Top 10 Pioneering CEOs to Follow in 2023

Dieter Marlovics: A Seasoned Technology Entrepreneur Breaking Barriers and Fueling Innovation

Top 10 Pioneering CEOs to Follow in 2023

In the fast-paced world of technology, Dieter Marlovics stands out as a force to be reckoned with. As the Chief Executive Officer at RoboSig, he has proven time and again his remarkable ability to transform visionary ideas into successful realities. With a knack for funding, building, and leading exceptional teams, Dieter has become a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for innovation.

Driven by an unyielding passion for innovation, Dieter launched ReallyColor, LLC in 2015 and is currently CEO of RoboSig, Inc. With the launch of ReallyColor, LLC, he provided seed funding for a revolutionary patented technology that allowed individuals to transform their personal photos into coloring pages and custom coloring books. The success of ReallyColor was further validated through partnerships with retail giants such as Toys “R” Us, BJ’s Wholesale, and Sam’s Club, where their gift cards were made available to a wide in-store audience.

Today, Dieter Marlovics continues to leave an indelible mark on the technology landscape. His unwavering commitment to fostering innovation, coupled with his remarkable track record, has solidified his status as a true industry trailblazer. As he forges ahead on his entrepreneurial journey, one thing remains certain: Dieter Marlovics is a name to watch out for in the world of technology and beyond.

Pioneering Autonomous FX Trading Strategies

Since 2016, RoboSig has developed and delivered FX trading strategies and a cash management alternative with consistently superior returns and low risk. The company’s thesis is that the global monetary system acts like a giant rubber band ball, where stretched pieces will always end up being pulled back at least partially. The autonomous RoboSig FX Trading Strategy finds anomalies within these “rubber bands” which allow the global economic engine to function. The company calls this monetization process “stability mining.”

RoboSig is currently in an aggressive growth phase, having raised capital in 2022 and allocated it onto its own product. The RoboSig FX strategy is available to qualified investors worldwide through a partnership with Arb Asset Management and Arb Fund Management. Investments are possible for qualified participants anywhere in the world via the Arb RoboSig Alpha Gen Fund or a Separately Managed Account. All RoboSig team members have also personally invested. Dieter states, “Our dream team includes Richard Preschern, who is Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer; YixinXie, our Head of Quantitative Engineering and Software Development; Chun “James” Kan, our Head of Trading Operations.”

RoboSig’s future involves increasing capital allocation onto its flagship product via fiduciary partners, and focusing on R&D. The proprietary AI supported software autonomously makes decisions using reliable price data. It operates with a moderate trading frequency of about a do zen trades per day and holds positions for approximately a week. The next step in the company’s intellectual property evolution will be enabling the AI to adapt its parameters and learn autonomously through real-time inline machine learning. RoboSig sees potential for its trading strategy to expand into other mature asset classes be yond just FX, although substantial R&D efforts are required to optimize this. It represents an important aspect of RoboSig’s next few chapters.

A Tale of Creativity and Business Ventures

Dieter has always had a need for a creative outlet in his life, occasionally resulting in song writing. He has written several songs over the years, with a few of them recorded and released. His first official single, “Really Try,” gained digital sales in numerous countries and received airplay on internet radio. He also collaborated with his cousin, the talented guitarist Eric Fiklocki (aka Eric Dominik), on a couple of tracks. Dieter’s favorite collaborations with Eric are “Wonderful Tomorrow” and “Do It, ” available on various digital platforms such as Apple iTunes and Spotify. “Do It ” was released under their band name O.I.S., while “Wonderful Tomorrow” was released under their own names.

Beyond music, Eric is also a successful entrepreneur. His latest venture, TechSquads.com, based in Miami, is gaining significant momentum. The company offers temporary mid-term talent for startups at different growth stages, including product development teams in the US and Latin America, tailored to specific profiles and budgets. They also provide fractional C-level services, such as senior CEO, CFO, CTO, CIO, and COO roles, for companies in need of those positions.

From Entrepreneurial Beginnings to Valuable Life Lessons and Personal Growth

Dieter, starting his first business at 14, believes that creating products and services driven by ‘need,’ rather than a desire to excel, yields the best results. While pursuing ambitious ideas simply for the sake of each idea is certainly possible, it presents additional challenges. In the case of RoboSig, the company’s Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer, Richard Preschern, conceived a rudimentary version of the RoboSig strategy as a risk management tool and hedge for his market making endeavors throughout his decades long successful trading career in Chicago.

