People

For our first Spotlight, we checked in with John Skilbeck. Currently based in his hometown of Los Angeles, he shared his story of transitioning from accounting to engineering—and what excites him about working at Finch.

What do you do at Finch?

I'm a software engineer. I started at Finch about a year ago, and the experience has been a really positive one. I spend the majority of my time working on new and existing integrations.

Finch is a universal employment API that interacts with systems that are really old and clunky. So, that's where I come in. I build integrations against legacy software. I love problem-solving, so, to me, finding solutions feels like an itch that needs to be scratched. I love working here because there's always a new set of challenges. It’s really dynamic.

Why did you decide to become a software engineer?

I originally went to school for accounting. After graduation, I started working at a Big Four accounting firm. While there, I developed an interest in automating processes. It all started with some financial analysts showing me how they automate projections using Excel, and then more advanced stuff like SQLs, databases, and running queries. That’s when I thought, “Okay, cool. This is pretty interesting.”

I kept honing my skills, and eventually, I found myself working in the finance sector doing data engineering. From there, I made the move to software engineering.

That’s a big change. What was that transition like?

I loved accounting during school, but the actual practice at my job just never really clicked for me. It’s like, you have four years to guess what you want to do for the rest of your life, and if you get it wrong, it’s just so crushing. That’s what I experienced as an accountant. You learn something once, and then you’re on repeat for 40 years until you retire.

As a software engineer, you can't do that. You have to be constantly learning. I was always interested in that kind of thing. Finch is my second role as a sort of general software engineer, and it’s been really rewarding.

What brought you to Finch?

At my last company, we had five teams each working on their internal services API, and within my team, we had two or three APIs. I was responsible for one of them—the search API—and I got a lot of fulfillment out of the process.

When I first connected with Finch, they said "Yeah, we’re an API company, and you would get to do that all day." It was interesting to me from the start, and it really resonated with what I liked doing in my previous role. I'm so impressed with what the team has done in such a short amount of time. It feels like we’ve captured lightning in a bottle, to have such exciting demand for a product that just didn’t exist before. It feels like we’re creating a new market.

What’s your favorite part about working here?

We’re at an exciting stage of growth. This is the smallest organization I’ve joined. After spending time at larger companies, I knew I wanted to be at an early-stage startup. It’s refreshing to work with a group of folks where everyone is a core team member. I’m looking forward to the impact that we’re creating both internally and externally.

What do you do outside of work for fun?

Before COVID, my girlfriend and I were living in San Francisco in separate apartments. But we’ve been spending the pandemic together in Los Angeles, where I grew up.

We love to go hiking. My girlfriend has a dog named Mickey, and it’s been amazing hanging out with him. He’s so lovable—he’s like this furry thing the size of a football with a mouth and eyes, and it’s pretty cute. So, yeah, we like going on hikes with Mickey.

What’s something that you're proud of?

I’ve climbed Half Dome twice. It was really intense but also pretty cool. I’m also happy to have finally found a career that I truly enjoy.

If you could switch jobs with anyone at Finch for a month, who would it be?

During your first week at Finch, you sit through sales calls with Ansel, the COO and co-founder. I’ve discovered that there’s a lot of excitement around what we’re building. It’s indicative of how poorly employment systems are positioned for the current engineering age. So, I would temporarily switch with Ansel because I would have so much satisfaction on a daily basis seeing how our product is such a hit with our customers.

What are you looking forward to in the upcoming months?

We’re working on at least six new integrations for both large and small organizations. I’m also working on non-customer features to maintain code stability as we scale.

If you were to describe Finch in one word, what would it be?

Challenging. In the best possible way.

What motivates you?

I enjoy building products knowing that they’ll be used directly by external developers. Working as a data engineer kept my interactions limited to internal teams. Now, as a software engineer, there’s a level of satisfaction that comes from working with external teams and creating meaningful, impactful tools.

What’s something that you’ve learned during your time at Finch?

I’ve learned a lot about older technologies and how the web works. At my last company, we used five services, so you get to know them inside and out. At Finch, I’ve been exposed to all sorts of different systems and services because I have to integrate with what the client is using. So, the systems range from a couple of years old to 20. It’s basically the history of the web.

Finally, what’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?

Don’t be intimidated by things breaking down. Early on, I’d get very intimidated by error messages. I’d spend days consumed by an error message. I’d text any engineering friends I had to see if they knew how to solve it and just stew. You need to roll up your sleeves and try to reason around what is happening. If it’s a library, dive into its source code or open issues. If it’s an integration, check the status code and/or response body, etc. Go deep. Try to figure out what’s going on, and keep at it.

