Pros
The biggest pro is being part of the “it” company that is disrupting a sleepy industry. At one time, I thought this was more about our white hot consumer insights panel but I have come to appreciate the rich data in our ad, promotions and pricing intelligence products. As one of our execs put it, “if data is the new oil, we are wildcatters” going to unknown places. Another big pro is the people – so smart and passionate whether it’s our engineering and data science teams, consultants, or really anyone. It is environment where I feel inspired (and a bit pushed but in a good way) to do more, do better. Most of us work even harder because we don’t want to let each other down, meaning it’s a good team feeling. I am pro the new CEO and the changes he has made. When I arrived, this company felt bifurcated. That seems like a distant memory today – and I give our CEO the credit for that. He is a cultural change agent. That is hard for some to accept but I think it’s been fantastic (and our reputation in the industry – and sales for that matter – seem to say the same). Last pro: the company is cool to work at – and not because it has a keg or free snacks but because the work is exciting and meaningful, there is all sorts of opportunity, it’s a powerful team, and we are changing a huge industry. When we're at trade shows, our sessions are standing room only and our clients are proud to be the early adopters who are leaders in the industry.
Cons
Three cons – one org, one product, one external. Internal first. Until recently, I would have said senior management is a bit old fashioned in wanting people to be in the office more than working from home. I don’t think that will be an issue any more. They have been so supportive about our transition to work from home and it feels like we are getting more done than ever. There is a very constructive spirit about this. I mentioned the white hot panel. Our other products are older. We need to contemporize them. I do see movement in the company. Our product leadership has assigned stars to lead these path products, raising their profile internally which was needed. We are investing. And, it feels like even marketing is paying more attention to these products tnow. Last con is a market dynamic. Our consumer insight panel is very well thought of. It is frustrating that the “big dog” competitor in the space has other products they sell to the same buyers. They keep bundling the products to mask the price. I think they know they can’t compete on data quality so they obfuscate.