When I joined iggli as Product Manager there was the beginnings of a team and an initiative but no product. We saw an opportunity in the emerging widgetized social world to create an invite service for live events that helps promoters market. In just over one year we not only built a product that already has tens-of-thousands of users but have landed deals with major record labels, the second largest event promoter in the country among others, one of the largest secondary market ticket sellers, and the NBA with other major sports leagues in the cue.
Accomplishing what we have with a team of less than ten people in a recession economy has required razor precision in prioritization and resource management. We have had to be creative with everything from infrastructure to outreach. My role has demanded a wide balance of skills from technical to interpersonal. In order to move quickly I focused on quick iteration, feedback, and prototyping with an emphasis on usability testing and partner engagement as early as possible. Our release cycles were short and aggressive and we tried to monitor usage any way we could to identify ways to improve both the experience and the conversion rates.
As Senior Software Engineer at Centerstone Technologies I managed the development of an international B2B eCommerce Solution, and was an integral driver for improved user interface and redefined order flow to increase adoption, usability and efficiency. I helped to implement agile development methodologies that allowed the technical team to be more flexible and to allow for better feedback into the development organization and visibility out to senior management.
As Manager of Marketing Technology for CSG Systems I directed the marketing technology needs for a global telecom company. I implemented many of the marketing strategies for CSG Systems. The role required communication with a number of groups across the company and the coordination of dynamic teams of vendors and internal members. I also played a key role in converting product demonstrations from purely technical pitches to presentations that tell a story in a compelling way. Our team created a portable environment for sales presentations that could be rolled back and virtualized that was highly praised in the organization for ease of use and portability.
I have learned many lessons when it comes to building technology that users have the option to choose. Most of all, I have learned that simply offering features does not create usage. Creating collaborative environments online requires building uses that compliment one another. A well-defined plan and a clear focus should motivate the development of all tools. A lack of focus can lead to wasted resources, poor usability and a community lacking cohesion. I have a great deal of experience in highly scalable and interactive applications that I hope will be an asset to your team.