Dieter’s life has been de void of contempt towards any business, project, or job. While some didn’t align with his idealistic world view and others exposed him to toxic individuals, e very experience imparted valuable lessons. He learned the importance of not taking things personally and that working long hours doesn’t necessarily equate to hard work. Confronting corporate bullies became a skill he acquired, along with the art of salesmanship and commanding a room. At the age of 14, he grasped the concept of cost reduction through bulk inventory purchases. With maturity, he gained a deeper understanding of honor in challenging situations and the significance of inspiring others as a leader rather than relying solely on authority. Dieter also experienced the profound impact of positively transforming someone’s financial life and how it creates a ripple effect on future generations. Lastly, he came to experience the desolation of hitting rock bottom and the solitude that accompanies success at the pinnacle.

Coloring Memories

ReallyColor, also a Chicago-based business, has been thriving since 2015. The company developed patented technology that transforms photos into coloring pages and custom coloring books (U.S. Pat. 9,569,857 9,602,835). While providing wholesome fun for children, it also serves as a unique way to share memories and is an effective marketing tool. The company’s primary users are parents, individuals seeking distinctive gifts bridging the virtual and physical worlds, and businesses utilizing ReallyColor technology for their marketing and fundraising projects. Notably, ReallyColor Gift Cards have been sold in prominent retail brands like Toys “R” Us, BJ’s Wholesale, and Sam’s Club, thanks to the exceptional efforts of the company’s Sales Director, Keely Conrey.

The inception of ReallyColor traces back to a Friday night pizza party in 2012. Dieter’s eldest daughter, then four years old, mischievously scattered art supplies on the floor to provoke him, knowing he was a neat freak. As she playfully pretended to draw on various surfaces, Dieter intervened when she reached for the wall. He took a picture of the wall, printed it out, and encouraged her to color on the paper instead. This sparked the idea of enabling children to color real objects rather than relying solely on fictional cartoon characters.

The primary challenge for any consumer-focused business is marketing effectively on a limited or non-existent budget. In the early days, ReallyColor had the advantage of building on an idea that sold itself. When Dieter shared the concept of turning photos into coloring pages, people’s eyes would light up with excitement due to its novelty at that time. This greatly facilitated word-ofmouth marketing. The largest revenue generator for ReallyColor is their custom coloring books, which add unique fun to parties, weddings, and family gatherings. Additionally, large businesses such as hotels, resorts, camps, real estate developers or brokers, and small mom and pop shops utilize ReallyColor coloring books as effective marketing tools. Placing a coloring book on a kitchen counter or coffee table ensures prolonged exposure and subtle awareness marketing while also inviting the opportunity to physically interact with it. Its impact is long-lasting and highly effective.

The Power of Collaboration

According to Dieter, being a creative and collaborative individual is crucial for entrepreneurial success. In his experience, intelligence often correlates with the ability to listen effectively. He values a combination of assertiveness and humble curiosity, which prompts the question, “What makes the most sense?” Being open to changing one’s mind when confronted with differing opinions or solid evidence is essential. Dieter believes there is no shame in admitting one’s mistakes, regardless of their position, and there is also no shame in respectfully disagreeing with others, even if they hold a superior position. He highlights the power of intelligent and well-prepared conversations in facilitating the most effective decision-making processes.

Lessons Learned and Shared

Writing has always been one of Dieter’s cherished creative outlets. With the passage of time, he has gained wisdom through numerous experiences, including making mistakes, being proven wrong, feeling embarrassed, receiving undeserved praise, and facing justified criticism. As the signs of aging become apparent, a sense of perspective regarding the world emerges. Dieter believes that negative experiences often teach more valuable lessons than successes do. He has learned not to be overly distraught when things go awry and not to get excessively excited when they go well since the next failure or success is always on the horizon. The key is to persevere, even when forced to take a step back, and to fight fiercely to take a step and a half forward. This mindset ensures progress in the right direction. When he witnesses others going through situations he has encountered or finding themselves in a specific phase he has experienced, his inspiration to write stems from a desire to assist and support them.

However, Dieter has also learned from raising children that simply sharing one’s knowledge is not sufficient to help others. Each person needs to go through their own unique experiences and learn in their own way. Nevertheless, he believes in being there to offer guidance when sought, to provide a trusted shoulder to lean on or cry on, and to emanate supportive energy that empowers individuals to have the courage to make their own mistakes. The greatest lesson is to help someone develop an innate understanding that when something truly distressing occurs, it will be okay because the next success is just around the corner, as long as they wholeheartedly give their best effort.

