What are some honest, unfiltered things about you?

My passion for transforming education and overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges drives me to work hard in pursuit of our mission. But my team's support, expertise and feedback are essential to our success - and my own growth.

I am super intense and give my everything to work. I am laser focused. My strong work ethic and passion comes from my mom. She moved to the US form Uruguay to attend university at Caltech and study electrical engineering. She taught me that if you put your mind to something and work hard, you are capable of anything.

I am obsessed with continuous growth and lifelong learning. I enjoy learning new tools/technologies, reading about the market, and speaking to customers more than anything. I value feedback and l enjoy collaboration. Nothing feels better than a high five in the office after solving a complex problem or celebrating a small win.

I was an aerospace engineer once. I apply my problem-solving engineering mentality to the problems we face in the business. I love finding scrappy ways to empower our business to run more efficiently, effectively, and smoothly.

I care deeply about our mission and am a believer in Simon Sinek’s framework of company building: 1) advance a just cause, 2) prioritize people, 3) generate revenue to support the first two - in that order. I believe that K12 education is the greatest opportunity to solve societies greatest problems and I am committed to pouring my heart into enacting change in the space. It has become my life’s mission to embed mentorship in the social infrastructure of the world, using technology to foster meaningful relationships and human connections that transform how students learn. I recognize that my execution isn’t perfect but my desire is boundless. I am putting my heart and soul into being the best possible colleague, collaborator, and leader.

What qualities do you particularly value in people who work with you?

I value working with individuals who possess exceptional ambition and a strong drive to make a meaningful impact in the world. They are motivated to tackle challenging problems that have the potential to positively transform lives.

In my team, I appreciate individuals who are not afraid of hard work and are willing to make sacrifices in order to achieve results. I am inspired by team members who approach their work with unwavering optimism and a smile, demonstrating resilience in the face of obstacles. We all have tough days, so I value transparency when things aren't going well. My door is always open and I'm understanding. I'm energized by individuals who are enthusiastic about discussing the big picture like market trends, innovative companies in the space, and emerging technologies like AI that have the potential to shape the future of education. Above all, I actively seek out team members who display a deep curiosity about the pain points of our users and demonstrate a strong passion for our mission. I highly value individuals who ask thought-provoking questions that reveal a genuine desire to understand the root causes of problems we face. I also admire scrappy, resourceful individuals who suggest automation tools (ie zapier) or tools (ie Current) that make our work more efficient.

Organized people who create plans and checklists lighten my load and allow me to focus on the big picture. I appreciate the value of organization and appreciate team members who take the initiative to create plans and checklists that are visible and updated. Lastly, I genuinely appreciate team members who are willing to roll up their sleeves and handle any task, regardless of its size. The combination of grit, determination, and a positive attitude goes a long way in setting a powerful example for others on the team.

What do I think will make for a better work environment?

• Heartfelt Urgency. I believe in the power of deadlines as a positive constraint. I prefer to establish clear expectations upfront, negotiate deadlines and scope before starting a project, and commit to them. This is better than approaching a deadline and not having anything to show for it.
• Being explicit. If I don't understand what you're doing, it's best for us to have a conversation about it so I can understand your workload and objectives. While I encourage personal side projects and deviation from the roadmap if it will benefit the customer, please make the changes explicit so that others understand what the change is and why it was made. If you disagree with the roadmap or direction, let's discuss it. I am open to changes and am all about strong ideas, loosely held.
• Removing ownership frameworks that slow things down. Even with the best intentions, it can be easy to get bogged down by intellectual debate, risk mitigation, or a little too much process. When the path ahead isn’t perfectly clear, just make a decision and go with it. I’d rather move quickly and make a mistake, than not act and miss an opportunity. We learn faster when we’re operating at a clock speed that feels a little uncomfortable.
• Personalized communication with customers. Taking an extra 2 minutes to refer to a student profile or lesson notes can add a personal touch to customer check-ins. These details go a long way and are what you will be remembered for. When communicating with customers, make the effort to earn the right to receive a response in their cluttered and overfilled inbox.
• Curiosity for the user. “What we sell to families is a human service. It is access to people, their knowledge, skill sets, and personalities with support from other humans and their collective knowledge. The value of that access is in its impact to students. We’re in the relationship business.” To inspire, we must deeply understand the motivations and pain points of all stakeholders in our ecosystem - students, parents, and mentors. Failing to take the time to understand our users is the greatest risk to our business.
• No Gossiping. Don’t say something behind someone else’s back. It can be hurtful and unproductive. Please speak to the person directly to resolve the matter at stake.
• Assuming miscommunication, not malice: (to borrow from Paola): Sometimes, people can assume the worst in my intent. I am a simple guy with really good intentions - I am sure I didn’t mean to offend you (and I’m sorry if I do). I am working really hard to improve my communication. Please ask to get on a quick call as my tone can be lost in text.