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Nicholas, Senior Program Manager at Deliverr: Advize Career Interview
A career progression from sales and operations at Shift Technologies to a Senior Program Manager role at Deliverr, a Shopify acquisition, showcases expertise in scaling startups and global supply chain management.
This individual's daily work involves managing teams, setting goals, analyzing data using tools like SQL and Excel, and building relationships.
Success in this fast-paced tech industry requires strong analytical skills, the ability to sell ideas, thriving in ambiguous environments, and emotional intelligence.
The interview highlights the intense, yet rewarding, nature of the work, emphasizing the importance of emotional management and the value of early experiences like teaching assistant roles and student leadership positions in building a successful career.
A significant takeaway is the importance of self-awareness and adaptability in navigating both the challenges and rewards of a demanding career in a dynamic industry, shaped in part by their Asian American identity and a global perspective.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nicholas Fong
Senior Program Manager
Deliverr
UC Merced, 2014
None
Economics
Technology
Strategic Management and Executive
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
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Career Path of a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr
Nicholas's career path showcases a progression from sales and operations at Shift Technologies to leading new market launches, "launching their first market in North Carolina and... scaling up to 34 plus countries," culminating in a Senior Program Manager role at Deliverr, where they managed supply chain programs before the company's acquisition by Shopify. This trajectory highlights expertise in scaling startups and managing global supply chain operations.
Main Responsibilities of a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr
As a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr, Nicholas managed the team responsible for the supply chain program, encompassing "all the packaging for all of Deliverr's clients," ranging from shoes to protein powder. This involved day-to-day team management, goal setting, planning, and providing "all of our planning to our leadership," demonstrating a blend of operational and strategic responsibilities.
A Day In The Life Of A Senior Program Manager At Deliverr
A Senior Program Manager's day at Deliverr is "a lot of meetings," including update and project meetings, with intentional time allocated for documentation review and data analysis to support new tool development; relationship building through proactive communication is also key to success in this role.
Most Important Skills for a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr
Nicholas, a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr, emphasizes the critical need for "ability to sell ideas," citing early customer-facing roles as highly beneficial in developing this skill, essential for proposing and advocating for initiatives in mid-to-senior level positions. Further, strong analytical skills, including understanding data logic and using tools like SQL and Excel to interpret "what data tells you from like a story perspective," are highlighted as equally important for success in this role.
Favorite Parts Of Being A Senior Program Manager At Deliverr
Nicholas finds the most rewarding aspects of their Senior Program Manager role at Deliverr to be "being a people manager," finding satisfaction in "seeing the personal growth in people," and the significant impact their work has on the company and its customers. This highlights a career progression where initial reservations about management were overcome by the value of diverse perspectives and contributing to broader organizational success.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Senior Program Manager At Deliverr
Nicholas's biggest challenge as a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr is determining the best approach to complex problems with multiple dependencies and teams, requiring a balance between seeking external expertise and forming their own informed opinion; this reflects the increasing complexity of problems encountered as one progresses in a career.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Tech Startup Industry As A Senior Program Manager
Nicholas, a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr, enjoys the fast-paced, iterative nature of the tech startup industry, stating that "things are really quickly moving" and "we're experimenting and making new decisions on the fly." This dynamic environment, characterized by "letting the data...tell us what are the right approaches," is a key aspect of their career satisfaction.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Startup Industry According To A Senior Program Manager At Deliverr
Nicholas, a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr, identifies three key traits for success in the tech startup industry: thriving in "ambiguous environments" where answers aren't immediately clear, possessing intellectual curiosity and asking "a lot of really good questions," and being "analytical, numbers driven, data driven," while also incorporating qualitative perspectives. This blend of analytical skills and adaptability reflects the demands of a fast-paced, evolving environment.
What a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr Wishes They Had Known Before Entering Startups
Nicholas, a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr, advises aspiring professionals to understand the intense emotional and time commitment involved in fast-growing startups, stating that "high peaks...also [have] low troughs," impacting mental and physical well-being. The intensity level, Nicholas notes, surpasses even that of consulting or investment banking, requiring significant preparation for the emotionally and physically demanding nature of the work.
Entry Level Positions For Aspiring Program Managers At Deliverr
Nicholas, a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr, advises that a traditional path in consulting or investment banking first provides valuable "generalist perspective" and essential skills before transitioning to a startup. Entry-level roles such as analyst positions, operational roles, or software engineering roles exist, but Nicholas suggests these are often better suited after gaining experience in larger companies, noting that "mature startups want to see people with some experience".
Significant Career Lesson From A Senior Program Manager At Deliverr
Early in Nicholas' career as a manager, feedback revealed that showing stress negatively impacted their team; this led to a significant lesson about emotional management. Nicholas learned that as a leader, "you kind of set the tone for your team," influencing their atmosphere and productivity, thus emphasizing the importance of emotional stability and self-awareness for effective leadership.
College Experiences That Helped A Senior Program Manager At Deliverr Succeed
To prepare for a successful career, Nicholas suggests undergraduates seek out opportunities like teaching assistant roles with professors to gain "early working experience" and understand "person to person relationships". Further, involvement in fellowships, like the university Innovation fellow program, and student organizations provides valuable leadership experience and diverse perspectives, helping one "figure out...are these things that you want to do".
How Identity Has Influenced a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr's Career
Nicholas's Asian American identity significantly shaped their career journey, initially influencing relationship building with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Through experiences working globally, they developed empathy and self-awareness, acknowledging both positive and negative impacts while emphasizing that "it was like a positive part of like my own self-discovery," ultimately contributing to professional growth and a more grounded perspective.
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