The Fetch Blog

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Tag: startups

Coffee talk: Payal Kadakia, CEO of ClassPass and artistic director — October 19, 2015

Coffee talk: Payal Kadakia, CEO of ClassPass and artistic director

/Krista Gray

If you follow Payal Kadakia, the co-founder and CEO of breakout fitness startup ClassPass, on Twitter, you’ve likely been inspired by her work and the powerful quotes she posts regularly. Blown away by her fast-growing company, dedication to her dream, and unbelievable passion for dance, we talked with Payal about how she made the leap to build her business — without a Plan B. 

How did you get to where you are today?

I have to credit dancing for being a huge factor in my success. Not only did my passion for it drive the business idea for ClassPass, but always having to rehearse my whole life for performances taught me a lot about dedication and ability to change, which is very much ingrained in my work ethic to this day.   

When did you realize that you could turn your love of dance and fitness classes into a business?

My love from dance has been a constant journey in my life from the time I was three years old, to starting an Indian Dance troupe at MIT, and eventually founding my own dance company — it has given me the confidence I needed in myself to realize that I should go after the things I’m most passionate about.  

Payal Kadakia, creative director and dancer

As it relates to ClassPass, I was looking to take a ballet class after work — after hours of searching on the internet only to be left discouraged, I realized that there was a pain point in finding classes and wanted to help remove the friction that often times gets in the way of people doing the things they love. ClassPass is the latest chapter in my journey as I aim to help people find in their lives what dance has always been to me.    

What was the first step you took toward making the idea a reality?

Quitting my job without a Plan B! It can be a scary first step but the moment you put what’s important to you first so many doors can start to open.

We’re inspired by your abilities to be both incredibly creative and business focused. Do you find any similarities in the way you work as an artistic director and as a CEO/founder?

Absolutely! In fact, this is something I actually feel strongly about. So often we have made such a huge separation and distinction between being business oriented or being creative, but it’s not a matter of one or the other — I truly believe that it’s at the intersection of the two where really incredible things can happen.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned on your journey to date?

I’ve learned that it’s incredibly important to be true to yourself and lead in a way that is authentically you.  

It’s so easy to get caught up in living up to certain expectations of how you think you should be acting, but I’ve found more success by trusting my intuition and representing myself in a way that is uniquely my own.  

Who do you admire? Why?

Alvin Ailey and Mira Nair — they have both been such powerful influences in sharing their culture with the world through something they love to do.  

One of the best things about a ClassPass Flex membership is the ability to use it in a variety of cities. Which ClassPass studios and/or classes earn a spot on your list of favorites?

ClassPass Flex: unlimited, boutique fitness classes

I’m a big fan of Exhale and Flywheel in most cities, but part of the appeal for me is discovering brand new studios when I travel — so I always try to mix it up! I love just walking into new barre and dance studios wherever I go.

What activewear lines and gear do you love, rock, and recommend?

I’m a big fan of Outdoor Voices and Lululemon, especially their gym bags – and I just got a pair of really awesome Nike shoes that I love. I also love sporting studio-branded gear. I always find myself shopping right after class.

ClassPass has officially announced plans to launch in the land down under. Why Sydney and Melbourne?

There is already such a vibrant fitness culture in Australia, especially as it relates to boutique fitness, so it seemed like an obvious choice as we continue to think through our expansion globally.  It’s exciting that we’ve already partnered with over 250 studios there, and we’re excited to engage with members and studios alike in Sydney and Melbourne.

What events or meet-ups do you regularly attend in NYC? 

I went through Techstars when I launched Classtivity, the first iteration of ClassPass, and it was such a valuable experience that I learned a tremendous amount from. I’m still active with Techstars and attend many of their ongoing events, as it’s been an important network for me. 

Last, how do you like your coffee?

I actually drink tea! I start my day with a giant green tea, my favorite is the Jade Citrus Mint from Starbucks. I sometimes brew my own tea (Kusmi tea!) in the office in the morning as well.

Coffee talk: Jordan Bishop, flight hacker and founder of Yore Oyster — October 12, 2015

Coffee talk: Jordan Bishop, flight hacker and founder of Yore Oyster

/Krista Gray

He turned a love of flight hacking into a successful business; he crowdfunded a wildly popular mystery product; and he recently launched a beautiful content site designed to share inspiring travelers and their stories. Today, we talk to Jordan Bishop about his personal journey and how he turns ideas and dreams into reality.