Interested in joining the Finch team? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions here.

Alex is originally from New Jersey but moved to California to study computer science at U.C. Berkeley. Now based in San Francisco, he’s happy to be back doing what he loves at a small but (rapidly!) growing company while still having time and opportunity in his personal life to take advantage of the best the West Coast has to offer. Learn more about Alex—and his advice for engineers just starting their careers—in our conversation below.

What brought you to Finch?

After spending several years working at enterprise and midsize organizations, I wanted to go back to my roots and join an early stage startup. It was important for me to find an opportunity to get in at the ground floor, because I wanted a lot of ownership, and I wanted to be able to take on a lot of different responsibilities and grow with the organization. There is good opportunity to do that here. I was also really impressed with how much traction the product was getting. Finch only had one or two engineers at the time, and they were already working with big companies. That was motivating—to be at the cusp of powering all of these other businesses.

Where were you before Finch?

When I was still in school, a couple of my friends and I created a startup and ended up taking some time off to keep pursuing it. I loved the camaraderie of the team and the feeling that I had a lot of impact on the end product. It was really fulfilling for me. When I finished school, I went in the complete opposite direction. I went to a gigantic company—Apple—where I started in mobile development before switching to machine learning. Then I went to a neobank called Digit, where I worked on the money management system. After that, I really wanted to go back to something small.

Tell us about your role.

My official title is founding software engineer. My responsibilities are varied, but it's mostly engineering work. I started out building our integrations with different payroll systems. Recently, I moved more into building new products. The project I’m working on now has been a little bit different than the rest of our endpoints, because we’re able to not just read from the system but also write back into it. And this week I'm doing product marketing, which I've never done before. So, I get to dabble. That's been cool.

What drives you to do the work that you’re doing here?

It’s evident that we’re building critical infrastructure for employment-oriented companies, so they can streamline manual processes. Knowing that we’re solving a real pain point, and that my role directly ties to clients’ needs, is really motivating for me.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

The work is very open-ended; there's not really one right answer. And so, a lot of it requires creative solutions. But that's also what makes it fascinating to me—the fact that it's not always a straightforward task. I have to dig and take different angles. For example, there's not really a roadmap for the product I’m working on. The challenge is how you scope it down and identify the needs of the customer and then figuring out how that all fits together. It’s the hard part but also the fun part.

What makes you a good fit for your role and for Finch?

I really care about the bottom line. I wouldn't work on something just because I thought it was interesting if it has no actual impact on the business. I‘m kind of existential in that way. I like to ask myself, “Why am I even doing this?” I need to know that what I'm working on is important and that it's going to make a difference in the outcome of the company.

What do you like most about working at Finch?

What I like most is that the people are really authentic. I think that's kind of rare, and it's definitely something that I value. I feel like everyone can be themselves here, and there's no weird power dynamics or hierarchies. Everyone is at Finch for the same reasons.

How would you describe Finch in one word?

We have this part of our values that basically means not getting too high off of the highs or too low off the lows—just making sure to keep looking toward the next opportunity. So, I think levelheaded is the right word for that.

When you’re not plugging away at work, what do you do for fun?

My main thing is hiking and backpacking with friends. I try to do both as often as I can, usually every weekend. Most recently, I spent time in Sequoia National Park, Colorado, and Yosemite. That's one of the reasons that I like living in the western part of the U.S. I’m always trying to get outside and into the mountains as much as I can.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?

Try to get a breadth of exposure to problems as early as possible—startups are the best for this! You’ll feel like you’re floundering a bit, but it will give you a general framework of what you like and don’t like, and it will help you think about new problems from different angles throughout your career.

Interested in joining the Finch team? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions here.

Diana Liu may call California home, but for the foreseeable future, she’s criss-crossing the continent in an effort to take full advantage of Finch’s remote-first model. In a recent conversation, she told us about her extensive travel plans, her eclectic role at Finch, and the recent read she couldn’t put down.

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in the Bay Area and went to Berkeley for my undergrad degree. I’ve always been in communities where innovation, big ideas, and working really hard are encouraged. On top of that, my dad is an immigrant who started his own technology company in his 30s. I always thought that was really impressive of him and very admirable. I think that's what brought me to Finch–wanting to be part of this culture that I grew up in.

What did the path to Finch look like?

