Across the Lone Star Capital, tech companies are on the search for new talent, spanning industries from real estate to e-commerce to cybersecurity. But professionals are no longer just looking for a job in 2021 – they’re looking for a career where they can make a difference, grow their skill sets and thrive.
Everyone wants to feel like their contributions count, especially when it comes to their work. Whether it’s a small product update that makes life a little simpler for everyday users or integrating brand new technology to revamp an organization’s infrastructure, seeing the impact of your daily efforts in real time transforms an occupation into a passion project.
That’s why Built In Austin sat down with 10 tech teams leaving their marks on the world to discuss what initially drew them to their role, the exciting projects they have on the horizon and the ideal candidates they’re looking to add to their rapidly-growing organizations. Hoping that might be you? Read on below.
Yotpo is an e-commerce marketing platform, helping thousands of brands like Rebecca Minkoff, MVMT, Bob’s Discount Furniture and Steve Madden accelerate direct-to-consumer growth.
Motivation to apply: “I was first introduced to Yotpo as a consumer, buying things online,” Benjamin said. “The product itself was a big draw, and I need to really believe in a product and company to work there. E-commerce in general was an industry that fascinated me, too. I love trying to understand buyer behavior, what drives a consumer to buy and how to create a perfect experience.
But what set Yotpo apart from other companies was the culture and the people. Yotpo employees stop at nothing to ensure brands are successful and have the best customer experience. They’re driven, smart and kind. When you’re thinking about your job, a place where you spend most of your time during the day, it should fulfill you professionally and personally. Yotpo is that place for me.”
Ideal candidate: “I want to build a team that has diverse experiences so that each member of the team brings different backgrounds and perspectives to the table. This creates a whole bigger than the sum of its parts. We are super collaborative, and rely on each other’s strengths, which is where the diversity of experience comes into play.
On top of that, I rely on my team to use their experiences and different points of view to push back on me as a manager, and help me recognize my blind spots. I have been lucky to have people on my team who started in all different areas of customer success, and also had people move on to all different areas of the company. Seeing that growth pattern has been inspiring to me on my own journey within Yotpo. We can teach a lot of skills in the role – product knowledge, the e-commerce ecosystem – but we can’t teach passion and drive. When we’re making hiring decisions, that’s the way we think.”
OJO Labs uses AI and customer experience to help homeowners, buyers and sellers navigate real estate from finding and buying a property to selling or managing the home as an asset.
Motivation to apply: “When I applied to OJO Labs, I was looking for an opportunity to explore a new industry and develop my skill sets in research and analytics,” Zou said. “Since joining the company, it has been an amazing journey of learning and growth. The real estate industry is a truly interesting space made up of many players and stakeholders.
In my role, I am lucky to be able to explore the various experience, emotions and challenges that homebuyers, sellers and agents feel during the homebuying journey using qualitative and quantitative data. What has impressed me the most at OJO has been the deep focus on the mission.”
Ideal candidate: “The top characteristic I look for in candidates is an innate sense of curiosity about the world and people. Usually with this characteristic, there is also a growth mindset and hunger to learn.
As a company, OJO Labs is dedicated to truly meeting the needs of homebuyers and sellers in service of our mission. In order to do this, we need to first understand what are the variety of experiences people have during their unique journey. Having a genuine curiosity and interest, candidates will be much more likely to ask the right questions and dig deep into the data to explore to find an answer.”
Mythic is enabling the deployment of powerful AI in Edge devices across multiple industries.
Motivation to apply: “In my initial conversations with the Mythic team, I could tell that this company was passionate not just about building an innovative product, but also in creating a workplace culture where people could really grow and thrive,” Lim-Fritz said. “The organization saw value in bringing in a people leader while the company was still young, to help directly influence what would become the culture and environment of Mythic. I would get to be hands on here in creating what I’m most excited about – a people centric organization.
My tenure with the company has now spanned more than three years and I’m happy to report that my first impression of the Mythic team has turned out to be reality. People have a tremendous amount of respect for one another here, and we’ve worked hard from the leadership level and down to cultivate a workplace where everyone feels like they belong and where their voice is heard and respected.”
Ideal candidate: “Collaboration is something we highly value at Mythic and to be successful here, one needs to be able to both share their expertise with others as well as be humble enough to accept that there is much to learn from the collective knowledge of their team.
