SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 36
Product Engineering Culture
Build, Learn, Scale Fast
October 2018
Anton Naumenko
Largest Online Consignment Store
● $130M+ Invested
● 1000+ Employees
● 5 Distribution Centers
Director of Engineering at thredUP
Co-founder & CTO at Syndicode
Ph.D. on Semantic Web
Senior Product Manager at thredUP
Product Lead at Google
Harvard Business School & Claremont McKenna College
Jenn Volk
The thredUp Ecosystem
THE THREDUP ECOSYSTEM
● Convenient Pre-Paid Bag
● Earn Cash or Donate
● Do Good
● Amazing prices
● Wide assortment
● Fresh selection everyday
THE THREDUP ECOSYSTEM
Marketplace growth challenge
re:made
re:made
thredUp Projects
THREDUP Project case
UPcycle program
Partnership platform
● Custom experience
● CashOut to partner credit
● 2 engineers
● 1 partner in 1 month
● 3 partners by 2018 end
THREDUP Project case
● 1 engineer operations team
● 2 engineers shopping team
● 1 month
THREDUP Project case
Automation for unique item distribution center
Proof-of-concept proto
● 1 engineer
● 1 vendor
● 4 months
Production ready
● 1 engineer
● 1 vendor
● 12 months
ThredUP Core Values
Engineering practices
CULTURE IN THREDUP
Core values
● SpeakUP
We all learn from those around us, but it’s hard to
learn if people are not willing to speakUP and
share what they have to say.
● Influence outcomes
How did you make an impact or a difference on
the slice of the world you were in at the time?
● Seek the truth
First principle thinking encourages continuous
innovation and creative problem-solving by
reducing bias and faulty reasoning.
● Infinite learning
Every day is an opportunity to learn, an
opportunity to teach and, just as importantly, an
opportunity to forget.
● Transparency
When we all know what’s up and what’s
happening, it’s a whole lot easier to make the best
decisions moving forward.
● Think Big
Imagine the world as it could be, not as it is.
CULTURE IN THREDUP
Engineering controversial decisions
● People vs. Process
● Generalist vs. Specialist
● Over communication vs. Communication overload
● Dynamic team vs. Hierarchy
● Tempo vs. Quality
People vs. Process
Engineering practices
PEOPLE VS. PROCESS
Waves of innovation
The Natural Advantage of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovations and Governance in the 21st Century
PEOPLE VS. PROCESS
Learn to love change
A startup is a temporary
organization in search of a scalable,
repeatable, profitable business model.
Steve Blank and Bob Dorf. The Startup Owner’s Manual, K&S Ranch, 2012
… organizations of the future will likely
be those that can move faster, adapt
more quickly, learn more rapidly ...
The organization of the future: Arriving now, Deloitte, 2017 Global Human Capital Trends
Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/human-capital-trends/2017/organization-of-the-future.html
PEOPLE VS. PROCESS
Processes squeeze talent
TALENTED
PEOPLE
REGULATIONS
PROCESSES
LESS
TALENTED
PEOPLE
Generalist vs. Specialist
Engineering practices
FRONTEND
BACKEND
FULL-STACK
GENERALIST VS. SPECIALIST
Full-stack software engineer
FRONTEND
BACKEND
FULL-STACK
GENERALIST VS. SPECIALIST
Full-cycle software engineer
FRONTEND
BACKEND
FULL-STACK
GENERALIST VS. SPECIALIST
Full-cycle product development
engineer
GENERALIST VS. SPECIALIST
Business-savvy Full-cycle product development
engineer?
THINK
LAUNCH
GROWREINVENT
EXIT
LIFE
CYCLE
● CAC
● LTV
● P&L
● Gross vs. net
● Margin expansion vs. revenue
growth
● Profit vs. revenue
● Valuation
Small teams with over communication
Engineering practices
SMALL ASYNC TEAMS WITH OVER COMMUNICATION
Over-communication vs. communication overload
70+ engineers
5 countries
7 time zones
Responsible
Accountable
Consulted
Informed
Engineering
Product Management
Operations
Creative
Marketing
Executive Team
Customer Service
Partner engineering teams
SMALL ASYNC TEAMS WITH OVER COMMUNICATION
Async vs. sync communication
70+ engineers
5 countries
7 time zones
● Unblock your work for tomorrow
today
● Set expectations upfront
● If blocked or unclear - execute your
power, make your own judgement,
just do it, you can fix it later
Dynamic teams vs. Hierarchy
Engineering practices
DYNAMIC TEAMS VS. HIERARCHY
Areas of Expertise vs. Areas of Responsibility
ENG PM
MARKETING
OPS CS
EXEC
CREATIVE
● Business KPIs define team structure
● No director - subordinate relations
● Cross-team communication
DYNAMIC TEAMS VS. HIERARCHY
Self-managed vs. Controlled
✗ Hierarchy
✗ Approval boards
✗ Accountability
✓ Lean team
✓ Fast decision making
✓ Pro-active ownership
Tempo vs. quality
Engineering practices
Tempo vs. Quality
Risk Driven Development vs. Plan and Execute
What’s the smallest thing we can do to test our riskiest assumption?
Entire engineering team builds,
learns, scales fast
One slow decision creates a
bullwhip effect in the organization
Tempo vs. Quality
Slow decisions create bullwhip effect
Tempo vs. Quality
Quick and dirty vs. clean and solid
We have scarce resources and many hypothesis to learn
● Embrace a willingness to fail and learn
● Come up with scrappy solutions to validate value hypothesis
● Consolidate towards growth hypothesis with more investment
Our Recipe
Engineering practices
OUR RECIPE
Engineering controversial decisions
● People vs. Process
● Generalist vs. Specialist
● Over communication vs. Communication overload
● Dynamic team vs. Hierarchy
● Tempo vs. Quality
FRONTEND
BACKEND
FULL-STACK
OUR RECIPE
Full-cycle product development
engineers in small teams with
tempo mindset
Anton Naumenko
Open positions
● Full stack engineers
● Senior ML engineers
● Senior DE engineers
https://www.thredup.com/p/careers
Director of Engineering at thredUP
Co-founder & CTO at Syndicode
Ph.D. on Semantic Web
Senior Product Manager at thredUP
Product Lead at Google
Harvard Business School & Claremont McKenna College
Jenn Volk
Jennifer volk, anton naumenko

