If you’ve been considering a position within the tech space, or want a sneak peek into Tiny, I’m going to share four key insights from my experiences so far as a newbie in a SaaS company. Some of these will be about the industry in general and others more specific to Tiny. Overall, I’ll keep it as holistic as possible so this discussion will be insightful for you, no matter your position in a company.
1. Software oriented
I think it goes without saying you can expect to be using a vast array of platforms in this industry. In my team, some of the marketing-specific tools we use include Pardot, Contentful, Monday.com, Google Analytics, Data Studio, Buffer, Salesforce, Drift, and the list could go on and on.
At first it can feel overwhelming, trying to remember which platform you need and for what purpose. However, just like any new skill, as you start practicing and using all the different tools on the daily, you eventually find your groove and instinctively know how to glide through all your tasks.
A key takeaway from this is you don’t have to be a computer prodigy to be able to work in the tech industry. For the most part, the platforms you work with are designed to help you achieve your required tasks and are therefore fairly intuitive.
2. Open-minded to growth
This is probably one of the most exciting parts of the industry. Technology is always evolving, and therefore you need to be receptive and constantly willing to learn. This mindset trickles throughout all our processes here at Tiny.
From the consumer side of things, we want to hear feedback so we can make our products even better. That’s why we released our Insights Program, so customers can actively contribute their ideas, and our product team can iterate on our beta releases.
Internally, every discussion you have is a new offering of knowledge. Each week we have our one-on-ones with our manager to understand how they can help do things better for you and discuss strategies for improvement. I love having these weekly meetings to discuss progress because it shows the company is invested in my personal growth.
3. Diversity at Tiny
Now, this isn’t necessarily specific to tech, but rather a unique Tiny trait (although it should be an industry standard). At Tiny, everyone has their own sense of individuality and comes from a different part of the globe. I love this aspect of the company because it has made me realize that technology belongs to no one, is used by everyone, and can be created by anyone. At Tiny, you don’t have to fit a mold in order to align with the organizational culture. In fact, the organizational culture is to not fit the mold and just be your own authentic self.
And even though we’re all separated by distance, we’re a value-based company. So at the end of the day, we all share the same core of enthusiasm, drive for innovation, and delivery of excellence, making team cohesion all the more effortless.
4. Organizational transparency
Again, this is something fairly unique to Tiny and is a big part of our culture. Our executive team is completely transparent with its employees regarding company-wide decision-making and the performance of each department.
Each week, our teams sync up and deliver weekly presentations on how we are progressing with our targets. This kind of sharing is significant in creating a leveled understanding between teams about what is and is not working. We share our successes, which is a strong way of driving intrinsic employee motivation. More importantly, we also share our ideas for improvements. Having intra-team discussions about this helps foster innovative ways of solving the issues we face.
This kind of transparency doesn’t stop here. In fact, it goes right up to the top of the organization. Once the executive board members complete their monthly meeting, the contents of their discussions are available for all employees to access.
Having informational symmetry is something I would implore others to adopt. It allows us to collect all the important information we need, generate understanding, and move forward with empowered decision-making.
Final takeaways
Before joining Tiny, I never imagined I’d be working for a SaaS company, nor enjoy it as much as I do. Of course, every company is going to be different, so make sure you do your research beforehand. It’s a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and high growth industry. If you’re someone who aligns with those qualities, it sounds like the industry for you.
But I’m curious about your experiences in the tech industry - what have your experiences been like, and how would you describe it to new entrants? Let us know on Twitter @joinTiny!