Navigating the AI Renaissance

AI is a powerful took reshaping decision-making and creating new careers. Dieter’s opinion is that the world is in the very nascent stages of an AI renaissance period similar to what occurred in 15th and 16th century Europe. He believes AI frees up time for all of us by fulfilling remedial tasks more efficiently and, in some cases, better than any living person could. More available time means more available cycles to think, dream, go inwards a bit, and be creative. When human beings are not survival-only focused and not primarily living fear-based lives, Dieter says “It is amazing how the reciprocities amongst each other are able to truly thrive. However, AI cannot innately and genuinely contain human qualities like emotions and ethical decisionmaking. The human experience is what shapes our understanding of honor and ethics, so the machine perspective’s impact remains uncertain.”

Dieter believes that successful automation, both in the present and the foreseeable future, favors “autopilot” rather than complete autonomy. In the case of the RoboSig FX Strategy, it trades autonomously, but a dedicated team monitors every trade and is prepared to intervene in case of emergencies. This approach is essential in the financial world, where capital preservation is of utmost importance.

Building a Strong Foundation

As an entrepreneur and leader, Dieter strongly believes that a sense of entitlement should never exist. He recognizes that entrepreneurship is a continuous grind, often involving the execution of multiple plans without knowing which ones will succeed. For Dieter, it is crucial to have teams composed of true creatives who are willing to work alongside him in the trenches. Belief in the shared vision, loyalty, and trust is paramount, and this mutual loyalty and trust should flow in both directions. Leaders must be as loyal and trustworthy to their teams as the teams are to them. Open and honest communication, especially behind closed doors, is vital for a healthy leader-team relationship. If this is lacking, Dieter believes that necessary changes must be made because dysfunctional teams are ticking time bombs.

Additionally, Dieter emphasizes the importance of respecting each other’s time. This applies to all aspects of doing business, and it should be a mutual understanding. Punctuality, consideration for everyone’s personal lives, and the common courtesy of promptly communicating decisions, even if they are negative, are essential. Furthermore, he advises against scheduling unnecessary meetings or calls when an email or text message would suffice. Dieter recognizes that in the current landscape of remote and virtual work, multitasking is common. When a meeting or call is scheduled, it requires everyone involved to halt other tasks and give their undivided attention to the conversation. While meetings can be valuable, Dieter suggests ensuring they are genuinely necessary before organizing them.

The Art of Building an Effective Team

According to Dieter, he believes that an effective team requires chemistry, which can be achieved by selecting individuals with the right personalities for the roles that need to be filled. This process may involve making a few adjustments and some trial and error. Once a team is assembled, it is essential for all members to know each other, spend time relying on one another to solve challenging problems, share concerns, and be excited about common goals.

As a leader, Dieter’s role is to clearly illustrate the entire picture to the team and lead by example. If the team is making sacrifices, he believes that he should also make sacrifices alongside them. It is crucial for the entire team to witness and recognize this shared commitment. When the team faces worries or challenges, the leader should acknowledge and share those concerns, but serve as a source of strength, pushing everyone forward. And when it’s time to celebrate achievements, the leader should celebrate together with the team, giving credit where it is due.

Dieter acknowledges that creating a successful team is more of an art than a science. However, when all the elements align, there is a certain magic that occurs where things begin to thrive and take on a positive momentum of their own. While this experience may not occur each time, when it does, he calls it an “awesome experience.”

Words of Wisdom

Dieter has valuable advice for aspiring technology entrepreneurs embarking on their own journeys. He emphasizes that as an entrepreneur, you must be prepared to tackle and solve your own problems. There is no predefined formula, and no one will hand you success on a silver platter. Dieter likens the entrepreneurial path to that of a professional athlete. While it’s possible to achieve great success, it rarely happens without significant sacrifices and challenges. If you truly desire to be an entrepreneur, be prepared to discover the true limits of your inner strength and endure some very unsettling nights. If the idea of overcoming setbacks and persevering through uncertainty excites you, then you might be ready to take the plunge.

Dieter advises taking it one step at a time and ensuring that you accomplish something, no matter how small, towards your goals every single day. This consistent progress, even via small incremental steps, is crucial for continued forward momentum. By staying focused and consistently taking action, you never stop advancing towards your aspirations.