Secondly, we look for people who can demonstrate a growth mindset. As a company, we’re doing some crazy innovative things. This requires people to be able to think outside the box and be open to new ways of doing things and not always rely only on tried-and-true solutions. Taking calculated risks is not only expected but encouraged!
As with any startup, you have to have a certain level of grit, determination and resilience to succeed. At Mythic, we encourage people to be solution oriented when issues arise and to take ownership of the problem. There will inevitably be ups and downs, but we are always confident that with these character traits, we will prevail as a team.”
ESO is a healthtech company that develops software emergency medical services agencies, fire departments and hospitals use.
Motivation to apply: “I worked with data for more than 10 years when a former co-worker referred me to ESO,” Brown said. “The mission really resonated with me as a way to improve healthcare and safety when it’s needed the most; in emergencies. Our growth has only amplified this effect. When I started we were 40 people working out of a small office. Now, even with more than 500 employees, it’s not uncommon to find someone from sales, accounting, or even the C-suite helping a new hire with the coffee machine.”
Upcoming projects: “We’re working on a company-wide evolution of our analytics and reporting platform. Figuring out the intricacies of integrating new technologies into existing infrastructure is only one aspect of the challenge. The new platform allows our customers to work with data in totally new ways, so we’re also working on how to transition the customer experience and their work flows.”
Squire is the premier management platform for barbershops. Using Squire, barbers are able to better engage their customers, process bookings and payments and market their business.
Motivation to apply: “When I first learned about SQUIRE, I was most excited to hear about how much success and investment interest there was within a relatively lean operation,” Bruning said. “The possibilities seemed endless. My first big responsibility came about as quickly as it possibly could. I joined at the tail end of transitioning from one CRM to Salesforce, prioritizing the sales process. The immensely positive feedback I received from leadership made me even more excited to deep-dive into other departments I would support (marketing and CS operations) to learn as much as I could and find opportunities to create efficiency.”
Ideal candidate: “When growing my team, I look for people with a passion for the vision of the company. My entire job is to make whatever company I’m working for as successful as possible. I am constantly looking for ways that I can help create efficient, streamlined and reportable processes not just in sales, marketing and CS but in every department. A good teammate shares that objective. When you align with that goal, it makes every conversation you have easy. Success is about doing whatever it takes to achieve that vision.”
AffiniPay creates payment-based practice management tools for professional service markets.
Motivation to apply: “I knew I wanted this job once the interview process started,” Munguia said. “I’ve never had a better experience! Conversations felt genuine and welcoming, and I was consistently updated about my application status. The HR and hiring team were far and away the most conscientious team I spoke with during my job hunt.
The initial feelings of camaraderie and work ethic I felt weren’t a fluke. Soon after joining, I made notes for a new hire, ending with ‘this team is pretty special. You can tell everyone really respects everyone else,’ and nearly a year later this continues to ring true.
Having a talented team familiar with how we’ve presented ourselves over the years gives me confidence every time I approach a new project or campaign. Every person I interact with is an expert in their role and, from the beginning, everyone has been approachable and responsive.”
Upcoming projects: “Currently I’m working on a variety of print and digital artwork for an in-person trade show happening here in Austin. Because it’s one of the first in-person events the company is attending since last year and it also happens to be in our hometown, we’re going big! I’ve designed art for a pedicab wrap and wristbands for the event, two pieces I’ve never had the opportunity to design for in the past.
Projects like this, that span everything from social posts to physical signs and landing pages, are interesting puzzles that help keep me thinking in new ways.”
Living Security helps people become more secure online at work and at home by helping to prevent cybersecurity breaches with a human risk management solution.
Motivation to apply: “I applied to Living Security after hearing from a friend (now coworker) that the company was hiring a talent recruiter to help support their growth trajectory,” Hunter said. “Coming from an agency recruiting background where I supported the hiring efforts of several companies in the Austin area, I was initially very drawn to the idea of joining a fast-paced startup where I could both recruit for a large variety of positions and play a major role in building a world-class team.
My time here has far exceeded my expectations. I knew I was joining a team of incredibly talented and smart people, but I quickly realized that my coworkers’ hearts are just as great as their minds. I love the confidence I feel when telling a potential candidate or new hires about the incredible culture at Living Security that includes room for growth, new challenges, camaraderie, work-life balance and fun.”
