app development," Airan explains.
This change in focus led Airan to a new role at the business software company Intuit. Over the next eight years, he worked on various Fintech and small business mobile products, including TurboTax, QuickBooks Self-Employed (QBSE), and QuickBooks Mobile.
A Pivotal Invention
While at Intuit, Airan served as a co-inventor of the Battery Efficient Automatic Mileage Tracking patent, which targeted the problem of accurate, automatic mileage tracking without draining the battery. This was a common complaint among consumers who needed accurate business data for tax deductions or reimbursement purposes.
Correctly logging business-related travel by small businesses, freelancers, and self-employed professionals is essential for tax regulations and compliance issues. Fintech apps like QBSE are valuable tools for automating mileage tracking for work and streamlining tax reporting. This eliminates the need to keep logs in physical notebooks and/or spreadsheets and the possibility of losing paperwork. Inaccurate reporting and missing deductions cause financial losses for freelancers, small businesses, and the self-employed.
The QBSE app aims to eliminate paperwork dependency, with the mileage tracker being one of its key features. However, battery drain was a significant limitation of GPS-based tracking applications. The problem Airan and his team faced was that traditional GPS-based mileage apps depleted batteries very quickly, making them difficult to depend on, especially for long-term use. Many consumers stopped using the apps because of this issue, which worked counter to the purpose of the QuickBooks Self-Employed app. Additionally, many small businesses, freelancers, and self-employed professionals in emerging markets might have connectivity issues that need to be addressed and require solutions that work across platforms such as Android and iOS.
As the lead inventor of this patented platform, Airan created intelligent algorithms to optimize GPS usage. He also conceptualized and developed the technology at the core of the tracking feature in the QuickBooks Self-Employed app. These algorithms incorporated accelerometer data, which differentiates whether the user is walking or driving to enhance accuracy based on movement patterns.
The app also uses geofencing to detect changes in location without constantly using GPS so as to minimize the device's battery drain. This smart trip detection identifies the start and finish of any journey.
Airan's invention allows for accurate mileage tracking for self-employed people, freelancers, and small businesses without completely draining the battery. After implementing the changes, battery consumption was reduced by about 40% while providing accurate, automatic mileage tracking.
Airan also worked with the iOS teams to ensure consistent platform functionality and a more intuitive app for those with limited technical expertise. The solution was implemented on Android successfully in a global market, including the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada.
Once integrated into the QBSE app, Airan's product offered a far superior mileage tracking solution than all its competitors and increased customer satisfaction. Subscribers significantly increased from 85,000 in 2016 to an estimated 4.1 million by 2024, and revenue grew eightfold from $100 million in 2016 to approximately $800 million in 2024. The industry responded to this accomplishment by showcasing the development on the Android Developers blog. The feature highlighted the innovative use of Google's Activity Recognition API.
Airan's innovation set a new industry standard for battery efficiency, influencing best practices in mobile app development. In 2016, he received the Scott Cook Innovation Award for significantly contributing to battery efficiency for his mileage tracker. Only five winners were selected from hundreds of Intuit projects, heralding it as one of the best solutions for small businesses and contractors.
Revolutionizing Mobile Technology
Setting new benchmarks for battery efficiency in GPS-based apps stands as one of Airan's most outstanding achievements, fundamentally influencing best practices in mobile development. His work spans two transformative projects that showcase this commitment to excellence.
Under Airan's leadership, the development of revolutionary GPS optimization algorithms achieved a remarkable 40% reduction in battery consumption. His innovation drove exponential growth in QBSE, significantly expanding the user base and contributing to an increase in revenue between 2016 and 2024. Additionally, he spearheaded the development of groundbreaking solutions for emerging markets grappling with connectivity challenges. His team created sophisticated algorithms that incorporated accelerometer data, enhancing tracking accuracy across different movement patterns. The implementation of innovative geofencing technology revolutionized location-tracking capabilities. These solutions were successfully deployed across major global markets, including the U.S., UK, Australia, and Canada, earning recognition from Tech Crunch as one of the most effective solutions for small businesses and contractors.
The impact of Airan's innovations extends far beyond technical achievements. His inventions and patents demonstrate an unwavering commitment to making technology accessible to everyone while maximizing its impact on small businesses, freelancers, and self-employed professionals. By placing the user at the center of his designs, Airan consistently bridges gaps in accessibility and usability through his technical expertise.
Looking ahead, Airan continues to push boundaries in mobile app development, particularly in integrating emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning to enhance user experiences. His dedication to contributing to open-source projects and influencing industry best practices reflects his broader vision for the future of technology.
