Product Lead - Gallery, Foundations, and Ecosystems

Product Lead - Gallery, Foundations, and Ecosystems

• As the product owner of the software roadmap for Alexa devices with screens, sets the vision, defines the metrics against which the team will measure success, identifies the high priority themes for the upcoming year, and prioritizes the overall feature roadmap/backlog against which the engineering teams will execute.• Manages 4 product managers who support the Alexa software roadmap as well as 3 voice designers and 2 user researchers who support the entire Alexa Devices organization, which has launched seven 4+ star products since 2018.• Led Alexa Device innovation, driving successful definition and funding of several new device programs based on in-depth market research, product intuition, user research, and technical feasibility evaluation - leading to Echo Buds, Echo Studio, Echo Sub, Echo Link, Echo Link Amp, and Echo Auto.• Ran product management for Alexa Presentation Language (APL), which provides Alexa skill developers with easy-to-use and powerful tools to build voice + visual experiences that adapt across many form factors, from the 5” Echo Show 5 to a 60” TV, leading to the creation of thousands of richer Alexa skills. Collaborated closely with design and engineering to define the re-usable components and layouts that would empower this developer community.

• As the lead software product manager on the original Echo Show, worked with design teams to lay out the core interaction patterns of this new device category, co-defined how 20+ previously voice-only Alexa domain teams would build their experiences in a new voice plus visuals world, and coordinated the on-time feature completion across software teams to hit the June 2017 launch of Echo Show, a 4.1-star product on Amazon.com.

• As a sole product management owner, spearheaded the creation of the “Alexa with a screen” device/experience category at Amazon by working closely with 10+ design, research, and engineering teams to deliver a vision and value proposition that secured funding for this strategic investment. This program birthed Echo Show and Echo Spot while spawning dozens of partners and competitors, which account for millions of worldwide device sales.• Led the ideation and definition of "Drop In," an instant video communications feature between Alexa devices that drives extremely sticky engagement among users and produced multiple granted patents around video communications.• Authored the original North Star proposal for Smart Home on Alexa while defining and executing on the initial MVP of launching with Philips Hue bulbs and Belkin WeMo switches – paving the way for Smart Home to become a high-attach, high-engagement pillar of the Alexa business.• Drove the design and implementation of a robust system interrupt framework that underlies the category-defining Amazon Echo’s voice user interface (VUI), capable of seamlessly mixing media, speech, and notifications.

I worked on a team of two that owned the multi-hundred-million-dollar U.S. tablet roadmap for Samsung Mobile, including connected devices (Verizon, AT&T, etc) and WiFi-only devices. In the 18 months I was in my role, Galaxy Tab sales tripled year-over-year due to a more streamlined roadmap and clearer product positioning. I worked on products including the Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0 and 10.1), Galaxy Note 10.1, and Galaxy Note 8.0. My role exposed me to many aspects of the mobile business and allowed me to both learn and contribute on a broad basis.- I collaborated closely with Samsung HQ on the tablet product roadmap, including specifics about hardware features, content and services, launch timing, pricing, and channels/partners.- I carefully managed individual tablets from creation to launch, ensuring that all hardware and software features worked together to weave a consistent story. I then served as the internal product expert and delivered concrete product stories to Marketing so that products could be positioned correctly and messaged effectively.- I spearheaded marketing and channel initiatives to increase awareness and preference of Galaxy Tab devices to stimulate better sell-through in under-performing channels.- I was a core contributor on several new software/service projects. I was especially active in identifying lead user behavior and converting insights into service requirements, particularly for convergence projects centered around interactions between the tablet and TV and between the tablet and smartphone.- I collaborated closely with several startups and other tech companies to customize existing services and products to create unique and compelling solutions that were mutually beneficial for both parties.- As a product expert, I frequently supported large business development efforts and public relations activities, including launch events and media briefings.

At Northrop, I architected and developed multiple cutting-edge software suites for communications intelligence, electronic warfare, and force protection. My experience there can be divided into two easier-to-understand roles: software developer and project manager.Software developer:My experience as a software developer for four years further refined the quantitative abilities and technical expertise that I had developed at Cornell. - I effectively applied my extensive knowledge of digital communication systems, signal processing, and advanced statistics to devise complex and innovative algorithms to solve difficult engineering problems in the face of uncertainty and noise.- I dramatically improved my programming skills by learning to always optimize code for speed, scalability, and flexibility. Additionally, hardware constraints forced me tailor software solutions for the hardware that they would be run on.- I learned how a user interface could be every bit as important as the underlying technology. I worked closely with our customers to solicit and incorporate user feedback to continuously improve usability of our software.Project manager:As a project manager, I developed soft skills that allowed me to lead effectively in a way that complemented my technical expertise.- I became extremely comfortable working in client-facing roles and polished my interaction skills to allow me to establish high credibility with customers- I expanded my thought process beyond the detailed, technical level and learned to identify how adjacent technologies and/or products could come together to create new or more compelling solutions- I learned to identify and understand each of my teammates’ motivations so that I could tailor my management style for each person, allowing me to effectively lead teammates that ranged from new grads to experienced veterans