How did you get to where you are today?

I think it’s important to first define “where I am today”, which I think is a curious person who refuses to accept the rules and self-imposed limitations that govern most of society. With that in mind, to get to this point, I try to do everything backward first, and then only revert to the norm when its opposite has been proven wrong. I think it’s an effective, or at the very least, an interesting, way of living.

What was the hardest thing about leaving Toronto in pursuit of life as a digital nomad?

I think my undying love for Toronto is what made it so easy to leave. I grew up in a small town a few hours outside of Toronto, so seeing how quickly I fell in love with the city when I first moved there at the age of 19 gave me the confidence that I would have similar experiences in other places, too. A few months later I moved to Manhattan on my own, and since then I’ve lived in a couple of different cities each year all around the world.

Toronto, Jordan Bishop

It sounds crazy, but sometimes I miss the cold, and more specifically, the fresh feeling of cold air running through your nostrils on a wintry morning. And I miss a few people, but not as much as I thought I would. I’m pretty good at living in the moment, and I try to keep my relationships of the moment as well.

How does your routine vary while traveling? Do you have tips for staying healthy, productive and focused while moving around so much?

I try to keep my morning routine as stable as I can, since that sets the tone for the rest of my day. I start every day by making my bed, followed by 21 minutes of meditation, and then a high-protein breakfast. If I’m in a good writer’s groove, I’ll also write for as long as I can before eating breakfast. Eating makes me think differently and often distracts me from my first few clear thoughts of the day.

I don’t normally go to a gym since I’m often in a place for less than a month at a time, so instead I do bodyweight exercises to maintain good blood flow and athleticism. Push ups and sprint training are my two favorites — the two of them combined make for a good full-body workout that requires no equipment and challenges both endurance and explosive power.

You turned your love of flight hacking into a business by founding Yore Oyster, a company created to help travelers get the best flight deals. What’s been the most rewarding part of working on it so far?

Helping others to explore the world.

Rio de Janeiro by Jordan Bishop

It’s extremely rewarding to hear from clients, many of whom become friends, how life-changing their trips were. I get nostalgic every day when I send people to places I’ve been and loved.

You also just launched How I Travel, a brilliant site that focuses on sharing travelers’ stories. What do you hope people will get from it?

As humans, we’re hardwired to learn most effectively when information comes to us through a story, so the obvious solution to accelerate our own growth is to document and transmit as much information as possible through highly compelling stories. How I Travel is my answer for current and prospective travelers.

Jordan Bishop, Yore Oyster and How I Travel

Columbia, by Jordan Bishop

How I Travel is also designed to inspire people to get out and take the trips they’ve always wanted to take. Travel is a gift that benefits you for a lifetime, and I want everyone to discover it in the ways that I have.

A man of many ideas, you’ve even tried your hand at crowdfunding. With your unique campaign, you got more than 1,000 people to buy something before they knew what it was! What was the secret to drumming up buzz?

I read, write, and think a lot about human psychology, and at that time I was curious to see if any of my friends trusted me enough to buy something I had created before I told them what it was. I never intended for anyone but my closest friends to get involved — but when others did and strangers started trusting me, I realized something much larger was happening.

We are witnessing an early indicator of how trust is quickly becoming a new global currency.

Strangers trusted me not because I had “won” their trust, but because they knew that with the way information travels today, I couldn’t afford to breach their trust. The Internet is no longer the place where you can betray someone’s trust behind a veil and get away with it, but actually the opposite; somewhere reputation is easy to discover and matters more than anything else.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as you continue to push yourself out of your comfort zone and experiment with ideas? How have you applied it to your life and work?

I was at a really low point when a guy I know told me, “Blow kisses to the haters.” The more you achieve and the higher you rise, the more people are going to try and break you down out of jealousy, a lack of understanding, or a generally negative attitude toward life. It’s not easy, but I try my best to ruthlessly eliminate any negative people from my life.

You’ve obviously done your research when it comes to travel; which sites and social accounts do you look to for inspiration, reliable information, and trip-planning tools? Where can we find you online?

My flight hacking company Yore Oyster, which has saved hundreds of travelers tens of thousands of dollars in the past year. I also love the Mike & Jay Explore YouTube channel; they always manage to perfectly balance beautiful cinematography with unique travel insights. I have a list of my go-to travel resources on my site. And I’m a huge Airbnb fan. I’m going to do an Airbnb tour of Asia soon — there will be lots of pictures from that on my Instagram account.

