Why I Joined SundaySky
After spending several years at my last gig, I reached the point where I began to think “what’s next?” I knew I remained passionate about online technology, online engagement, data, intelligent solutions, and ecommerce, and that I loved working with global online brands. So, the search began....
The tech jobs market in NYC is hot – everyone’s hiring, large and small. Personally, I’ve always been drawn to smaller work environments because I can see the impact I am having on the business unfold day in and day out. Smaller companies also foster a close knit “community feel” with a strong emphasis on results, not politics. I value the satisfaction of knowing my time is not spent in vain.
Sure, bigger companies offer “stability,” and perhaps a little more work-life balance, but I want to feel like a key contributor, not a cog in the machine.
Aside from the draw of a smaller, more entrepreneurial company, my ultimate decision came down to three factors: Solution, Impact, People.
Let me explain ...
Solution
My initial meetings here at SundaySky started off as you would expect - ask a few questions, answer a few questions. But then, we started to look at videos - SmartVideos. Holy ?@#!. Conversation stopped as I followed along in awe. To me, it was a glimpse at the future. Call it revolutionary, or call it disruptive, but the one thing, you can’t call it is more of the same.
Think about it, video advancement has come as a by-product of changes in hardware and pipe. Increased bandwidth and smaller, smarter devices now allow me to stream full-length movies on a 10-inch iPad. SmartVideo technology is different. SmartVideo advances video through content, making videos personalized and tailored to deliver the relevant information to each viewer – wow, right? I have thought of it as a CRM 2.0 solution to promote customer intimacy and also Advertising 2.0 (see recent blog, Financial Impact of Online Video Advertising). For me, the ultimate nirvana is when my smart TV knows to show me ads for playoff games, instead of HGTV.
Impact
Before joining, I spoke to a SundaySky sales rep who walked me through the value proposition and the sales process. The pitch was interesting, but what really resonated with me were the connections this person had been able to make with C-level executives at Fortune 500 companies. (Remember, this is not my first rodeo in the online engagement space.) The fact that this sales rep was getting C-level attention and buy-in was a strong indicator of the potential impact of SmartVideo on strategic marketing and customer care initiatives. A great example of this is AT&T, which uses SmartVideo for delivering bills to new and changed U-verse customers. The company’s marketing folks recently posted a promotional video to YouTube regarding their “video bill.”
People
And then, there are the people. Co-worker relationships are important to me. After all, you’re with co-workers for 40 hours plus per week. A positive interpersonal relationship with co-workers keeps the stress level low and happiness high - an intangible factor that can make or break a job. SundaySky has an amazing group of people - smart, open, friendly, fun and among the best at what they do…. from president Jim Disco, to the co-founders Shmulik and Yaniv, to our marketing VP Kelly Ford, solution architect Amit Levran, sales talent in the field like Aaron Fullen and Seth Marlowe, and last, but certainly not least, Efrat Moshkoviz, who knew most about what my future would hold, and was a strong partner during the interview process and is ever more so now that I am on board.
In the end, of course, I accepted the position here, with confidence in knowing I am joining a killer team, contributing in an entrepreneurial environment to something that is break-through and will be extremely impactful in the market.
Can you remember the last time you hit the morning alarm each day with a feeling of excitement to come to work? Well, we’re hiring.
Robert Coverdale aka RC
