3 Years in a software company

This week I am celebrating my 3 year anniversary at Cloudera, a company which supplies software. I think this is a great moment to provide some insight into what my journey was like, and what people may expect when moving into the field of technology and specifically the role of Solutions Engineer.

MONTH 1: WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?

In the first month I really tried to answer two questions to determine what the company is about and how I could help here.

What does my company do?

For understanding what the company does, I always recommend finding a top down view of what the company actually brings to the market (various software products, services, ...) AND where the money comes from. A single loud team may create enough content to make themselves look huge, while they are in fact representing less than 1% of the turnover. Do not discard anything just because it is small, but do put things into context.

What is my role in the company?

To understand the role, it may actually not be bad to look for an (internal) role description. Or in larger companies perhaps even an outline of the core process and how you fit in. Of course it also makes sense to listen carefully to your manager, and then put this in perspective by discussing with peers. A key point which techies may easily forget, is that if you have any metrics, they are very important as well. A simple example: If your success is partially measured by how your customers grow, then it is not wise to close your eyes and hope the Account Manager got the strategy covered. Similarly if you are measured on customer satisfaction and success, you cannot hope that a support team takes all responsibility here, but you may need to be proactive in offering guidance in terms of solutioning, and lifecycle management (help them decide when to switch to the latest version of software).

FIRST HALF YEAR: WHAT CAN WE DO?

It may shock some people, but when joining a deeply technical company it can easily take 6 months to get a decent handle on the technology. You will also note that the people around you are deeply technical, certainly colleagues and even customers can sometimes be intimidating. The first half year for me was about answering these two questions:

What is our offering?

It is important to build a solid understanding of the solution that you can provide. However, with some exceptions that may actually be the easy part. Especially in the data domain, a single solution means nothing, it only becomes relevant in a context. As such you will find yourself getting many questions about:

• Integrations
• Dependencies
• Possible alternatives

Definitely hunt for reading materials on each of these topics, but you will soon find that certain things can only be learned by researching it in depth. Fortunately many customers will face similar challenges, so soon you will be able to tap into knowledge that you have built up.

What should I know about it?

Perhaps not every company is as broad as Cloudera, but there is always more to learn than can be achieved by one person, especially when including the broader context. Rather than being overwhelmed by every single colleague knowing something more than you, keep in mind that you do not need to know the everything about each single area. Do pick one or a few areas to specialize in, and for the rest define a baseline for how much you should minimally know. In my case the first baseline for major topics was very simple: "I should be able to briefly explain each major topic". I soon raised that to "I should be able to have a discussion about each major topic" and from there I just gradually kept raising the bar. In parallel I dove deep into one topic, but still in a gradual fashion: "I should be able to explain the topic to an intermediate user", "I should be able to create my own demo on this topic" and today I support other regions and work with the product team.

FIRST TWO YEARS: HELP? HELP!

It is great to build personal understanding, but putting your knowledge to use and effectively tapping into that of others is really what it is all about.

Who can I help?

The most direct way a Solutions Engineer can help, is by working with customers. Though it is not a healthy topic to think about every day, evaluating your customer portfolio now and then makes total sense. Especially when things change (e.g. the customer base grows, or colleagues change roles) it is important to have a clear vision of what you want on your plate. Always think on how you can add most value and still be in a good position personally: Are you ready to take on a big customer, or feel more suited to work with several small ones. Perhaps you want to focus on customers that align with your specialization, or customer that actually have a gap in that direction.

Also look further than your own customers. The fastest way to grow your knowledge and personal network is by always looking for opportunities to help others. Perhaps your peers, sometimes the product team or even the marketing team (as you may note I am even sharing my positive vibes around Cloudera today). If you find it hard to help others in this stage, perhaps it is a good time to focus more on one or two specific topics, as people rarely need help from a generalist.

Who can help me?

In a customer facing role you should expect to get many questions. Part of these can be answered with readily available reading materials but as you progress the questions tend to get more specialized. As such it is important to acknowledge on time that certain questions need help, and that it is critical to know where you can find the right knowledge. In the digital age tools like Slack already make it easier to find experts on topics, but definitely also focus on individual connections. Initially your colleagues may guide you to the right people, but ultimately it is up to you to work with them. Always keep in mind that it is upto the person on the other side whether they help you (well) or not, even if it is in their job description. My personal approach to this is that by helping others, and thanking and acknowledging those who help me. Of course sharing beers and cookies can help as well!

YEAR 3 AND BEYOND: TO BE CONTINUED

It still feels too soon to draw conclusions about the last year. Some things that came on my path which definitely seem to makes sense in this section:

• Coaching new colleagues: Being a few years in you have the experience, but can still remember what it is like to be new.
• Pulling one's weight: The first year should hardly count for anyone taking on a new role in a new company, but around year 2 it is usually important that a fair customer base is supported, and in a fast moving industry the people who are in for 3+ years usually will compensate for any gaps in capacity (possibly due to the ramp up in year 1).
• Building thought leadership: Now that you are in for a few years, you should be able to recognize the real interesting questions. Due to this you are now well positioned to share internal or public thoughts on these challenges and possible solutions or approaches.

CONCLUSION

Entering a software company can be a wild ride, with expectations all over the place. Now you know how I took the journey and perhaps some of the key questions I focused on may help you find direction as well!