More Related Content

What's hot

Prince2 itil agile what is best for me
Prince2 itil agile   what is best for mePrince2 itil agile   what is best for me
Prince2 itil agile what is best for me
Shoaib Ahmed
 
Sgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarma
Sgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarmaSgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarma
Sgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarma
India Scrum Enthusiasts Community
 

What's hot (20)

Build the decentralized team you ever dreamed of
Build the decentralized team you ever dreamed ofBuild the decentralized team you ever dreamed of
Build the decentralized team you ever dreamed of
 
Who says release planning is not agile - Vered Yeret at Agile Israel 2015
Who says release planning is not agile - Vered Yeret at Agile Israel 2015Who says release planning is not agile - Vered Yeret at Agile Israel 2015
Who says release planning is not agile - Vered Yeret at Agile Israel 2015
 
Agile Software Development with Remote Teams
Agile Software Development with Remote TeamsAgile Software Development with Remote Teams
Agile Software Development with Remote Teams
 
Onboarding developers and setting them up for success
Onboarding developers and setting them up for successOnboarding developers and setting them up for success
Onboarding developers and setting them up for success
 
Agile Architecture (Scrum + DevOps) by Milan Chheda
Agile Architecture (Scrum + DevOps) by Milan ChhedaAgile Architecture (Scrum + DevOps) by Milan Chheda
Agile Architecture (Scrum + DevOps) by Milan Chheda
 
An introduction to agile organisation
An introduction to agile organisation An introduction to agile organisation
An introduction to agile organisation
 
Agile is still dead :: Portugal - Brasil 2020 (Café com Rey)
Agile is still dead :: Portugal - Brasil 2020 (Café com Rey)Agile is still dead :: Portugal - Brasil 2020 (Café com Rey)
Agile is still dead :: Portugal - Brasil 2020 (Café com Rey)
 
CTO in a Small Startup Bryan Helmig - Zapier
CTO in a Small Startup  Bryan Helmig - ZapierCTO in a Small Startup  Bryan Helmig - Zapier
CTO in a Small Startup Bryan Helmig - Zapier
 
Demystifying the product black box
Demystifying the product black boxDemystifying the product black box
Demystifying the product black box
 
Lean Enterprise Transformation: The Journey Inside Large Organizations, Sonja...
Lean Enterprise Transformation: The Journey Inside Large Organizations, Sonja...Lean Enterprise Transformation: The Journey Inside Large Organizations, Sonja...
Lean Enterprise Transformation: The Journey Inside Large Organizations, Sonja...
 
