HomeStars is proud to shine a light on employees that hustle hard to embody our award-winning culture and we want you to want to join them! Get to know your future teammates, why they love working at HomeStars and what they’re doing outside of work!
David is an Associate Product Manager who has been at HomeStars since June 2019. He has come a long way since his first-ever job doing chores for a neighbour who went on vacation and being able to open a bank account because of it. David is excited to come to work every day because of the great people that he works with and the rewarding satisfaction of others seeing the value in the work that he does.
What is your role at HomeStars?
I am an Associate Product Manager focused on helping more homeowners find pros to complete their home improvement projects. I work on a wide range of projects from running A/B tests to optimizing our Service Request flow, to planning the launch of a new mobile app for homeowners, and more recently researching and planning an SEO strategy to grow our presence across Canada. In my day to day, I work closely with our UX Designers, Engineers, other PMs, and many folks from other departments to ensure that we are delivering value to our customers.
Describe the qualities of your ideal teammate.
My ideal teammate is someone who is excited and takes pride in their work. They’re willing to put in that extra bit of effort when needed. They can take and give honest feedback. They’re comfortable being themselves. They’re able to have fun, relax, and have a laugh. And If they like to play table tennis then we’d instantly be friends.
What has your career progression been like at HomeStars?
When Adam interviewed me for the Product Support Specialist role, I expressed my interest to become a PM or pursue Software Engineering, and he assured me that HomeStars was the place that I would get the opportunity to build on one of these career paths. Working in Product Support was a great experience because I was able to gain a deep understanding of how the HomeStars products and internal platforms work. More importantly, I was able to work cross-functionally with folks from other departments to solve problems that delivered real value to our customers.
My transition to the PM role was daunting because there was a lot to quickly learn about how to manage the product life cycle, how to work with developers and designers, and how to deliver business value that also makes customers happy. Throughout this process, I always felt supported and encouraged by my team.
How do you stay up to date within your evolving industry?
I enjoy listening to a variety of podcasts as a great way to stay informed on current perspectives from other professionals. I also find it helpful to follow active professionals on Twitter to get a sense of their perspective, then dive into their writing if they have a blog or book to get deeper insight. I also watch talks, tutorials and interviews on YouTube for any topic I’m trying to learn.
What is the best piece of advice you have gotten working here?
When I started my transition into the PM role, I went for a walk with Gerry, and besides the many things we talked about, I asked him when he starts a new project how he is able to convince stakeholders that he could deliver value. To my surprise his answer wasn’t technical or complicated, he said “Be confident.” There’s a lot to unpack in that simple lesson, but it was helpful to me at the time to be reminded how important and impactful it can be to have conviction in my actions.
If you were an animal which one would you be and why?
If I was an animal I’d be a tardigrade, they’re tiny creatures that can be found everywhere on earth because they have extraordinary abilities to survive in even the most extreme conditions.
If you want to join David on the Product team or see our other openings, be sure to check out our careers page. We can’t wait to hear from you!
