I joined Wizeline 5 years ago, in January 2018. It was an important moment in the company, consolidating its business and focus as a digital services company. Wizeline was born as a product company, offering a solution to build better products faster. All startups must adapt, learn, and transform; as Bismarck, our founder and CEO, says: “The mission of every startup is to survive.”
At the core of Wizeline, I discovered a deep connection with two principles central to our culture and business: product mindset and a commitment to lifelong learning.
When I need an energy boost, I look into what our team is working on and the latest news from Wizeline Academy programs.
Wizeline Academy offers free tech talks, bootcamps, and courses. We believe talent is evenly distributed, but opportunities and experience are not. Therefore, we are committed to creating opportunities and connecting people with career and learning experiences that will accelerate their careers.
Wizeline Academy is the result of our passion for learning and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Wizeline Academy in 2022
Commitment to lifelong learning requires curiosity and humility. We learn not to know it all but to become better.
Of course, we are not perfect. As individuals and as a company, we make mistakes. We have made them in the past and will likely continue to do so. However, we are committed to learning from these mistakes and doing our best to avoid repeating them.
Product mindset can be seen and felt all around the company. We collaborate with our customers to design and build digital products and experiences. We use our company’s processes and challenges as our dojo, where we practice, experiment, and perfect our craft.
Wizeline OS is our platform, where we connect and manage talent and customers. Our talent platform helps people (Technologists and Creatives) discover learning and professional opportunities to grow and accelerate their careers.
Wizeline OS
We encourage every company member to propose ideas and work in teams to design and build solutions. In Wizeline Labs, our open innovation platform, you can find a constant flow of proposals and products. It’s impressive to see how our teams collaborate in this process, and it’s even more satisfying to see how these solutions support our day-to-day operations.
Wizeline Labs
Developing a product mindset requires hard work and focus at individual and organizational levels.
Having a product mindset is about focusing on value and putting the customer first. However, this is easier said than done. There are many obstacles preventing teams and companies from actually doing this, such as budgets, organizational silos, power struggles, communication challenges, and more. Developing a product mindset is an ongoing process that requires companies to be open to making mistakes and taking risks. They must constantly ask “why” at different stages of the journey and always consider how to add value to the customer.
Having a product mindset is not caring about the products, which might sound counterintuitive, and this is where most companies, even product companies, fail. When teams become so in love with their craft, they lose sight of the end goal. To succeed, you must fall in love with the problem and obsess with creating value, deeply understanding, and caring for the customer.
Remember to constantly ask why, start with the customer and work backward from it, take risks, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving. Learning requires curiosity and humility, being ready to unlearn, and starting over.