From Technical Debt to Technical Health
From Technical Debt to Technical HealthFrom Technical Debt to Technical Health
From Technical Debt to Technical Health
 
Product Agility: 3 fundamentals from the trenches (Braga,PT)
Product Agility: 3 fundamentals from the trenches (Braga,PT)Product Agility: 3 fundamentals from the trenches (Braga,PT)
Product Agility: 3 fundamentals from the trenches (Braga,PT)
 
AO, the future of agile organisations the sap case #3
AO, the future of agile organisations   the sap case #3AO, the future of agile organisations   the sap case #3
AO, the future of agile organisations the sap case #3
 
Scrum Fails?
Scrum Fails?Scrum Fails?
Scrum Fails?
 
Prince2 itil agile what is best for me
Prince2 itil agile   what is best for mePrince2 itil agile   what is best for me
Prince2 itil agile what is best for me
 
Melbourne Dev Ops Talk 20140729 - Navigating the minefield: Implementing DevO...
Melbourne Dev Ops Talk 20140729 - Navigating the minefield: Implementing DevO...Melbourne Dev Ops Talk 20140729 - Navigating the minefield: Implementing DevO...
Melbourne Dev Ops Talk 20140729 - Navigating the minefield: Implementing DevO...
 
CTO for Startup
CTO for StartupCTO for Startup
CTO for Startup
 
Agile mindset not framework
Agile mindset not frameworkAgile mindset not framework
Agile mindset not framework
 
Sgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarma
Sgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarmaSgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarma
Sgin2013 scrum startrek-the joy of designing new age solutions-tathagatvarma
 
Having an Efficient Dev Team :: ISEP 2020
Having an Efficient Dev Team :: ISEP 2020Having an Efficient Dev Team :: ISEP 2020
Having an Efficient Dev Team :: ISEP 2020
 

Similar to Jennifer volk, anton naumenko

Similar to Jennifer volk, anton naumenko (20)

Design lean agile_thinking presentation
Design lean agile_thinking presentationDesign lean agile_thinking presentation
Design lean agile_thinking presentation
 
The complexity in the simplicity of Agile? by Arie van Bennekum
The complexity in the simplicity of Agile? by Arie van BennekumThe complexity in the simplicity of Agile? by Arie van Bennekum
The complexity in the simplicity of Agile? by Arie van Bennekum
 
Understanding The Urge To Agility
Understanding The Urge To AgilityUnderstanding The Urge To Agility
Understanding The Urge To Agility
 
Introducing agile
Introducing agileIntroducing agile
Introducing agile
 
Innovative Culture for Enterprises
Innovative Culture for EnterprisesInnovative Culture for Enterprises
Innovative Culture for Enterprises
 
The agile and lean mindset. Digital transformation conference, 21 May 2015
The agile and lean mindset. Digital transformation conference, 21 May 2015The agile and lean mindset. Digital transformation conference, 21 May 2015
The agile and lean mindset. Digital transformation conference, 21 May 2015
 
Aligning Feature Delivery with OKRs by Gtmhub CPO
Aligning Feature Delivery with OKRs by Gtmhub CPOAligning Feature Delivery with OKRs by Gtmhub CPO
Aligning Feature Delivery with OKRs by Gtmhub CPO
 
ATD Virtual Conference: Leveraging Agile Methods in L&D
ATD Virtual Conference: Leveraging Agile Methods in L&DATD Virtual Conference: Leveraging Agile Methods in L&D
ATD Virtual Conference: Leveraging Agile Methods in L&D
 
Lean and Agile - empower your teams and increase collaboration through digita...
Lean and Agile - empower your teams and increase collaboration through digita...Lean and Agile - empower your teams and increase collaboration through digita...
Lean and Agile - empower your teams and increase collaboration through digita...
 
Agile digital enterprise framework v1.4
Agile digital enterprise framework v1.4Agile digital enterprise framework v1.4
Agile digital enterprise framework v1.4
 
Denver startup week outcome based roadmaps
Denver startup week   outcome based roadmapsDenver startup week   outcome based roadmaps
Denver startup week outcome based roadmaps
 
Large Company Strategy, Small Company Budget by Google PM
Large Company Strategy, Small Company Budget by Google PMLarge Company Strategy, Small Company Budget by Google PM
Large Company Strategy, Small Company Budget by Google PM
 
Design Studio: The User Experience Practitioner’s Secret Weapon
Design Studio: The User Experience Practitioner’s Secret WeaponDesign Studio: The User Experience Practitioner’s Secret Weapon
Design Studio: The User Experience Practitioner’s Secret Weapon
 
