Regardless of whether you’re different ways to improve our all the different roles. Understand through travel. As I've learned in 70 or 17 years old, you can have software, other use cases for our the companies. Don't be siloed in my personal travels, travel shapes a hunger for innovation. So one solutions, or new software that your approach to understanding the way you see the world. I think thing I like about software is the could be developed. That's how software. For people looking the more you’re challenged and intermix of people and their some of the greatest businesses to make a career change, be exposed to new and different alignment and passion around in the world have spun up. humble. The career you had things, the more tolerant and innovation. It’s challenging to be around when you made a career change understanding you’ll be of that much creativity and is not the career you now have. everything around you. I think What are the biggest innovation, and at the same You've got to make sure you have that's very important today. challenges you face in tech? time, to stay focused on the task the same diligence to earn your Constant innovation takes a at hand, on what needs to be stripes and cut your teeth in the Andy Tzou What do you like about really open mind. Hopefully, done today when we know the software world as well. working in tech? It's super people in this industry are future is going to be so crazy Lead Product Manager, DocuSign fast-moving. There's a lot passionate about things. and interesting. of innovation that's always And when you’re passionate, What does DocuSign do? engineering. Art, too. And so I happening, so you get to talk to a sometimes it's hard to have an Any advice for those looking Since 2003, DocuSign has thought that engineering would lot of brilliant folks that are deeply open mind and see the other to get into tech? For young relentlessly focused on improving help me knock two birds out passionate and knowledgeable side. We often sit around after people looking to do it, learn the way business agreements with one stone, like a little data about what they're working work and talk about ideas, everything about the industry and get done. We led the e-signature engineering with a little creativity. on. Every day, walking around revolution and now we’re this office, I get to have these connecting that solution to every That brought me into technology conversations and see new other aspect of the process: how and, eventually, through a series technologies being developed. agreements are prepared, signed, of conversations with myself enacted, and managed. DocuSign about how I could better use my What are the biggest enables Salesforce customers electrical engineering degree, challenges you face in tech? to quickly and easily generate, I came back to the Bay Area. One of the challenges comes negotiate, and sign agreements From a product engineering role, from not working all the time with within Salesforce, improving I moved into operations. I was incumbent, existing technology, compliance and minimizing working in sales operations but instead looking to always errors. It’s a better experience for because I wanted to learn more improve. Because of that desire customers, who can now sign about the business and how to improve, you're always running from practically anywhere, on any everything ran. into new challenges. So it's up device, thereby accelerating the to you to be more creative and entire sales cycle. What did you want to be when search out how you can create you were a kid? As a kid I was that. That could require either What do you do at DocuSign? all over the place. At some point partnering with other people with I'm a product manager focused I wanted to be an astronaut. other expertise, or working with on Salesforce. I started with At another point I wanted to be your own engineering team. our solution engineering team a musician. At another point to help customers come to an I wanted to be a basketball Any advice for those looking optimal DocuSign solution for player. Once I found something to get into tech? Jump in. their processes. Now I work with new, I'd take it on to see how far The tech community is very our product development team it'd take me and to venture into welcoming. I don't think I know to create new solutions for those something else that seemed a single person that would not customers. awesome. encourage it. At the very least, investigate it and see if it's right. How did you get into tech? What would you do if you There's always an opportunity to I’ve had a lot of different roles, didn’t work in tech? It would talk to someone in technology but in college I had a degree be related to education in some that’s able to offer feedback, in electrical engineering. I sort of way, and helping people direct you to another resource, was always fascinated with understand other people better. and gauge what's right for you. technology, always interested in That’d most likely manifest itself So just jump in! 22 THE EXCHANGE WINTER 2019 WINTER 2019 THE EXCHANGE 23