I wasn't technical; I didn't take a lot of coding classes in undergrad, but I still wanted to be a part of the tech world after I graduated. After college, I joined Deloitte’s HR strategy consulting arm. That's where I first realized how complex HR can get with fragmented data and a lot of manual processes. When Jeremy and Ansel reached out to me, I was very excited about the opportunity to change the employment data landscape.

What makes you a good fit for Finch and vice versa?

One thing that is really stressed is execution and ownership, especially when I started, because there were so few people to do the work that needed to be done. I think that's something that's in my nature: taking responsibility, managing projects, tracking action items, and reminding people to get stuff done.

What’s your role at Finch?

I work on functions that don't have a full-time person allotted to them and on ad-hoc projects. I also help with functions that the team thinks are critical–hiring, for example. I help with recruiting by conducting phone screenings and creating interviews. I address customer support tickets, create public-facing documentation for our customers, and manage billing and invoicing. I'm also working on marketing, security, and on streamlining some company-wide processes.

How would you like to see your role evolve?

What I would really like to do is continue to be a jack of all trades. By working in every function, I'll have a good idea of how they can effectively operate together. This also lets me create process documentation and playbooks for each role, so that when new hires join us, they'll have a baseline to iterate on.

What’s challenging about your job?

Most of my experience is in project management and product operations. I’m surprised to find myself working on customer support, hiring, security, and marketing projects. The learning curve is challenging, in a good way!

What excites you about your work?

Honestly, it's the customers. As I've come to understand our product more and see all of the manual processes it reduces, I'm really happy to see more customers connected and more integrations set up. I try to make sure that everything I do contributes to our mission of being there for our customers and helping as many as possible connect through Finch.

What makes Finch a great place to work?

At the end of the day, it's about the people. The whole team is very intelligent, very hardworking, but they're also very kind, which I think is hard to come by. Although I've liked most people I've worked with in the past, I do think that this group has something special.

How are you taking advantage of the fact that you get to work from home?

I plan to spend eight months out of the year traveling around North America and finding out what it's like to work and live in different places (depending on COVID). I’m super excited and I'm really thankful that Finch is a remote-first company, and it's not just because of the pandemic. We fundamentally believe that great people can come from anywhere and work from any city.

Where are you going, and where have you been?

I’m most looking forward to Hawaii, for sure, because Hawaii is Hawaii. I’ll also be in L.A. for two months, Puerto Rico for a few weeks, and Canada for a few weeks. I already spent a few months in New York, which was great. It was my first time visiting for more than a weekend, and I met up with one of my teammates several times.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

When I'm traveling, I like to do all the tourist-y things like exploring museums and eating good food. But when I'm at home, I like to do things that nurture my soul. I have treasured plants and paint with acrylics once in a while. I love to read, especially fiction or autobiographies by Asian-American authors, and I like to spend time with family and friends, for sure.

Have you read any great books lately?

There’s one called Not Yo’ Butterfly. It's by Nobuko Miyamoto, who was a professional dancer as well as an activist, and she’s pretty famous in the L.A. area. She writes about her life, what it was like being a minority in the ballet world, and her experience learning what it means to be an Asian-American activist.

What are you passionate about?

It's going to sound really cheesy, but I'm very passionate about spreading kindness in the world. Especially with COVID and everything that happened in the last two years, there's a lot of negativity, both in the news and on social media. I'm realizing, as I grow older, that life is hard for a lot of people and to just be kind to everyone I meet. I think that's also what drove me to go into HR-related work –because people spend so much of their time at work, they might as well enjoy it there.

Interested in joining Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Before joining Finch, Phil Hong was honing his sales skills with leaders in his field. When he felt that he had reached his learning potential in his previous role, he sought out a new opportunity with a growing startup–somewhere he could really make his mark. In a recent conversation with Phil, we talked about the road that brought him to Finch and what he learned along the way.

Tell us about your role.

My official title is Enterprise Account Executive. My day-to-day consists of building relationships with prospects, building out processes and SOPs, implementing GTM strategies, communicating customer feedback, and evaluating where the market is and how Finch should approach it over the next three to six months.

What did you study in college?

I graduated from USC with a math/econ degree. I am not a math wizard by any means, but I like finding the objective truth in things. This gave me the quantitative reasoning skills set to communicate and resolve problems in both my personal and professional life.

What did you do next?

After graduation, I joined DocuSign’s sales team in San Francisco. I started as an Enterprise Market Development Representative. After a year, I was promoted to a Healthcare & Life Sciences Account Executive – my first closing role! It was humbling to work with top industry executives while also mentoring the next wave of sales reps. Docusign was a very rewarding company to be at and I cannot express how thankful I am for all the experiences. I was always surrounded by supportive leaders and coworkers. Thank you, DocuSign!