The Agile PMO (fall 2014 version)
The Agile PMO (fall 2014 version)The Agile PMO (fall 2014 version)
The Agile PMO (fall 2014 version)
 
Impactful Product Management by MessageBird and eBay, Marktplaats PMs
Impactful Product Management by MessageBird and eBay, Marktplaats PMsImpactful Product Management by MessageBird and eBay, Marktplaats PMs
Impactful Product Management by MessageBird and eBay, Marktplaats PMs
 
Intro to Agile and Lean Software Development
Intro to Agile and Lean Software DevelopmentIntro to Agile and Lean Software Development
Intro to Agile and Lean Software Development
 
Onboarding at scale (Association for Talent Development talk, Aug. 2017)
Onboarding at scale (Association for Talent Development talk, Aug. 2017)Onboarding at scale (Association for Talent Development talk, Aug. 2017)
Onboarding at scale (Association for Talent Development talk, Aug. 2017)
 
David&Goliath@ALE2014
David&Goliath@ALE2014David&Goliath@ALE2014
David&Goliath@ALE2014
 
Agile product development
Agile product developmentAgile product development
Agile product development
 
Design thinking - IDEO
Design thinking - IDEODesign thinking - IDEO
Design thinking - IDEO
 

More from Lviv Startup Club

More from Lviv Startup Club (20)

Artem Bykovets: 4 Вершники апокаліпсису робочих стосунків (+антидоти до них) ...
Artem Bykovets: 4 Вершники апокаліпсису робочих стосунків (+антидоти до них) ...Artem Bykovets: 4 Вершники апокаліпсису робочих стосунків (+антидоти до них) ...
Artem Bykovets: 4 Вершники апокаліпсису робочих стосунків (+антидоти до них) ...
 
Dmytro Khudenko: Challenges of implementing task managers in the corporate an...
Dmytro Khudenko: Challenges of implementing task managers in the corporate an...Dmytro Khudenko: Challenges of implementing task managers in the corporate an...
Dmytro Khudenko: Challenges of implementing task managers in the corporate an...
 
Sergii Melnichenko: Лідерство в Agile командах: ТОП-5 основних психологічних ...
Sergii Melnichenko: Лідерство в Agile командах: ТОП-5 основних психологічних ...Sergii Melnichenko: Лідерство в Agile командах: ТОП-5 основних психологічних ...
Sergii Melnichenko: Лідерство в Agile командах: ТОП-5 основних психологічних ...
 
Mariia Rashkevych: Підвищення ефективності розроблення та реалізації освітніх...
Mariia Rashkevych: Підвищення ефективності розроблення та реалізації освітніх...Mariia Rashkevych: Підвищення ефективності розроблення та реалізації освітніх...
Mariia Rashkevych: Підвищення ефективності розроблення та реалізації освітніх...
 
Mykhailo Hryhorash: What can be good in a "bad" project? (UA)
Mykhailo Hryhorash: What can be good in a "bad" project? (UA)Mykhailo Hryhorash: What can be good in a "bad" project? (UA)
Mykhailo Hryhorash: What can be good in a "bad" project? (UA)
 
Oleksii Kyselov: Що заважає ПМу зростати? Розбір практичних кейсів (UA)
Oleksii Kyselov: Що заважає ПМу зростати? Розбір практичних кейсів (UA)Oleksii Kyselov: Що заважає ПМу зростати? Розбір практичних кейсів (UA)
Oleksii Kyselov: Що заважає ПМу зростати? Розбір практичних кейсів (UA)
 
Yaroslav Osolikhin: «Неідеальний» проєктний менеджер: People Management під ч...
Yaroslav Osolikhin: «Неідеальний» проєктний менеджер: People Management під ч...Yaroslav Osolikhin: «Неідеальний» проєктний менеджер: People Management під ч...
Yaroslav Osolikhin: «Неідеальний» проєктний менеджер: People Management під ч...
 
Mariya Yeremenko: Вплив Генеративного ШІ на сучасний світ та на особисту ефек...
Mariya Yeremenko: Вплив Генеративного ШІ на сучасний світ та на особисту ефек...Mariya Yeremenko: Вплив Генеративного ШІ на сучасний світ та на особисту ефек...
Mariya Yeremenko: Вплив Генеративного ШІ на сучасний світ та на особисту ефек...
 
