The Story (so far)
There’s the early years …
My parents immigrated to Canada in 1992, in order for me to have better opportunities, and my curiosity for technology began soon after our arrival, thanks to a home computer—a rarity back then. Trying my hand at games, and especially flight simulators from an early age helped me to hone my computer skills, but it was a friendly ninth-grade competition with a new neighbor (who's been a lifelong friend for over 25 years) that transformed my tech fascination into a career passion. After completing my post-secondary education in Computer Engineering Technology, I set off on adventure into the tech world in 2008.
There's more than code …
Starting as a Junior Software Developer and quickly working my way up to Technical Team Lead, I've collaborated with some exceptional talent. I learned quickly that software development is about more than clean and extensible code; it's a multifaceted, team-based effort with many nuances. Starting my career at a reputable professional services firm exposed me to wide array of different projects in quick succession, with various team structures, project management styles, and tech stacks. This diverse experience taught me how to be flexible, and how to learn and adapt quickly, while remaining methodical, organized, and principled.
There's more than software …
Transitioning to a Solutions Architect role illuminated the reality that software isn't built in a vacuum, and that there are complex relationship between technological needs and business drivers. I gained many valuable insights into considering business constraints while designing solutions. Like a composer, I learned to harmonize business and technology elements into something that was more than just software, but a holistic and viable solution to real-world problems.
There's more than product …
After spending over five years in professional services, I craved a more strategic, long-term role. In 2016, I joined a small SaaS company, initially as a Technical Solutions Architect. There, my scope of influence quickly expanded to focus on everything from improving product trials, to enhancing customer support, customer enablement, and developer experience. This comprehensive view of delivering an incredible customer experience was invaluable when I later moved to a large enterprise organization to focus on streamlining customer experiences across various business units and product lines.
There's more than revenue growth…
Studies corroborate that well informed customers are more likely to be satisfied and lead to greater recurring revenue. Achieving this goal can be more complex with enterprise software, where users and purchasers are often different people with different requirements and different incentives. Working with Customer Success and later as an Engagement Manager taught me the importance and skills needed for crafting effective learning paths, and creating engaging communication channels, and how effectively analyze product usage data to understand behavior and derive insights about knowledge gaps and functionality gaps. These skills would prove invaluable as I transitioned to Product Management, where I could influence these elements directly.
There's more than strategy & vision …
Today, as a Senior Product Manager of a cloud integration platform, I draw on my prior experiences to help shape the future of the business automation landscape. I remain committed to my mantra: act with passion, precision, and purpose and continue to focus on building automation tools that eliminate mundane and redundant tasks across various industries.
There's the open road ahead …
My professional journey has taken me through some diverse settings—from startups to large corporations—sharpened my skills and given me an incredible perspective on what it takes to truly generate value for oneself and for others. As I look back, I see that people and technology have always been my passion, and as I look forward; I will continue to stand at that junction where they meet and connect. I believe we all have unique insights to offer, and I'm grateful to the mentors who have guided me along my path. In me, you'll find not just a seasoned technologist but also someone who’s willing to share their experience, a transparent communicator, and a lifelong student of the world.
So, here's to living in interesting times, and to the unfolding journey ahead. May it be filled with invigorating challenges, elevating opportunities, and memorable moments that remind us why we embarked on this path in the first place.
Cheers.