Ideal candidate: “I know many companies are feeling the struggle around hiring top talent right now. We are definitely in a candidate’s market. I think this has really required most companies, Living Security included, to take a step back and sincerely listen to what candidates are looking for. Work/life balance, flexibility and autonomy are definitely at the top of the list and something Living Security has done a great job at providing to everyone.
We’ve had a ton of luck tapping into our networks for referrals, and I think this speaks to the incredible culture we have. Our employees are given the opportunity to share their personal experiences with potential candidates, which is something you simply can’t get from a catchy job description alone. There is a special energy and excitement around what we are doing at Living Security and what it’s like to work here, and it’s contagious.”
Invicti uses proprietary technology to keep the internet safe and web applications running smoothly.
Motivation to apply: “One of my life’s greatest passions is helping to create environments and experiences that help people feel safe, and being a part of the cybersecurity space is one of the ways that I do that,” Paine said. “Ensuring the security of web applications has never been more important, as they touch just about every aspect of modern life – from how we spend our time online to driving industries like healthcare, financial services, and critical infrastructure.
I joined Invicti Security because the company seeks to make what has been seen as impossible in application security possible. This type of thinking, backed by the strength of the leadership team, is necessary to ensure the security of the world’s applications. How could I not join?
It’s one thing to join a company with an understanding of where the product is today, and another to be able to get in and really see the vision. I continue to feel energized by the work, particularly as we build our product management and product marketing functions. It’s obvious that everyone is working toward the same goal, and there is great collaboration around the different paths we can take to achieve it.”
Upcoming projects: “Invicti Security’s dynamic testing technology is inherently different from the legacy technologies on the market, and with that comes a perception that needs to be shifted about what is possible. Because development paradigms have changed so much, AppSec technologies have needed to adjust to meet one of the top requirements: speed.
In order to start to change the collective thinking around dynamic testing, I’m listening to customer conversations, paying attention to narratives in the market, and working closely with colleagues on the front lines to understand how they view our solution so that we can put our best foot forward in all of our sales and marketing activities.”
Ontic’s software helps companies proactively and continually assess, collaborate and act on physical threats.
Motivation to apply: “I first applied because of the people of Ontic and the mission they have committed themselves to,” Holder said. “They are smart but humble, have extremely high standards but are gracious, and are just plain fun to be around!
From the people to the product, the mission is at the heart of everything we do, and I couldn’t ask any more than that. As a new hire on the people team, you have a very unique experience. I was playing the role of participant, but also that of an observer prepping to be a contributor. I now get to partner with the amazing team that made my experience so wonderful as a new hire. But, I still feel those same feelings of support and ‘we’re all in this and learning together’ that I felt on day one. And I wouldn’t change that for the world!”
Ideal candidate: “Above all, I’m looking for curiosity and determination. So often in the people space, we are brought complex issues – because people are complex! The solutions aren’t obvious and they’re rarely simple.
I need to know that every person on my team will naturally dig until they discover the root of the issue and understand the options available to address it. That’s where the determination kicks in. It’s so important at Ontic, and for any company that truly values its employees and their well being. The people team exists to support and elevate our employees. Our work enables them to focus on their work and to do so without any distractions, allowing them to bring their best to everything they do.”
Loomly’s platform helps marketing teams communicate, plan, create and publish content from one spot.
Motivation to apply: “I always enjoyed being part of early-stage companies and contributing to their growth,” Dufour said. “This is one of the reasons why I applied to Loomly – besides the company’s cute cat logo, which got me curious!
I joined as customer success manager and focused on creating a strong customer service culture, laying out customer onboarding processes and implementing scalable workflows. Building on that foundation, I became head of customer success, and led initiatives aiming at proactively identifying and addressing customer needs, with the goal of providing the smoothest experience possible throughout the customer journey.
Now, as VP of customer success, I dedicate time and attention to nurturing, guiding and supporting customer success team members in their own roles.”
Ideal candidate: “First, we place a strong emphasis on diversity and complementarity, which are key in our mission to develop a multifaceted skill set within Loomly and the customer success team. Second, a robust desire to learn and improve strike me as essential. As members of the customer success team, we are both ambassadors of Loomly and customer advocates. We strive to develop long-term relationships with customers, which relies on our capacity to understand how the product can support them to accomplish their own goals.
Finally, attention to detail and independence are instrumental, given our fully-remote work setup. As a 100 percent distributed team, we collaborate through digital communication tools, which requires a sharp ability to think and communicate clearly.”
