I’m Head of Product at Membersy, a fintech / wellness startup in Austin that builds payment tools and subscription infrastructure for the dental industry. While my formal education is in user experience, my career has comprised predominantly of engineering and product management roles. My experience ranges from tiny startups to some of the biggest and well-known software companies in the world. In my spare time, I enjoy consulting and advising startups on product development topics, in addition to working on my own side projects.
I am at my most effective as a cross-functional product development leader, drawing on my deep experience in product, engineering, UX, and program management to produce amazing results.
For over two decades, my career has weaved amongst the various disciplines that bring products to life. A sound, validated product strategy is the foundation on which success is built. However, even the best ideas come to nothing without an efficient engine to execute on those ideas. Without a relentless focus on what matters, the undirected efforts of even the most talented individuals and teams product mediocre results. When coupled with an effective sales and marketing strategy, success lies at the intersection of excellence between all these disciplines.
My entrepreneurial spirit led me to start an interactive agency early in my career. I have helped numerous startups get off the ground in various capacities — including CTO at a fintech startup — where I managed all projects and product development resources for the company. I went on to become an engineering leader at Oracle working on their Social Cloud B2B SaaS offering.
I made a lateral move into Product Management during my time at Oracle as I craved a more cross-functional role. My product and people management experience then allowed me remotely lead a team of Product Managers at a training management platform SaaS headquartered in the UK. Most recently, I have been focusing on executional excellence in my role as EVP of Product & Program Management at a B2B SaaS startup. In that role, I work tirelessly to keep projects on track amongst multiple teams and regularly report to the C-Suite on progress.
Transparency and adequate communication are key in building alignment between leaders at the executive level. I consider this my superpower. My breadth of knowledge in engineering, product management, and UX allow me to ask probing questions and identify and resolve friction between the various product development teams through better process. My experience as both an individual contributor and manager in all these disciplines grants me the empathy and credibility to effectively deliver high impact returns as a cross-functional leader.
I was born in Minnesota but grew up in Tianjin, China. In middle school, I became fascinated with the power of the web. I taught myself how to design and program basic websites. It wasn’t long before I turned my personal hobby into a profession. I founded an interactive design and development firm, developed web applications for educational institutions, and worked on startup ideas with classmates — all while still in high school. Upon returning to the United States, I consulted with startups and small businesses on the side to fund my formal education in user experience design. I graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Communication Design with an emphasis in interactive media.
I live in Austin with my wife, two kids, a dog, and two cats. When I’m not managing software projects or developing my own interactive products pleasure, I am usually playing soccer or video games, drumming, biking, or going on hikes with my family. I am an avid traveler and have set a stretch goal of visiting all of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in my lifetime. I also sometimes find the time to read articles and books about technology, design, science, and philosophy.