Jordan Bishop, traveler

Which global events, meetups, and groups do you love and recommend?

I’m a part of hashtagnomads.com, which is hands-down the best way to meet other digital nomads (people living abroad and working online). It’s how I’ve made my closest friends over the past 12 months.

I’ve been trying to push myself way outside of my comfort zone, and that’s how I’ve met skateboarding buddies in São Paulo, philosophical adversaries in Chiang Mai, and lifelong friends in Cartagena.

I’m a big proponent of meeting friends of friends (discovered through Facebook) around the world, as well as meeting others spontaneously — wherever you are. 

Last, how do you like your coffee?

I don’t drink coffee! But I’ve never turned down a cold chocolate milk. 🙂

Going global: 10 places to find a startup job online — October 5, 2015

Going global: 10 places to find a startup job online

/Krista Gray/1 Comment

Have you wondered what it’s like to be a part of a small, early stage team? Do you work in the corporate world and find yourself craving a change? Do you love to work on interesting problems, and race to solve them before anyone else can? The booming global startup scene has exploded with opportunity for skilled workers everywhere.

We’ve already shared 20 sites for finding global, remote work and covered the best 15 places to find a startup job in London, so we thought it was time to put together a similarly styled list of resources for finding a startup job online. Good luck with your search!

1. Hired
Hired was built as a unique, two-sided marketplace designed to flip today’s recruiting model on its head — making the process less painful for everyone involved. The platform works by accepting highly qualified applicants and serving them up to companies (Eventbrite, Stripe) who can compete to make the individual an offer. Originally geared toward developers, Hired has expanded and now works with professionals across disciplines. Hired is also available to global workers who are searching for a startup job in the United States.

2. Angellist
Having grown tremendously in the last several years, Angellist is a powerful resource when searching for startup jobs around the world. Get a detailed look at each company with information about the objective, team, open roles and compensation. Completing a profile will allow companies to contact you first, giving you the ability to follow-up if there’s mutual interest.

3. The Muse
Not only a great career resource, The Muse also offers beautifully-designed job boards with many startup opportunities. Though The Muse counts open roles in more than 25 cities in North America, posted positions are US-based only.

4. Join-Startups
This smart site is helpful for job seekers in many major metros, including San Francisco, New York City, Paris, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Berlin. A simple search makes it easy to find available roles by location, many of which are pulled from Indeed.com (saving you from searching two separate sites). Join-Startups also sends a weekly email to those who subscribe and share specifics about their search.

5. Y Combinator Jobs
The Bay Area’s well-known accelerator posts startup jobs on the Y Combinator website, with listings for startups funded through the program. Join a growing company like BitCoin, Instacart, LeTote, or ZeroCater, among other impressive options. Y Combinator also lists open roles on TripleByte.

6. Dreamers // Doers Gigs
Female-focused (and members only) Dreamers // Doers serves up actionable information, presents networking opportunities, and has a Facebook group completely dedicated to jobs and gigs. The community counts bright founders, savvy entrepreneurs and leading executives among those seeking and sharing open roles.

7. Linkedin
Startups have fully embraced Linkedin, with recruiters using it to find top-notch candidates. Standout with a high-quality, professional photo and an updated profile tailored to a startup job search. To unlock the full power of the professional platform, consider upgrading your account to take advantage of search and communication tools.

8. Venture Loop
With more than 41,000 listed startup jobs, Venture Loop is definitely a site worth surfing. A straightforward search page makes it easy to find jobs by category, location, or distance. Use keywords to find specific employers.

9. Switch
The ‘swipe right’ trend introduced by Tinder has become useful for much more than finding a mate! Switch uses the brilliantly simple functionality to match potential employees and employers in a fun, mobile format — which makes it easy to look for jobs while waiting in line or commuting by bus or train. The Switch app, available on iOS only, is fully functional in multiple countries. 

10. Vettery
This marketplace (currently serving New York City) takes a thoughtful approach to job placement by taking the time to get to know each candidate before matching them with an opportunity. Listed employers include Blue Apron, Hinge, and Uber. New Yorkers take note: Vettery is currently offering a $2,000 bonus to job seekers who are successfully matched!

Bonus: startup research


Now that you’ve kicked off your search, these sites will help you understand which startups are doing well, who’s on the team, and anything else you should know before applying or continuing a conversation:

CrunchBase
The go-to source for all things startups, CrunchBase compiles and lists information about funding rounds, team members, and company insights.