How did that lead to an opportunity at Finch?

My last role was getting slightly repetitive and I was mentally ready for a new challenge. Thankfully, Finch reached out. I went through the entire interview process and from my perspective, Ansel and I got along really well. Unfortunately, they decided not to move forward with me, because they were looking for someone more experienced.

It was heartbreaking because I really understood the problem Finch was going to solve and knew the potential Finch had. A few days later, I called Ansel and asked, “Hey, what if you brought me on as a sales consultant for a couple months? It’s a win-win situation! And then, as you build out the team, if there’s room, I’d be happy to join.” Ansel liked how I approached the situation–that I was solution oriented and did not just put up my hands and quit. So, I interviewed with an investor, pitched the team, and the rest is history.

What was it about Finch that made you go that extra mile?

The primary reason is the problem that Finch is solving. Simply put, there is data that is walled off and difficult to get to. If you can solve the data accessibility problem, you can solve the majority of the entire employment landscape problem. The impact that we are going to have on businesses and people in general is going to change the way the industry thinks about employment.

The second reason is realizing that Finch is a company where I would be working with very like-minded individuals who are hungry, who are passionate, and who are, quite frankly, smarter than me. That is the type of environment I strive to be in order to push myself and others around me.

What excites you about your work?

The people I’m interacting with. I'm selling to developers, engineers, and founders. It's exciting to hear their feedback and to learn about different businesses. I truly believe that Finch will solve problems beyond the surface level use cases we see today and will provide better employee opportunities for years to come.

What one word would you use to describe Finch?

Gritty is the best way to put it, because we are constantly coming up with— sometimes outside-the-box—creative solutions for our customers. It’s amazing how accessible our founders and team members are to respond to our customers. If there is a problem, we will fix it.

How do you feel about Finch’s remote-first policy?

It’s incredible. I travel a couple times a quarter. Sometimes, I'll work in New York, Texas, Florida, or small little ski towns. Finch allows me to do that, because, at the end of the day, geographic locations do not impact our work.

What are you passionate about?

I'm passionate about creating things. One of the cool things about Finch is I've been able to create a lot of the workflows, processes, and the foundation for Finch’s sales culture. Outside of work, I’m always creating business plans with my friends. We’ve printed t-shirts, purchased real estate, and invested in several projects together.

What else keeps you busy outside of work?

I like to spend my time snowboarding, golfing, and watching football. I played football growing up, through high school and for two years at a junior college where I received a scholarship to play at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Ultimately, I decided to attend USC because it was a better opportunity for me academically. That was a huge part of how I got to where I am. The majority of what I learned from that experience still applies to what I do today. It sets the foundation for my process-orientated way of thinking and acknowledging that having a strong work ethic is paramount to any career.

What are you proud of?

I am proud that I graduated from USC. I was the youngest of three boys raised by a single mom and came from very humble beginnings. Getting academic grants and scholarships to pay for USC was a monumental accomplishment for me.

Interested in joining Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

You might say Sam Toffler is a puzzle fanatic. Give him a riddle to solve or a logic problem to work through, and his mind won’t rest until he does (just ask his girlfriend). It’s an affinity that led him to study computer science, then to a job at Amazon Web Services, and, ultimately, to Finch. Recently, we caught up with Sam to talk about his engineering career, his next road trip, and the satisfaction that comes when something finally “clicks.”

Where are you from and how did it lead you here?

I was born and raised in South Florida and went to a really competitive high school. I think that shaped my work ethic, honestly. And it brought me to Duke, where I majored in computer science.

How did you choose your major?

I took comp-sci 101 in my first semester and it was instantaneous love. The course was basically solving puzzles and riddles, which I’ve always been obsessed with.

What did you do after college?

I took a summer off, and then I started working at Amazon Web Services on a team called Fargate. I was a software engineer there for two and a half years.

Tell us about Fargate.

Fargate is in the serverless space. I worked primarily on what we called region builds–so, expanding the service to different Amazon data centers throughout the world. For context, Amazon is present in approximately 20 locations. When Fargate launched, it was only in one location. When I joined, it was in eight, and by the time I left, it was deployed to all AWS regions.

Why did you decide to look for another opportunity?