Petro Nikolaiev & Dmytro Kisov: ТОП-5 методів дослідження клієнтів для успіху...
Petro Nikolaiev & Dmytro Kisov: ТОП-5 методів дослідження клієнтів для успіху...Petro Nikolaiev & Dmytro Kisov: ТОП-5 методів дослідження клієнтів для успіху...
Petro Nikolaiev & Dmytro Kisov: ТОП-5 методів дослідження клієнтів для успіху...
 
Maksym Stelmakh : Державні електронні послуги та сервіси: чому бізнесу варто ...
Maksym Stelmakh : Державні електронні послуги та сервіси: чому бізнесу варто ...Maksym Stelmakh : Державні електронні послуги та сервіси: чому бізнесу варто ...
Maksym Stelmakh : Державні електронні послуги та сервіси: чому бізнесу варто ...
 
Alexander Marchenko: Проблеми росту продуктової екосистеми (UA)
Alexander Marchenko: Проблеми росту продуктової екосистеми (UA)Alexander Marchenko: Проблеми росту продуктової екосистеми (UA)
Alexander Marchenko: Проблеми росту продуктової екосистеми (UA)
 
Oleksandr Grytsenko: Save your Job або прокачай скіли до Engineering Manageme...
Oleksandr Grytsenko: Save your Job або прокачай скіли до Engineering Manageme...Oleksandr Grytsenko: Save your Job або прокачай скіли до Engineering Manageme...
Oleksandr Grytsenko: Save your Job або прокачай скіли до Engineering Manageme...
 
Yuliia Pieskova: Фідбек: не лише "як", але й "коли" і "навіщо" (UA)
Yuliia Pieskova: Фідбек: не лише "як", але й "коли" і "навіщо" (UA)Yuliia Pieskova: Фідбек: не лише "як", але й "коли" і "навіщо" (UA)
Yuliia Pieskova: Фідбек: не лише "як", але й "коли" і "навіщо" (UA)
 
Nataliya Kryvonis: Essential soft skills to lead your team (UA)
Nataliya Kryvonis: Essential soft skills to lead your team (UA)Nataliya Kryvonis: Essential soft skills to lead your team (UA)
Nataliya Kryvonis: Essential soft skills to lead your team (UA)
 
Volodymyr Salyha: Stakeholder Alchemy: Transforming Analysis into Meaningful ...
Volodymyr Salyha: Stakeholder Alchemy: Transforming Analysis into Meaningful ...Volodymyr Salyha: Stakeholder Alchemy: Transforming Analysis into Meaningful ...
Volodymyr Salyha: Stakeholder Alchemy: Transforming Analysis into Meaningful ...
 
Anna Chalyuk: 7 інструментів та принципів, які допоможуть зробити вашу команд...
Anna Chalyuk: 7 інструментів та принципів, які допоможуть зробити вашу команд...Anna Chalyuk: 7 інструментів та принципів, які допоможуть зробити вашу команд...
Anna Chalyuk: 7 інструментів та принципів, які допоможуть зробити вашу команд...
 
Oksana Smilka: Цінності, цілі та (де) мотивація (UA)
Oksana Smilka: Цінності, цілі та (де) мотивація (UA)Oksana Smilka: Цінності, цілі та (де) мотивація (UA)
Oksana Smilka: Цінності, цілі та (де) мотивація (UA)
 
Yaroslav Rozhankivskyy: Три складові і три передумови максимальної продуктивн...
Yaroslav Rozhankivskyy: Три складові і три передумови максимальної продуктивн...Yaroslav Rozhankivskyy: Три складові і три передумови максимальної продуктивн...
Yaroslav Rozhankivskyy: Три складові і три передумови максимальної продуктивн...
 
Andrii Skoromnyi: Чому не працює методика "5 Чому?" – і яка є альтернатива? (UA)
Andrii Skoromnyi: Чому не працює методика "5 Чому?" – і яка є альтернатива? (UA)Andrii Skoromnyi: Чому не працює методика "5 Чому?" – і яка є альтернатива? (UA)
Andrii Skoromnyi: Чому не працює методика "5 Чому?" – і яка є альтернатива? (UA)
 
Maryna Sokyrko & Oleksandr Chugui: Building Product Passion: Developing AI ch...
Maryna Sokyrko & Oleksandr Chugui: Building Product Passion: Developing AI ch...Maryna Sokyrko & Oleksandr Chugui: Building Product Passion: Developing AI ch...
Maryna Sokyrko & Oleksandr Chugui: Building Product Passion: Developing AI ch...
 

