Some of you already know, but Monday I’m going to be joining Salesloft as a product designer.
From this point forward I will no longer be contributing to Trustfuel. Just as with SidePrize, my departure is in the economic best interest of the business.
Trustfuel has been a fantastic place to work. The small team behind it is among the most talented group of people I’ve worked with. I still see a tremendous amount of potential in the product. I hope the team executes.
So why join Salesloft?
When I began my job search the new must-haves were a product customers loved and the opportunity to work with other designers.
The product is a reflection of the team behind it. Great teams make great products—and sales people are crazy about Salesloft. I talked with a half dozen friends who use Salesloft. They all had had glowing reviews. Every one of them said that once they started using the product, they could not do without it.
For the last few years I’ve worked on a small team as the lone designer. Feedback and criticism from other designers is something I’ve lacked. Being in an environment with other designers is the right step for me at this point in my career. Salesloft’s small, but growing team of designers felt like the right move.
The other thing about Salesloft was the people. It felt like I had a great connection with almost everyone at Salesloft. Everyone I talked with was both curious and enthusiastic. When I look for people to surround myself with, those are traits I seek.
Finally, there were two conversations that stick out in my mind. The first one was with Salesloft’s COO, Rob Forman. He asked me why I thought design was important for a company like Salesloft.
Design is not critical for all business software. However, it is critical for software as a service. When a customer has to repurchase software every month, quarter or year, the product must be exceptional. Design is a major facet of what makes a product exceptional. I could write a whole post on this topic, but that’s all I’ll say for now.
The other memorable conversation I had was with Salesloft’s CEO, Kyle Porter. He asked me what Salesloft could do for the design community.
Admittedly, this question caught me completely off guard. I didn’t—and still don’t have an answer. I’ve often said that questions are more telling than answers. Kyle asking it is enough to show he’s searching for answers.
So that’s it. Here’s to a new adventure!