One of the big reasons I left Amazon is because of how little coding I was doing–which some people find surprising. It was also extremely slow paced. Even a single line change could take a full week to deploy. That gets frustrating after a while. So, I was looking for an opportunity to code more, move faster, and have a larger impact on the team. That’s when I started thinking about startups.

What was it about Finch, in particular, that appealed to you?

I really liked what Finch is doing. It's a really valuable product that’s ripe for explosion. Coming from Amazon, I was a little nervous about going somewhere small, but I realized that I am at a point in my life where I can afford to take a chance and do something outside my comfort zone. And I am really happy that I did.

What does the day in the life of a Finch founding engineer look like?

Thankfully, it’s a lot of coding. I would say 60 to 70% of my time is coding–maybe not hands-on-keyboard, but I am at least thinking about my own code that often. The rest of my time is spent reviewing other people's code, conducting technical interviews for job applicants, and attending assorted meetings like sprint planning sessions and sprint retrospectives.

What is it about coding that you’re so fond of?

I think it’s the balancing act between form and function. There are a million ways you can code something, but, at the end of the day, you want to make your code as clear and concise as possible. To me, there's a lot of enjoyment in trying to make it perfect, so that people who read my code understand exactly what it is I was trying to do. The same thing happens to me when I’m writing an email or, in the past, when I took creative writing classes. It’s like trying to figure out the ideal way to craft a sentence or a paragraph. When I find the best way to say what’s in my head, it’s very satisfying.

What have you learned since starting at Finch?

I’ve learned to take more ownership. There's a lot of opportunity at Finch for my voice to be heard, and having strong convictions goes a long way because if I can make a case for what I want, people will give me the room to do it. But it’s also more than that. If I start something in one area of the company, it might spread. That’s what I find really fulfilling: when I can see the impact of what I’m contributing, and I get positive feedback that what I’m doing is beneficial.

What do you like most about working at Finch?

The people. Everybody is super friendly, smart, and respectful. When we had our in-person offsite last year in October, it was the first time I had met any of my coworkers in real life, and it felt like a weekend with close friends. We all stayed in a house in L.A., and we got along so well. I am really excited for our next one just because of how good of a time we had.

Describe Finch in one word.

Fast-paced. We're getting so many new customers, and all of our new customers want new things, and we're always getting new team members. The nature of everything is really quick, which I like.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

My girlfriend and I got a puppy over the summer. So, that's been taking up a lot of our time. I also enjoy skiing. We're actually taking a month-long skiing road trip to Salt Lake City, Park City, Alta, Snowbird, Aspen, Beaver Creek, and maybe Sun Valley. I would say golfing, reading, chess, and video games round out my downtime interests.

What are you passionate about?

The feeling of learning something and having it click. I'll give you an example. Recently, I changed my keyboard from a standard Qwerty layout, because I had read that you can make your keyboard more ergonomic and efficient by putting more popular letters closer to your pointer and middle fingers. That required relearning where all the keys are, which took practice–about 20 minutes a day for two weeks. When I got to the point that I could type 40 words per minute, I made the switch full time. Now, I type just as fast as I did on a Qwerty. The whole thing was really rewarding for me, because it was an opportunity to scratch that itch of getting good at something new.

Interested in joining Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Growing up in the small town of Rosseau, Ontario, Aren Patel never imagined he’d wind up in California working at some of the most innovative companies in the world. His college internship turned into a full-time gig at Google, and now he’s a full-fledged Bay Area engineer working to unlock access to the global employment ecosystem. Recently, we caught up with Aren to talk about his experience.

You returned to the startup world after a long hiatus. What’s the story there?

I graduated from the University of Waterloo with an electrical engineering degree. During my final semester, I joined BufferBox, a four-person startup founded by a hockey friend of mine. The concept was like Amazon Locker, but any e-retailer could ship to their kiosks, which were located in stations throughout Toronto’s GO Transit system. I was responsible for the design and development of all of BufferBox’s web services and APIs, which was an exciting amount of responsibility for someone fresh out of college. And then, while I was working there, the company got acquired by Google.

Your career at Google lasted for nearly a decade. What projects did you work on?

I worked at Google Shopping for a bit before transferring to Nest. There, I led the team responsible for building the Nest to Google account migration on Nest's login pages, and I served as the technology lead on the team that built Nest’s MyAccount data export tool. After five years with Nest, I took a position on the Orion Wi-Fi team at Google's R&D incubator, Area 120, where I developed Angular (Dart and TypeScript) web apps. After two years at Area 120, I got my green card, giving me permanent residency in the States. At that point, I was ready to join a smaller company, so I took the opportunity to reenter the startup ecosystem.