Recently uploaded

Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...
Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...
Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...
ZurliaSoop
 
The basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptxThe basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptx
heathfieldcps1
 
Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptx
Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptxSeal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptx
Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptx
negromaestrong
 

Recently uploaded (20)

Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...
Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...
Jual Obat Aborsi Hongkong ( Asli No.1 ) 085657271886 Obat Penggugur Kandungan...
 
PROCESS RECORDING FORMAT.docx
PROCESS      RECORDING        FORMAT.docxPROCESS      RECORDING        FORMAT.docx
PROCESS RECORDING FORMAT.docx
 
How to Give a Domain for a Field in Odoo 17
How to Give a Domain for a Field in Odoo 17How to Give a Domain for a Field in Odoo 17
How to Give a Domain for a Field in Odoo 17
 
Magic bus Group work1and 2 (Team 3).pptx
Magic bus Group work1and 2 (Team 3).pptxMagic bus Group work1and 2 (Team 3).pptx
Magic bus Group work1and 2 (Team 3).pptx
 
Unit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptx
Unit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptxUnit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptx
Unit-V; Pricing (Pharma Marketing Management).pptx
 
Unit-IV- Pharma. Marketing Channels.pptx
Unit-IV- Pharma. Marketing Channels.pptxUnit-IV- Pharma. Marketing Channels.pptx
Unit-IV- Pharma. Marketing Channels.pptx
 
Unit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptx
Unit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptxUnit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptx
Unit-IV; Professional Sales Representative (PSR).pptx
 
Accessible Digital Futures project (20/03/2024)
Accessible Digital Futures project (20/03/2024)Accessible Digital Futures project (20/03/2024)
Accessible Digital Futures project (20/03/2024)
 
The basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptxThe basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 3pptx.pptx
 
Spatium Project Simulation student brief
Spatium Project Simulation student briefSpatium Project Simulation student brief
Spatium Project Simulation student brief
 
Introduction to Nonprofit Accounting: The Basics
Introduction to Nonprofit Accounting: The BasicsIntroduction to Nonprofit Accounting: The Basics
Introduction to Nonprofit Accounting: The Basics
 
Mehran University Newsletter Vol-X, Issue-I, 2024
Mehran University Newsletter Vol-X, Issue-I, 2024Mehran University Newsletter Vol-X, Issue-I, 2024
Mehran University Newsletter Vol-X, Issue-I, 2024
 
ICT role in 21st century education and it's challenges.
ICT role in 21st century education and it's challenges.ICT role in 21st century education and it's challenges.
ICT role in 21st century education and it's challenges.
 
SOC 101 Demonstration of Learning Presentation
SOC 101 Demonstration of Learning PresentationSOC 101 Demonstration of Learning Presentation
SOC 101 Demonstration of Learning Presentation
 
Holdier Curriculum Vitae (April 2024).pdf
Holdier Curriculum Vitae (April 2024).pdfHoldier Curriculum Vitae (April 2024).pdf
Holdier Curriculum Vitae (April 2024).pdf
 
UGC NET Paper 1 Mathematical Reasoning & Aptitude.pdf
UGC NET Paper 1 Mathematical Reasoning & Aptitude.pdfUGC NET Paper 1 Mathematical Reasoning & Aptitude.pdf
UGC NET Paper 1 Mathematical Reasoning & Aptitude.pdf
 
Grant Readiness 101 TechSoup and Remy Consulting
Grant Readiness 101 TechSoup and Remy ConsultingGrant Readiness 101 TechSoup and Remy Consulting
Grant Readiness 101 TechSoup and Remy Consulting
 
ComPTIA Overview | Comptia Security+ Book SY0-701
ComPTIA Overview | Comptia Security+ Book SY0-701ComPTIA Overview | Comptia Security+ Book SY0-701
ComPTIA Overview | Comptia Security+ Book SY0-701
 
Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptx
Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptxSeal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptx
Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2024Final.pptx
 
General Principles of Intellectual Property: Concepts of Intellectual Proper...
General Principles of Intellectual Property: Concepts of Intellectual  Proper...General Principles of Intellectual Property: Concepts of Intellectual  Proper...
General Principles of Intellectual Property: Concepts of Intellectual Proper...
 

