“get stuff done faster: why engineers should work with the ‘dark side’ of tech”
TRANSCRIPT
Get Stuff Done Faster:Why Engineers Should Work with the ‘Dark Side’ of Tech
Justin RiservatoDirector, Program Management
Welcome!
- What is Gilt? - How teams are formed at Gilt- The role of ingredients in teams- Let’s hear from the experts
What is Gilt?
adjective● covered thinly with gold
leaf or gold paint
noun● a young pig
What is Gilt?
● Gilt (www.gilt.com) is an e-commerce company focused on flash sales. We provide insider access to top designers at up to 60% off, in sales typically lasting 72 hours.
● We’re also one of the top tech companies in NYC!
● Check out tech.gilt.com to learn more about us!
It’s important to understand “Why” before figuring out
“What”
How We Work @ GILT
Strategy: Big Areas of Focus
Initiatives: What are we doing / not doing?
KPIs: Answering WHY
Teams: Who do we need?
Ingredients: Qualities, Not Titles
Execution: Get Working!
You are more than your job title!
Product VisionaryDriving product vision and strategic innovation. Strong point of view.
PR and Relationship ManagerManaging the external view of the team. Communicates well both verbally and via email. Knows how to deliver an excellent presentation.
Product IdeatorThinking creatively and driving tactical innovation. Being the voice of the customer.
Visual DesignerCreates on-brand visual designs.
UXBuild wireframes, runs usability tests, designs user interactions.
CoderWrites feature and test code. Create queries and reports.
Product MarketerAnalyzes the market and competitive landscape, determines product/feature positioning so the customer clearly understands the benefit, figures out ways to drive traffic to the product or feature.
Business thinkerDriving KPI thinking. Understanding business mechanics. Sizing opportunities.
OrganizerDriving planning of work, running productive meetings, keeping the team focused on execution.
Engineering ArchitectHigh level system design. Managing technical debt. Building for the right amount of performance and scale. Providing technical leadership and mentorship.
Quality ManagerEnsuring the quality of releases. Making sure that the right amount of automation is built (unit tests).
MotivatorCreating a sense of urgency while ensuring a sustainable pace for the team.
Cruise DirectorMaking things fun. Creating a sense of team spirit.
AnalystDrives product instrumentation. Proposes tests (e.g. a/b tests). Analyzes data. Creates and tests hypotheses and uses these to influence product direction. Can clearly communicate what data means.
Technical OperatorDrives product instrumentation. Pays attention to production operational parameters (alerts, tuning, etc).
Cruise DirectorMaking things fun. Creating a sense of team spirit.
MotivatorCreating a sense of urgency while ensuring a sustainable pace for the team.
Business ThinkerDriving KPI thinking. Understanding business mechanics. Sizing opportunities.
The Secret Sauce
How many ingredients can you do well?
Great! But how many can you do well at the same time?
Maybe it’s time to bring in the specialists...
Team productivity increases when individual people focus on
what they do best.
Andrew ChenDirector of Product
My IngredientsPrimary:
Product Visionary
PR and Relationship Manager
Product Ideator
Business Thinker
Analyst
Secondary:
Product Marketer
Organizer
Motivator
Cruise Director
Key Skills - Andrew
- Sharp focus on KPIs and Vision- Understanding/communicating customer pain points- Data and metrics based decision making- Rallying/leading across disciplines
Susan Thomas Senior Business Systems Manager
My IngredientsPrimary:
Product Visionary
PR and Relationship Manager
Product Ideator
Business Thinker
Analyst
Motivator
Secondary:
Organizer
Cruise Director
My World
My Toolbox
● I am “Nancy Drew” ● Technical POV to Business● Business POV to Engineering ● Designing process solutions vs. tech
solutions
...while keeping focus on the KPI and overall company vision!
What’s the difference?
Internal vs. External
Systems & Process vs. Customer
Cost vs. Revenue
Myron Miller, PMP Senior Program Manager
My IngredientsPrimary:
PR and Relationship Manager
Organizer
Motivator
Cruise Director
Secondary:
Business Thinker
Quality Manager
Identifying Program Opportunities
Legacy Q3 Project 2
Legacy Q3 Project 1
Legacy Q3 Project 3
Stakeholder Maintenance Backlog
Red Hot
July August September
Legacy Q3 Project 4
Legacy Q3 Project - Canceled
Identifying Program OpportunitiesQ3 2014 Maintenance Completed vs. Red Hot Completed per Stakeholder
Q3 2014 Maintenance Backlog per Stakeholder
Implementing Tools
- Program Portfolio Management- Project Briefing Discovery- Input Channel Management Methodology- Enhanced Communication Channels
Q1 Program Rebaseline PlanRebaseline Maintenance Project 1
Red Hot
Rebaseline Project 1
January
Rebaseline Maintenance Project 2
February March
Results
- Happy Stakeholders!- Happy Engineers!- Transparency- Communication- Agile and Responsive
Things we believe:
Right work, right people
Let’s stretch!
And don’t forget