For the last dozen years, I have worked at the intersection of business and technology. I’m passionate about helping businesses run better and am particularly passionate about data. I like working on technology problems that are not yet defined and far from having clear answers; and I have a persistent “startup itch.” All of these factors are what drew me to Otonomo.
My career has taken me to tiny startups as well as top global technology brands. At AppsFlyer, I matured as a product management professional as my company grew from about 30 people to 300 in just over three years. At Facebook, I had an amazing learning experience in the B2C world. However, I decided that my heart was really in B2B. For my next adventure, I wanted to find a growing, dynamic company that could define a category and provide companies with a huge lever for becoming more successful.
On top of tackling an emerging market, Otonomo is unique in three ways.
- We’re taking one of the most tried-and-true industries—automotive—and are driving transformation. If I think about where the telecommunications industry was 20 years ago and where they are now, it’s de minimis compared to how automotive will change in the next 20 years.
- Connected car data opens up an incredible diversity of use cases. I’m working with people and companies who want to change how people live and move about.
- There’s a real drive within the company to build for huge scale. We’re dealing with truly massive quantities of car data, and we’re envisioning the future as we invest in a product that will grow to accommodate however many new use cases emerge.
These three unique qualities are what enticed me to join the team.
Since joining Otonomo as VP Product in September, I have seen first-hand what a great opportunity the company has to shape the future of automotive. No one today can definitely say what our industry will look like in five years. My work in this ecosystem at this particular point in time will have a significant impact – it’s both exciting and scary.
In the meantime, I have plenty of work to do. I’m focused on:
- Defining our vision for where we want to be in the next two years
- Working with our ecosystem partners to truly understand their needs and how data drives tremendous value for them
- Segmenting the diverse use cases we are seeing so that we can more easily support them
I think that laser focus on customer success is one of the most important qualities of product management. Not just focusing on making their company successful but also boosting the careers of the people in those companies who work with your products. In addition to being experts in their fields, product management also needs excellent leadership and communication skills. Getting things done means getting buy-in across the whole company on the product vision and keeping everyone focused on what’s important and what’s coming next.
And, by the way did I mention that Otonomo is hiring?
