Our Lead(H)er series features impressive women leaders in the tech industry. In this Q&A, we are featuring Jessica Haas, VP of CX at Appcues.
Where did you grow up and how would you describe yourself as a child?
I was blessed to grow up in idyllic Monterey Bay, California, just a few houses down from the ocean. My older sister, Rachel, and I would go to the beach almost everyday and my childhood is full of warm, sunny, beachy memories.
As a child, I would describe myself as curious and borderline annoying. I had a lot of energy, talked constantly, and could never sit still but my family loved me anyway. Around my sophomore year in high school, I started to channel that energy in productive ways but I have fond memories of the chaos in my youth.
What did you study in college and what was your first job out of school?
I studied at Cabrillo, then University California, Santa Cruz (yey banana slugs!), majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Computer Science with the dream of creating something and being an entrepreneur. I still carry that dream but found that I also love intrapreneurship equally and being part of a team and larger mission.
Can you share the details on your career path and what were the critical moments that got you to where you are today?
I landed my first role in tech during my senior year of college which I would say was the most pivotal moment in my career. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to learn, establish myself, and I had to pay rent. I loved my first few jobs in tech, learned so much, and met so many people that have forever changed my life.
Another critical moment in my career was with a particular boss I had - We clashed quite a bit and he was not supportive of my career goals. I was shattered and shocked but it was a good motivator and taught me a lot about self-conviction.
What is your current role and responsibilities?
My current role is VP of CX, which means I have the privilege of working with customers and Customer-teams every day. The biggest and most honored responsibility I have is ensuring the people I work with are taken care of to the best of my ability. These may be our customers, teams, or coworkers, but the goal is understanding their frustrations and needs and how best we can improve or solve for these in the short and long term.
Looking back, is this where you thought you’d be professionally? Was it always your goal to be in this position?
As a child, I didn’t know what CX or Software was so it wasn’t an acute goal but I DID know that I had an independent and creative streak and wanted to be in a profession where I could exercise both. Early in my career in tech I knew that this was the course I wanted to be on and I’m still trekking towards that bigger goal!
For people who are looking to be in a similar position, what advice would you give to others in terms of helping them achieve their career goals?
In general, spend a lot of time getting to know yourself and recognizing your natural skills and abilities and develop a leadership philosophy with these as the foundation vs. trying to copy someone else.
Soak up as much industry knowledge as you can through networking, blogs, podcasts, courses, books, and test out these theories within your business. You will learn so much, flex your growth muscles, and it will be your lifelong friend.
More tactically, once every year or two, write your own role, job description, and pay expectations. Be honest with yourself and challenge yourself but DO NOT wait for someone to do this for you. From here, map a plan to get there, assess your gaps, and push yourself against that plan.
What are the most important skills that you need to do your job well?
- Live and think in tomorrow-land, not today-land
- Make organization & efficiency the rhythm of your dancefloor
- Always lead with empathy. Always.
- Master prioritization and practice prioritization-accuracy with spee
- Seek perspective on the situation by finding out what’s at the root of a problem
- Develop your own brand of coping skills – This will ensure you are taking care of yourself along the way.
What do you find most interesting/rewarding about your work? What’s the most challenging?
Many things but to condense to a singular, seeing the people I work with grow. In CX, you develop real relationships with the folks you work with and your customers. Seeing them get promoted, grow, start their own businesses, buy homes, get married, have babies, and it’s incredibly rewarding to be there for those moments in their lives.
The most challenging part is coming across problems or gaps that you cannot solve. Certain things like limited budgets, misaligned feature requests, or significant business changes can have insurmountable ripple effects that, despite your best efforts, cannot be solved and it’s wildly frustrating.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
My first VP role – I had to work VERY hard for this promotion and do three times more to earn this over my counterparts. But I did it with a lot of grit and grace and it’s gotten me one step closer to my master goal.
Are you involved with any professional organizations outside of the company? Volunteer work?
I love to be a part of as many organizations as my bandwidth will allow but at present, mentorship is my primary focus outside of the company.
Q&A
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Gardening, swimming, or horseback riding. Sitting quietly alone is also highly underrated and quite enjoyable.
How do you manage stress?
Taking care of the things that are critical right away helps me not worry or over-think them later.
Finding ways to let go of things quickly is a huge stress reliever. If something is weighing on my mind, it’s only going to multiply so addressing head-on what is frustrating, concerning, problematic, etc. and letting that go as quickly as possible.
Lastly, find the humor wherever possible; you just gotta laugh.
How many cups of coffee do you have in a day?
3 cups on a normal day and 4 cups when I need to kick it into high gear.
Any book or podcast recommendations?
- Professional Podcast: Tim Ferris. Sometimes, it can be pretentious but the amount of knowledge, content, and takeaways loaded into a single episode is mind bending.
- Fun Podcast: Watch What Crappens. Smart, hysterical, and frenzied - It slaps hard.
- Book I just finished & Loved: The Molecule of More. I learned some new things about myself and my relationship with “things”.
What advice do you have for recent college graduates?
Have an open mind and be open to trying and doing as many things as you can. Whether you like something or not, you’ll gain life experiences and learn about yourself. Bonus! Find a mentor that will challenge you; they are so necessary and so wonderful!