Breakoutlist.com
Like CrunchBase, The Breakout List is a great place to get a list of fast-growing startups, helping you to identify those that are worth joining. The Breakout List is updated four times a year, ensuring that information is consistently current.

Have you successfully transitioned from a corporation to a startup? Know of another site or app for startup job seekers that we should share? Drop us a note in the comments!

A new, digital destination: the ultimate pop-up guide to Rome, Italy — September 15, 2015

A new, digital destination: the ultimate pop-up guide to Rome, Italy

/Krista Gray/1 Comment

Italy’s capital is a stunning place of age-old history and monuments that meet the eye with awe and wonder. Less obvious, perhaps, is the quickly growing ecosystem of technology and creative work. As one founder noted in 2012, the startup scene is “exploding faster than a tomato in Fruit Ninja.” Turns out these folks are putting out much more than some of the world’s best pasta plates. So what’s Rome’s digital life like? Here are some observations and learnings after an escape from the San Francisco startup scene to a summer of freelancing in the Eternal city.

The vibe

I’ll admit, the growing digital and tech scene feels a little bit secret as it can be easily lost among the tourist traps and obvious draws to the city. There are certainly cultural aspects that make Rome feel different than other well-known tech hubs like Silicon Valley. For example, Romans have much less trust in fin tech applications (many people don’t pay bills online or exchange money using technology) and little interest in on-demand apps or the gig economy. With the latter comes a bit of “old-school” thinking — and far less Uber rides.

Fiat 500s rule the road, a pop-up guide to Rome

Let’s just say that getting to work looks a bit different, with smartly-dressed professionals whizzing by on scooters and driving themselves in cute little cars like a Smart or the Fiat 500. Other things, like an engineer’s growing stomach (as a result of long hours at the office) seem to be universal. “The more tummy, the more skill”, I was told over a huge, late night pizza.

Education for future employees

A healthy mix of Italians, EU citizens, and expats help bring Rome’s digital scene to life, many of them young, talented and ambitious. Long admired for the sciences, Rome is home to many universities that provide a solid engineering education. La Sapienza, one of the world’s oldest public educational institutions, is highly regarded. Roma Tre and Tor Vergata, two other public universities, also graduate students who have meticulously studied for careers in internet related disciplines, like programming, privacy and security.

Luiss Business School, a pop-up guide to Rome. Photo by Luiss Business School

For marketing and entrepreneurship, Luiss Business School, Italy’s first MBA program, is a popular, private option. The school boasts a partnership with the Confindustria, making it a prime place to network and find a career-worthy, post-graduate position in Rome or other Italian cities. An excellent school, Luiss Business School is also a relatively inexpensive choice for an English-taught MBA when compared to similar US institutions.

Engineers and entrepreneurs who studied outside of Rome still have much reason to bring their business to Italy, as the country has recently provided a unique set of laws to encourage economic development.

Government initiatives and new laws

Italy introduced the startup visa in 2012. A result of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development’s agenda, the country’s startup laws were specifically designed to bring investment to promising, developing companies. While Milan is undoubtedly Italy’s technical capital, Rome’s central location, history, and proximity to diverse landscapes make it an ideal choice for a place to start up.

Rome city center, a pop-up guide to Rome. Photo by Krista Gray

Financially speaking, Italy’s new flexible labor law (which is applicable to a startup’s entire four year life cycle) has made it easy for startups to offer temporary contracts to employees, as well as issue performance-related pay — two things that vary from earlier law. Companies hiring ‘highly qualified’ employees without a time-sensitive contract (options range from 6-36 months) can take advantage of an outrageous 35% tax credit as reward. Talk about saving on salary! As far as stock and equity goes, startups in Italy are also able to offer external consultants stock options with ‘privileged tax treatment’ or the option to work for equity.

Foreign freelancers also have the possibility of living and working in Rome, with application available via a second visa. The freelance visa, known as a visto di lavoro autonomo, is a bit more difficult to get as it requires first obtaining a nulla osta in Italy. This tedious process involves meeting income requirements along with sharing a statement of work and a proven place to stay. However, it can be a good option for non-EU creatives or industry professionals who are dedicated to taking advantage of Rome’s growing digital scene.