Why did you want to go back to a startup?

I like small teams and making genuine connections. Like most people, I spend a good chunk of my life at work, so building relationships while I’m there is important to me. To put things in perspective, when I started at Google, there were around 30,000 or 40,000 employees. By the time I left, there were 200,000+ employees worldwide. The dynamics are very different when you’re working with a lean team of 16, like I currently am at Finch, versus a global population of 200,000.

What made you decide that Finch was the right move?

I engaged with hundreds of companies during my search. Finch stood out to me for two reasons. The first one is the types of problems that Finch is tackling. It was a natural fit between my prior experiences at Google and BufferBox and what the team at Finch was looking for. The second is the people. After meeting Jeremy and Ansel [Finch’s founders], I was impressed with the environment they had cultivated. Throughout the interview process, they were open, honest, and willing to share. It’s safe to say that these qualities are embodied by everyone at Finch.

How was your work at Google similar to your work at Finch?

When I was at Nest, we focused on making the thermostat, smoke alarm, and camera products more open, so developers can build complementary products on top of them. Finch is doing something similar but for employer data. Our API makes it easy and secure to read and write data to any employee system, so forward-thinking companies can build innovative products on top of those systems.

Describe your role at Finch.

My title is founding engineer. Day-to-day, I am responsible for a lot of software engineering-related activities: figuring out what we're building, reviewing design docs, scoping projects. I'm a full-stack engineer, so I work on the front-end, the back-end, and everything in between. Any piece of code we have, I'm touching or changing. Just like a lot of traditional software engineering roles, I cover a wide range of responsibilities.

What excites you about your job?

The employment sector is old and stagnant, which only means that the opportunities to improve and automate processes are countless. Unlocking employee data is definitely going to be a game-changer for all industries. As a software engineer, it’s always exciting to see growth in the product that you’re working on and the impact of all of your efforts.

You also take an active role in the hiring process at Finch. What do you look for in a potential new hire?

I am always on the lookout for genuine enthusiasm for our product and our mission. Creativity is key as well. Thinking outside the box and coming up with novel ideas and solutions is essential to success at a startup like Finch. I am also interested in people who are willing to learn. They don’t have to be an expert in every subject, but they do need to catch on to new skills and information quickly and then be able to apply those learnings proactively.

How do you feel about Finch’s asynchronous work model?

It has been super helpful for me. My fiancée is a nurse, and she works crazy hours in the ER, so I tend to work around her schedule. Finch is really accommodating to that. There are no set hours; as long as you’re getting your tasks done and attending the meetings you agreed to, you’re good.

How do you get to know your colleagues if you are all working remotely and asynchronously?

At Finch, we all find ways to connect with each other–inside and outside of our remote setting. But on a day-to-day basis, one of our most effective tools is Gather, a virtual office space that we use to collaborate and stay engaged. It has been instrumental in helping me get to know everyone at Finch.

The layout of Gather is similar to the Sims game. We customize our office space, personalize our avatars, choose a desk, and chat with each other in real time. I can walk up to anyone at their desk and start a conversation like I would in a physical office, only it’s video. It has made approaching people much easier.

Here is my desk and our conference room!

Interested in joining Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Next up in our Employee Spotlight series is developer success lead Eddie Hou, who’s always ready with a creative solution.

Eddie Hou likes people. He likes talking to them, getting them to open up, and figuring out what makes them tick. He’s also an engineer by trade and a problem-solver by passion. That combination of skills makes him perfectly suited for his role at Finch, which requires thoughtful communication, technical trouble-shooting, and reading between the lines to get to the core of any issues that arise. We recently spoke with Eddie to learn more.

To start, can you tell us about your role?

I lead the Developer Success function here at Finch. It’s a technical client-facing, post-sales role that requires being quick on my feet and having in-depth knowledge of the product. To put it simply, I'm a technical resource for our customers. It’s my job to set them up for success right from the start. This actually entails a complicated set of responsibilities, because the challenges that we’re tackling are unknown-unknown types of problems. We are constantly trying to define success and answer tough questions: How do we get customers to continue using our product? What type of problems are they facing? We're working with so many different verticals and personalities, the answers vary from customer to customer, and how we prioritize those wants into our roadmap is very complex.

That sounds like it requires a unique skill set. What did you study in school?

