Today I'm giving thanks for Dug Nichols.
In late 2018 / early 2019, we grew our headcount by ~60% overnight. I was CEO but had re-engaged as acting Head of Product to oversee the launch and growth of our second product. We were moving fast and it was time for someone else to step in and take the reins.
I was super fortunate to have Dug join the team at this critical juncture. As a fellow startup founder and CEO, Dug was quick to understand the challenges we were facing and was also someone I trusted. Dug moved fast on instituting or championing key things we needed– like a data-driven approach to product decisions, OKRs, and clarity in defining our one key priority at any given time.
As 2020 rolled around, Dug figured out way before I did that COVID was going to be a big deal. He made sure our exec team was on it. As a result, we were quicker than most to move to a “work from home by default” policy and better prepared than we otherwise would have been for the financial ambiguity that would overshadow much of March-May.
As the second half of 2020 hit, we were once again in fast-paced growth mode and it was critical that Dug had the respect of his team and beyond within the organization. We were able to go further and faster as a result.
Dug- I’m honored you joined when you did and grateful for all you accomplished in your time with us. I look forward to future conversations and can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.
Originally posted on LinkedIn – head over to give it a like or a share.
I’m giving thanks for 100+ days to individuals that positively impacted me or HomeSpotter’s trajectory.