5 Questions with Davis Godbout, Product Manager @ Splunk
5 Questions is a series where we ask CMCI Studio alumni to share insights about the future of design and how to grow as a creative. To learn more about the Studio masters program check the details at the end of this story or visit our website. Enrollment is now open for fall 2019.
This week we’re featuring David Godbout, Product Manager at Splunk.
Davis graduated from the Studio program in 2012. Right out of Studio, Davis joined an early stage company, Captimo. The company was a social media platform for brands, with partners like Ragnar Relay Series, Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series. Captimo was acquired by Atigeo in 2014.
After Captimo, Davis moved to the Bay Area to co-found as VP of Product Final, a credit card company that went through Techstars and Y Combinator. Final was later acquired by Goldman Sachs.
“We built a next-generation credit card that gave users ultimate control of how and when their credit card number could be used in real time. Despite being up against an antiquated financial industry, I learned a ton about product launches, user acquisition, and team building.”
Following Final, Davis joined VictorOps as a product manager leading projects including a reporting/data overhaul, conversion funnel growth initiatives and strategic projects. VictorOps was acquired by Splunk in June 2018, and since then he’s continued to work on the VictorOps incident management platform.
Davis’s favorite work so far?
“In early 2018, I was tasked with improving the conversion funnel at VictorOps. A teammate and I worked to identify the conversion funnel data points and opportunities that could provide quick wins. Our initial hypothesis was that we could increase paid conversion by 3%, which we achieved within three months, much faster than expected.
There were a couple of reasons why I loved this project: having a hypothesis that was easily trackable and linked to revenue, being able to lean against the competitive landscape and exceeding our initial goals.”
5 Questions with Davis
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career so far?
[Davis] Take “logical risks”, meaning attaching each risk to an identified goal in mind. I think too often the focus is on risk taking and hoping for the best without a specific intention. Since Studio my experience has taught me that by combining “logic” and “risk” I’m able to pay attention to the journey of the product and make changes as I learn whether or not an approach is working.
When you look at the current landscape of design and technology what are you most excited about and most concerned about?
[Davis] The access to information and data both excites and scares the shit out of me.
While people now have the ability to Google search and “educate” themselves in record time, the onus is now on the end-user to be critical as to the source, bias, or veracity of that information.
At the same time, we’ve gone from “build habit-forming products” to “wait, maybe having your phone open for 50 hours a week isn’t the healthiest thing”. It will be really interesting to see how we as a generation handle this new world of ever-present access to information and technology.
The major platforms weren’t necessarily designed with the intention to understand their impact on society, and I’m hopeful that the next generation of products will be built with impact in mind not only for benevolence but because users demand it.
When you think about the designers of the future, what do you see as the most critical skills they will need in order to be successful?
[Davis] To have a critical mindset that extends beyond between your two ears. The art (and science) of design means being able to be inquisitive enough to seek out new ideas but grounded enough to be empathetic to users of your solution.
The biggest difference between being a designer and being an artist playing a designer is being able to justify decisions with empirical evidence such as data, user need/feedback, technical opportunities, and understanding the potential impacts on society.
In spending time with Studio past and present, I’m excited by the inclusion of morality within design. I’ve seen the program progress from an advertising oriented program (and debating whether or not to promote cigarettes or junk food) to being a solution-oriented program to the world’s problems extending beyond just the use of technology.
How did your experience in the Studio graduate program impact your ability to be successful in your career?
[Davis] One of the biggest breakthroughs for me in attending Studio was the idea that anything can be learned. In the technology industry, as soon as you are comfortable, you are going to slip behind. Asking questions, and recognizing the opportunity in every conversation or project was a mindset shift that I have carried with me through life.
I greatly appreciate the liberal arts foundation that I have from my undergraduate studies (Colgate University) and the diversity of perspectives that that education requires. Studio relies on these same principles from a product perspective (UX/ UI design, marketing, branding, technology, entrepreneurialism) in understanding how to execute an idea. Honestly, I take it for granted that everyone understands each of these components and their interconnectedness, but it’s a rare group of people that get it and the successes of the alumni speak for themselves.
What are some of the most important tools and processes you use in your job right now?
[Davis] Although the terms “human-centered design” and “design thinking” get bandied about with reckless abandon these days, the underlying intention and process are the foundations of my approach to building product. This shared language and accepted construct allows me to communicate and move forward in doing what I love: helping teams ship products that solve real problems with measurable impact.
I recently gave a talk about the importance of post-incident reviews and think it represents the team dynamics that we’ve built at VictorOps that are critical for our success: Conducting Better Post-Incident Reviews With Splunk and VictorOps.
You can follow Davis on twitter here.
Follow the rest of our “5 Questions” series here.
About CMCI Studio
CMCI Studio is a design graduate program at CU Boulder. Driven by a culture of collective creativity and fueled by design thinking, our mission is to transform our students into design professionals capable of leading us into the future and solving problems in a rapidly changing world. Our graduates have gone on to design and lead teams at Google, Apple, Spotify, Uber, Pinterest, Dropbox, Airbnb, Wieden+Kennedy, R/GA and many more.
We are currently accepting applications for our 2019–2020 school year. The application deadline is February 15th. Get more details and apply at our website.