I majored in Electrical and Computer Engineering and added an engineering business minor. I’ve always been interested in commerce and business but my dad encouraged me to study something technical. He would say, "You'll always have a job [as an engineer], and you can always transition to business, but you can't become an engineer if you only have a business degree." I thought that made sense.

What did you do prior to Finch?

I worked at another startup called Moveworks as the first customer success engineer and I helped build the team there. Over the course of that process, we went from a series A company with one or two customers to a series C company with more than 150 customers. Moveworks was valued at $2.1 billion when I left. Once I was done building out processes, my day-to-day became slightly redundant and a bit too structured for me.

What did you take away from that experience?

I think my experience at Moveworks shaped who I am today. It showed me what it took for a startup to succeed and the people that I worked with side by side really made the 12-hour days feel worth it. The group of people that were part of the original cohort were extremely talented and dedicated people, especially my mentors, Gwen and Ahmed. I learned from them every single day - both the skills and the mindset to persevere and push through difficult times and problems. I’ll cherish those memories for the rest of my life.

How did you hear about the opportunity at Finch?

A recruiter reached out to me and that led to a couple of informal conversations with Jeremy and Ansel [Finch’s co-founders]. We spoke about the types of problems that they’re facing and how they’re thinking about the future of this particular space. I was instantly interested in learning more about the team. I think the team determines whether a company's going to succeed more so than the idea itself and I really liked the team.

What was your impression of the team?

I’m a people person yet very analytical so the conversations were interesting, to say the least. It was clear that others at Finch were mission-driven and passionate. They also demonstrated a high level of ownership over whatever they're working on. The reality at Finch is what I expected during my initial interactions: everyone's committed, passionate to create a change, and they're able to push through when things feel challenging.

When do things feel challenging?

Things feel challenging when you’re in the thick of everything. It’s easy to get caught in the weeds of problem solving and lose track of the impact that we’re creating. However, when you zoom out and look at our progress over a month or a year, for instance, it’s significant. It’s rewarding when we acknowledge, "Wow, we increased our customer base by 40% in the last quarter." Those numbers are only reserved for the best-in-class companies and we’re already seeing these results as a 20 people startup.

What do you like most about your job?

I like creating solutions for complex problems. It’s really satisfying when my engineering background comes in handy! I also love building relationships with customers throughout their entire journey. Internally, my co-workers are great to work with and I enjoy watching the company grow. We’ll share stories and learn from one another. These moments will be the ones that we reminisce about a year or two from now.

What do you like best about working at Finch?

Finch has a lot of great qualities; I’ll share three. First is the ability to lean in and contribute to business decisions. Every start-up would say that individual team members have the opportunity to make a huge impact within the company. In my experience, that isn’t always true. Second, there’s a constant feedback loop. Everyone is open to it and we take it very seriously. We have healthy and constructive debates where folks don't get defensive. Lastly, there’s a much better work/life balance compared to my other experiences — by far. Ansel and Jeremy care about people, and they want them to stay for the long haul.

Interested in joining Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Job searches and exploratory calls are daunting, and we get it! All of us have been there at some point—and trust us, it’s not any easier on our side. From filling out the application to conducting research and negotiation, it’s a delicate balance between art and science.  

To reduce the uncertainty that only adds to the stress, Finch is committed to a policy of hiring transparency. Here's what you can expect from us:

• Clear expectation-setting during the first phone call.
• Updates within 48 hours after each interview.
• No take-home challenge. We believe collaboration and conversations drive us forward and would rather spend our time talking through ideas together.

All we ask is that you come prepared to share your experiences, express your thoughts, and just be yourself! At the end of the process, you'll have a good sense of life at Finch. Ready to build with us?    

Why Finch?

Product

Finch’s API helps refine the relationship between employers and employees by unlocking access to employment data across many closed systems: payroll, benefits administration, equity management, and more. Starting with payroll and HRIS (5,700+ systems) we’re already powering applications that help thousands of employers improve pay equity, provide access to mental health benefits, measure the ecological impact of their organization, and much more.

Team

Finch is a remote-first company. Our team members are located across the United States and Canada. We stay connected as a team by collaborating in our virtual office and gathering for local meet-ups and company offsites. Visit our BuiltIn page to learn more about our culture and how you can make an impact. We’re passionate about our company values of execution, curiosity, humility, and empathy.

Perks

We care about every individual’s well-being and work-life balance Benefits and perks matter! Some of our benefits include health insurance, paid family leave, flexible vacation time, wellness stipend, and more.

Our Interview Process

Finch follows a standardized interview process and evaluation system to reduce the impact of unconscious bias.