Accelerators and investment

With government initiatives set to support new business and startups, Italy has become a valuable place for investors and accelerators. Not only do corporations, investors, and venture capitalists benefit from the second highest tax relief in the European Union, but Italy is the first country in the world to introduce special rules for equity crowdfunding. With such a specific set of regulations, many investors have taken to startups based in Rome.

Several accelerators cater to helping companies kick things into gear, including Luisse En Labs, which supports startup growth. Club Italia Investment is also known as a well-positioned ‘accelerator enhancer’, a newly modeled vehicle that helps supplement startups’ accelerator funding.

Startups

Rome is home to more than 150 startups, as noted on Angellist. Listed with an average valuation of 2.5 million, companies range in size from small founding teams to mid-size and larger. Much like in some of the designer offices that make the press from Silicon Valley, culture rules and perks keep employees happy.

The EUR District, a pop-up guide to Rome

Pi.campus is a solid example of what Italian startup life can look like, the office complex located in Rome’s bustling, green EUR district. Pi.Campus’ website shows an exclusive club dedicated to providing ‘the best work environment for talented people’ and counts top startups Filo, Chupamobile, and Wanderio as its inhabitants. Though not in residence at Pi.Campus, hot startups like Pathflow, LuxuryEstate, FaceSmash, Netlex, YepLike!, and UnFraud also call Rome home.

Coworking

Smaller companies, remote workers, freelancers and creatives who don’t have space in a place like Pi.campus have plenty of opportunities to co-work. While the list of spaces I put together isn’t as extensive as what some I’ve seen for New Zealand, Australia, London, or San Francisco, there’s no shortage of great places to get stuff done:

Cowo360 coworking space, a pop-up guide to Rome. Photo by Cowo360

  • Cowo360: A favorite coworking space in Rome. The location is visually stunning, with sleek, leather furniture and sophisticated artwork.
  • Impact Hub: Desks in a space dedicated to social interaction. Impact Hub is a great place to meet people and freely exchange ideas.
  • Spqwork: Customized spaces have access to Spqworks’ FabLab, which offers 3D printer use, among other perks.
  • Regus: A familiar name with worldwide locations, Regus offers office space and coworking rooms for startups, remote workers, and freelancers.
  • Let’s Make: A beautiful, creative space for programmers and makers.

Though Roman coffee shops are more of the standup bar variety, it’s not unusual to find folks with laptops in places like Romeow (which is also an impeccably decorated cat café!), La.Vi (bonus points for the roof deck) and Café Café (just steps from the Colosseo).

Romeow cat bistro, a pop-up guide to Rome. Photo by Romeow.

Community, events, and groups

Folks flock to Rome to see some of the world’s most impressive architecture and art exhibits, but those in digital disciplines will be pleasantly surprised at the smattering of community groups and events available in the city, too. From blogger nights to Instagram meet-ups, programming groups, and major conferences, Rome’s scene offers true variety. Here’s a handful of cool, upcoming events:

Though not specifically Roman, the Facebook group Italian Startups is a good place to connect with founders and employees in many cities, and currently counts more than 20,000 members. A second group, Italian Startup Events, caters specifically to happenings and counts 8,000 people (many Romans) as members.

Ready for Rome? Would love to hear your thoughts, questions or experiences in regard to the ancient city’s transition to a technical hub. Leave your notes in the comments!

Featured image illustration by Jen Reyn.

Coffee talk: Ellen Chisa, product person and adventurer — August 29, 2015

Coffee talk: Ellen Chisa, product person and adventurer

/Krista Gray

Ellen Chisa is never bored. Currently helping build a covert Boston-based startup after dropping out of Harvard Business School, she’s on a constant mission to learn more, expand her overlaps and live a life full of rich experiences. Here, she shares what she loves about working on product and how she connects the dots on her journey to date.

How did you get to where you are today?

People joke that my resume is funny because you can make it look very conventional or really wacky, depending on what you highlight.

I grew up in Michigan. I moved to Boston the first time to go to tiny, then-unaccredited Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. I took a year off to try to have a startup with five friends that didn’t work out. After graduation, I ended up in Seattle to work at Microsoft as a PM, then in NYC to work at Kickstarter. Along the way I also worked with the Awesome Foundation and the World Economic Forum Global Shapers. Last year, I moved back to Boston to start at Harvard Business School. I’m relieved to report that it’s a lot easier to move “back” somewhere than it is to move somewhere the first time.

The final step is that I just dropped out to be the first employee at Blade Travel.

