Q&A with Diego Figueroa, Head of Brand Marketing

Byline: Amanda Reierson, Head of Marketing at Thumbtack

Six months ago, Diego joined Thumbtack as Head of Brand Marketing. He oversees the Brand Creative, Brand Experiences, Creative Production and Social Marketing teams. Diego has over 20 years of experience leading brand strategy. Prior to his role at Thumbtack, Diego worked at Facebook as Global Director of Brand Foundations & Strategy and before that, he worked at top advertising agencies such as Leo Burnett. He currently lives in Chicago. We sat down to talk about his time at Thumbtack and what he’s cooking up for the next six months and beyond!

Amanda: What motivated you to join Thumbtack?

Diego: There were two reasons. First, everyone had a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve from a brand perspective. I’ve been building brands my entire career and, especially in technology, it’s very rare to find companies that know they need to do brand work to get to the next level. But it was loud and clear from all of my conversations here that brand work is viewed as a critical element on the company’s path to success.

And then of course, the other element is the people. Every single person I talked to in the interview process felt very honest, straightforward, and humble. The common denominator among them was a desire to work hard, with zero ego. It was such a refreshing environment, and made it a no-brainer.

Amanda: You joined a marketing team with a lot of new hires at Thumbtack (myself included!). Was that a different experience from past roles?

Diego: Yes, the marketing organization here had been growing quite a bit before I joined so most of the 17 people on my team came from other places. Whereas in other roles I’ve spent more time hiring, here it’s been about solidifying our identity as a group and being very intentional about what kind of organization we want to build together.

Amanda: What has it been like creating that sense of identity and cohesion without being in a physical office?

Diego: Building relationships through a screen isn’t as easy as it was when I could just sit on a table and talk to someone. But the flipside of that is that trust has to be the essential ingredient in building the team. We all have to trust each other without being able to see exactly what everyone’s doing. That, for me, is actually a benefit of remote work. It just puts that core dynamic front and center.

Amanda: What Thumbtack value resonates with you most?

Diego: Start with Why. I find that stated values aren’t wildly different from one company to the other (the words are different, but the same texture or flavor exists everywhere I’ve worked). So when I started at Thumbtack, the promise of being a place where you will question things constantly and experiment was exactly that — a promise. But six months later, I can say that it really is in the DNA of the company. Everyone is so purposeful about every decision we make.

Amanda: What excites you most about the potential of the Thumbtack brand?

Diego: Like I mentioned in the beginning, I don’t think that the technology industry in general is knowledgeable or even very interested in developing brands. (That’s not what they’re good at — they’re engineers who think about the product and product experience). So to find a company with a deep understanding of what marketing and branding should do is incredibly exciting. The foundation is here and there’s so much support. Now it’s time to find that new positioning and instill meaning into this brand, and that’s incredibly exciting.

Amanda: What’s inspiring you as you think about how the brand might evolve?

Diego: When I’m developing a brand, I think a lot about two things: the brand’s existing history and its opportunity from a cultural perspective. In other words, what can you actually be a part of in regards to what’s happening in the world?

For Thumbtack, there are two things that stuck in my head from the very beginning. One was the fact that we see technology as a way to create jobs, not eliminate them. It’s not overtly part of our narrative, it’s just something I’ve heard people say a lot here, and it really resonates with me. I do believe that this company is rooted in the principle that we want to help people in their endeavors.

The other thing I think about a lot is that we need brands to start talking about how you can feel good about the decisions you make. In marketing, you see a lot of “problem/solution” positioning and that’s fine, but I think we can do better — especially because we’re talking about a home. A house is a place where people live, grow, and nurture. There’s a richness and emotional value there, and I think we have a powerful opportunity.

Amanda: What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

Diego: Ideas! The possibility of creating something that inspires emotions in people, whatever those may be. Being able to manufacture that from scratch — that keeps me going. It’s the reason why I’d feel exactly the same excitement if I worked in a kitchen instead. For me, it’s about creating something that will generate a reaction from someone.

Amanda: Speaking of things outside of work, what are your personal passions?

Diego: I love cooking. That’s why I went there just now. When I move anywhere, the kitchen is always the first thing I furnish. I don’t mind sleeping on an inflatable mattress as long as I have a good set of pots and ladles.

Amanda: Do you have a signature dish?

Diego: I’m Peruvian, so I cook a lot of Peruvian food. Anything that treats the ingredients properly. I’m not into chemistry or complicated sauces, it’s more about finding flavor in good ingredients.

Amanda: Lastly, do you have any advice for someone who might be applying to the marketing department at Thumbtack?

Diego: The first thing I always say in an interview is that you have to feel comfortable with creating things from scratch. A lot of people want the consistency of a structured environment, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I think that marketing is evolving so fast, like everything in our lives, that you have to feel comfortable with the idea that you have the power — right now — to create things that didn’t exist before. And I don’t just mean ideas, I mean the systems and the tools that actually implement them.

There’s a lot of excitement at Thumbtack because that’s the mentality. Everything is a possibility for us right now: a possibility to make something better or to simply create something that didn’t exist before. I love that. But you need to feel that desire in order to join a company like this.

To learn more about Thumbtack and our open positions, visit www.thumbtack.com/careers