Jennifer volk, anton naumenko

  • 1. Product Engineering Culture Build, Learn, Scale Fast October 2018
  • 2. Anton Naumenko Largest Online Consignment Store ● $130M+ Invested ● 1000+ Employees ● 5 Distribution Centers Director of Engineering at thredUP Co-founder & CTO at Syndicode Ph.D. on Semantic Web Senior Product Manager at thredUP Product Lead at Google Harvard Business School & Claremont McKenna College Jenn Volk
  • 4. THE THREDUP ECOSYSTEM ● Convenient Pre-Paid Bag ● Earn Cash or Donate ● Do Good ● Amazing prices ● Wide assortment ● Fresh selection everyday
  • 5. THE THREDUP ECOSYSTEM Marketplace growth challenge re:made re:made
  • 7. THREDUP Project case UPcycle program Partnership platform ● Custom experience ● CashOut to partner credit ● 2 engineers ● 1 partner in 1 month ● 3 partners by 2018 end
  • 8. THREDUP Project case ● 1 engineer operations team ● 2 engineers shopping team ● 1 month
  • 9. THREDUP Project case Automation for unique item distribution center Proof-of-concept proto ● 1 engineer ● 1 vendor ● 4 months Production ready ● 1 engineer ● 1 vendor ● 12 months
  • 11. CULTURE IN THREDUP Core values ● SpeakUP We all learn from those around us, but it’s hard to learn if people are not willing to speakUP and share what they have to say. ● Influence outcomes How did you make an impact or a difference on the slice of the world you were in at the time? ● Seek the truth First principle thinking encourages continuous innovation and creative problem-solving by reducing bias and faulty reasoning. ● Infinite learning Every day is an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to teach and, just as importantly, an opportunity to forget. ● Transparency When we all know what’s up and what’s happening, it’s a whole lot easier to make the best decisions moving forward. ● Think Big Imagine the world as it could be, not as it is.
  • 12. CULTURE IN THREDUP Engineering controversial decisions ● People vs. Process ● Generalist vs. Specialist ● Over communication vs. Communication overload ● Dynamic team vs. Hierarchy ● Tempo vs. Quality
  • 14. PEOPLE VS. PROCESS Waves of innovation The Natural Advantage of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovations and Governance in the 21st Century
  • 15. PEOPLE VS. PROCESS Learn to love change A startup is a temporary organization in search of a scalable, repeatable, profitable business model. Steve Blank and Bob Dorf. The Startup Owner’s Manual, K&S Ranch, 2012 … organizations of the future will likely be those that can move faster, adapt more quickly, learn more rapidly ... The organization of the future: Arriving now, Deloitte, 2017 Global Human Capital Trends Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/human-capital-trends/2017/organization-of-the-future.html
  • 16. PEOPLE VS. PROCESS Processes squeeze talent TALENTED PEOPLE REGULATIONS PROCESSES LESS TALENTED PEOPLE
  • 21. GENERALIST VS. SPECIALIST Business-savvy Full-cycle product development engineer? THINK LAUNCH GROWREINVENT EXIT LIFE CYCLE ● CAC ● LTV ● P&L ● Gross vs. net ● Margin expansion vs. revenue growth ● Profit vs. revenue ● Valuation
  • 22. Small teams with over communication Engineering practices
  • 23. SMALL ASYNC TEAMS WITH OVER COMMUNICATION Over-communication vs. communication overload 70+ engineers 5 countries 7 time zones Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed Engineering Product Management Operations Creative Marketing Executive Team Customer Service Partner engineering teams
  • 24. SMALL ASYNC TEAMS WITH OVER COMMUNICATION Async vs. sync communication 70+ engineers 5 countries 7 time zones ● Unblock your work for tomorrow today ● Set expectations upfront ● If blocked or unclear - execute your power, make your own judgement, just do it, you can fix it later
  • 25. Dynamic teams vs. Hierarchy Engineering practices
  • 26. DYNAMIC TEAMS VS. HIERARCHY Areas of Expertise vs. Areas of Responsibility ENG PM MARKETING OPS CS EXEC CREATIVE ● Business KPIs define team structure ● No director - subordinate relations ● Cross-team communication
  • 27. DYNAMIC TEAMS VS. HIERARCHY Self-managed vs. Controlled ✗ Hierarchy ✗ Approval boards ✗ Accountability ✓ Lean team ✓ Fast decision making ✓ Pro-active ownership
  • 29. Tempo vs. Quality Risk Driven Development vs. Plan and Execute What’s the smallest thing we can do to test our riskiest assumption?
  • 30. Entire engineering team builds, learns, scales fast One slow decision creates a bullwhip effect in the organization Tempo vs. Quality Slow decisions create bullwhip effect
  • 31. Tempo vs. Quality Quick and dirty vs. clean and solid We have scarce resources and many hypothesis to learn ● Embrace a willingness to fail and learn ● Come up with scrappy solutions to validate value hypothesis ● Consolidate towards growth hypothesis with more investment
  • 33. OUR RECIPE Engineering controversial decisions ● People vs. Process ● Generalist vs. Specialist ● Over communication vs. Communication overload ● Dynamic team vs. Hierarchy ● Tempo vs. Quality
  • 34. FRONTEND BACKEND FULL-STACK OUR RECIPE Full-cycle product development engineers in small teams with tempo mindset
  • 35. Anton Naumenko Open positions ● Full stack engineers ● Senior ML engineers ● Senior DE engineers https://www.thredup.com/p/careers Director of Engineering at thredUP Co-founder & CTO at Syndicode Ph.D. on Semantic Web Senior Product Manager at thredUP Product Lead at Google Harvard Business School & Claremont McKenna College Jenn Volk