From startups and business school to teaching and living life in different cities, you’ve truly expanded your overlaps. Which experience has pushed you the furthest outside of your comfort zone?

Definitely HBS. It was a huge shock. Somehow I knew it was going to be hard going in (I even wrote it down publicly!) and yet I was still surprised by how exhausted I was all the time.

I’m an introvert, but people often don’t realize because I do spend a lot of time with people. I’ve adapted rules to help me cope — I do most things 1:1, I do background research so I’ll feel comfortable, and I have go-to topics. HBS wasn’t conducive to those things – it was small talk on the fly with extreme extroverts.

Ellen Chisa

I’m glad I did it, but wow, that was hard.

Has your incredible variety of personal and professional experiences been spontaneous or carefully calculated? When you look back on the path you’ve taken so far, can you ‘connect the dots’?

I can connect them in reverse, but they definitely didn’t line up so nicely at the time. It’s fun to craft the story of how your career came to be.

For instance, not a ton of people know this, my manager at Microsoft threatened to fire me. It looks super logical that I combined my Microsoft skills & Awesome Foundation interest and found myself at Kickstarter. It also makes a nice story. The truth is, at the time it was much more fraught.

On the whole everything I do is about working with great people and learning new things so that I can make cool stuff.

Kickstarter offers an amazing discovery experience, which you helped create. What advice can you offer for building tools that people will find useful and love?

Talk to people!

It’s not about a quick survey or a “would you..?” it’s about deeper ethnography. When you first start making something, sit down with 10 people and talk to each of them for an hour. Learn all the weird things about how they think about your space. You’ll be amazed at the variation you get. After about 10 people, most of the things you hear overlap. It’s a great way to map a space quickly.

You can also do it casually. Since I’m working on travel, when I meet up with friends I ask about recent and upcoming trips. It’s fun to hear what they’re doing, and it’s covert product research! Win-win.

You left Kickstarter to attend Harvard Business School, which you recently left to work on a new startup project, Blade. Is there a difference in the way you approach your work now, as opposed to before your time at HBS?

Definitely. I see things through another lens. It used to be that I could see “does this fit with what I know of the user?” and “is this technically feasible?” when I was thinking about a Product. I now have a third angle, which is “could this viably make money? how much?”

It’s neat because I didn’t used to have any intuition for that. If I wanted to think about it, I had to explicitly plan. Now I have a better idea off the bat, and I can ask better questions to make sure I’m right.

It’s new, and I’m still surprised when those thoughts pop up. Every time it happens I’m like “who is saying that?” and then I realize it’s me.

Blade is a travel company. What interests you about the space and what you’re working on now?

Ellen Chisa, BladeOne piece of it is that I’ve always loved to travel. My family traveled growing up, and that’s definitely continued. It’s personally important to me. To give you an idea of how much I travel – I’ve been on 10 trips so far this year, ranging from three weeks in Indonesia and Cambodia to a day in NYC. It’s fun to work on something that’s such a big part of my life.

The other half is that I try to work on things that I think make the world better. I loved helping people build projects at Kickstarter because it was all about helping creators realize their vision. With travel, it’s about helping people have new experiences, get outside of their comfort zones, and build empathy. I want to live in a world with more of that. 🙂

What qualities and experience/s make someone a great product manager?

In terms of qualities, thoughtfulness! I’m always looking for why people made the choices they did – and how reflective they are about them.

There should have been a “why” in every decision, and there should also be a “this is how I’ll do the same thing next time” that incorporates learning.

For experiences, I think it’s just about making things over and over. Try a bunch of stuff, see what sticks. Don’t make only one type of thing – try woodworking, knitting, painting – any type of making will help you be better.

What do you enjoy most about working on product?

Everything. I love doing Product. I love getting to make things that will help make peoples’ lives better.

A big factor for why Product instead of Design or Engineering or Strategy is that I like getting to see the entire process of building from start to end. PM is one of the few roles that has a substantial part every step of the way.

Where can we find you in Boston?

On the Red Line somewhere between Davis and Fort Point. I actually prefer to be at home or in my office — I get a lot more work done if I’m in a consistent location. If I’m meeting people, I enjoy Drink for cocktails (and the grilled cheese!) or Crema for coffee.

Last, how do you like your coffee?

It varies. Sometimes different types of milk, never with sugar. Right now, I drink a lot of Grady’s cold brew (diluted with water, no milk) with my breakfast.

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