Editor's Notes

  1. Jenn
  2. Value proposition
  3. Complexity / dynamics of the marketplace and main challenge to sync supply, demand, capacity, and profitability in time Sell to both sides of the marketplace at the same time Synchronize the capacity expansion so that you have the right amount of buyers for suppliers, right amount of suppliers for buyers
  4. Anton
  5. Maybe screenshots of media coverage
  6. Remade might be under embargo and we cannot publicly talk details. However we can check what was told publicly before. If we cannot use that we can go with Goody Boxes story
  7. Complexity / dynamics of the marketplace
  8. Optimization of budget Main optimization channels
  9. Anton: People vs. Process, Generalist vs. specialist Jenn: small teams, tempo vs. quality
  10. Not sure if this is the best graphic as if the primary focus is process and not talent, the "No Talent" is actually a right outer join in this venn diagram. This diagram almost makes it look like we want zero process, which also isn't true. Lightweight processes that enable velocity with stability for talented engineers is the message we want to convey, right?
  11. Limit noise by using RACI, don't have meetings with 15 people 70+ engineers, daily scrum by project, slack channel, distributed team Upcycle example France, Serbia, Mexica, DCs
  12. Limit noise by using RACI, don't have meetings with 15 people 70+ engineers, daily scrum by project, slack channel, distributed team Upcycle example France, Serbia, Mexica, DCs Get all your questions answered you need to remain unblocked tomorrow before you end your day Communicate clearly what and how you plan to do things upfront If still blocked or unclear - execute your power, make your own judgement, just do it, you can fix it later
  13. Partner program: core team included partnership, marketing, creative Upfront Offers: core team included eng, data science, design Areas of expertise not responsibility Roadmap defines team Shuffle teams to reach business goals no director-subordinate relations
  14. There’s a reason we’ve stayed lean → Architectural board for approval processes, regulation Ownership versus accountability. ... Managers hold employees accountable by building accountabilityactions into their daily schedule, such as providing timely feedback and measuring progress toward goals. But ownership is not something that managers can demand. It's intrinsic, rather than extrinsic likeaccountability.
  15. What’s the smallest thing we can do to test our riskiest assumption? https://hackernoon.com/the-mvp-is-dead-long-live-the-rat-233d5d16ab02 https://mvpworkshop.co/validate-riskiest-assumption/ https://www.mindtheproduct.com/2017/08/innovation-broken-janice-fraser/ https://blog.leanstack.com/the-artist-and-the-innovator-e6b4888c5869
  16. Do you prefer quick and dirty or clean and well tested solution? I ask this question on almost all intro calls with candidates. Many adapt their answer like “it depends” rambling about “in some case quick and dirty, but personally I like clean code and embrace TDD”. Eeeee. Wrong answer. Decide where you are on this scale. We decided even on exec level that we value tempo more than quality. We can tolerate and fix dirty solutions, but we cannot tolerate slow decision making, delays in communication, slow product development. People look new jobs because they are often bored on current job, Did they try to make their work at least double faster - I doubt they would be bored. Validate the value hypothesis first in the least disruptive way, and then consolidate towards the growth hypothesis, which requires more investment in tech. The challenge we face over here is to make the right design and architecture choices upfront so work doesnt become too hard if the product-line works (its happened many times)
  17. Anton: People vs. Process, Generalist vs. specialist Jenn: small teams, tempo vs. quality