Application Review

Browse through our open roles and submit your resume. If you don’t see a role that’s a fit for you, email us at recruiting@tryfinch.com. We’ll reply shortly.

Pro Tip: First impressions matter! Double-check for accuracy and grammatical errors. Saving documents as PDFs help preserve your original formatting. We want to hear about your career growth and how you’ve led changes in your previous roles. Uploading supporting documents is helpful but not required.    

Introduction Call

You’ve made it to the intro call! We’ll take this time to learn more about each other and review logistics. Please ask questions about Finch! If there’s a mutual fit, we’ll reach out to schedule a second-round interview.

Second Round Interview

Our hiring manager will dig into your professional history, the high and low points of your roles, and your motivations. They’ll ask you to talk about the specifics of your last few roles in depth.

Pro Tip: Come prepared to talk about a complex project you’ve worked on. It should be related to the role you’re applying for. You will be asked to break down the project in detail, your responsibilities, challenges you faced, and lessons you learned for future improvement.

Virtual Onsite

You’ve made it to the final interviews, and all of us are rooting for you! Our onsite process usually has three to four interviews. You’ll be speaking with peers and managers across the company. We’ll share additional details over the phone beforehand.

Reference Check

After the onsite, we’ll reflect on your journey. Our offers are contingent on successful reference checks. Please have three professional references ready (peer + managers) who have worked with you in the past. We’ll discuss their experiences working with you, your ability to collaborate, and your ability to navigate through ambiguous situations.

Offer

Congratulations, we are excited to grow with you! The Finch team is open to providing additional advice and insight. Ultimately, we hope that you’ll make the decision that’s right for you.

General Tips

• Preparation is key for any successful interview. We encourage you to review the job description and check out our careers website for details on our values and workplace experience.
• Review the role and responsibilities.
• Review our business or engineering interview guides.
• Check out our doc center and explore our demo.
• Meet the Team!
• Don’t be humble: We love team players, but in interviews, we want to hear about your accomplishments. The interview is the best time to brag about yourself, and we would much rather hear “I” than “we.” Talk about your individual numbers, achievements, promotions, etc.
• Provide examples: We want to hear specific examples of your strengths and areas that you are working on improving. Failures provide important learning opportunities and show that you are looking to grow outside of your comfort zone.
• Introspection: When interviewing virtually, it can be difficult to read body language and gauge the room. To combat this, we recommend asking clarifying questions followed by, “Did that answer your question, or is there anything I can elaborate on?”

Your recruiter and hiring manager will be key partners. Leverage them to set yourself up for success. Email recruiting@tryfinch.com if you have questions!

In under a decade, Erik Demaree went from working at the Bloomberg Help Desk to being solely responsible for Auth0's North American corporate, mid-market and small business sales teams—firmly cementing his success as a leader in B2B tech sales. That drive, coupled with his proven track record for selling APIs and his interest in identifying and unlocking economic opportunities, made him a natural fit for Finch. Read on to hear from Erik himself about his move to our team and the leadership principles he’s bringing with him.

You’ve been at Finch for about three months now. What were you doing previously?

After college, I worked at Bloomberg in New York before moving back to Seattle. I took a job at Auth0, which was a relatively small company at the time, and stayed with them for almost six years. Over the course of my time there, I moved my way up from a business development representative role to running commercial sales. After Okta acquired Auth0, I started my job search.

How did your job search lead you to Finch?

I had a list of things that I wanted in a new company, and I found it in Finch. I wanted to move into a role that would allow me to apply the learnings I had accumulated while offering me more focused ownership over the go-to-market process. I wanted a company with a blue-chip investment team, a product that is the core of application-building and primarily sold to developers and product managers. I wanted to sell an API that can unlock economic opportunities. In terms of leadership, I was looking for founders that are very, very, very hungry.

What does it mean, on a practical level, to be VP of sales?

My mandate is to operationalize our entire go-to-market function. That includes building out the sales team, creating a sales playbook, and working with marketing to coalesce everything into a brand and a pitch that we can sell.

What does success look like in your role?

The thing we've been focusing on, within the sales team, is that a good today is better than a perfect tomorrow. We prioritize pushing stuff out, moving forward, and then learning from that. If we need to augment or iterate, that's completely okay.

We’ll never be “done” with building out the sales process. We're always looking for ways to improve ourselves, increase conversions, and close larger deals. Therefore, what success looks like now is very different from what it will look like six months from now when we have a larger team and different customers.

How do you approach work-life balance as a leader at Finch?

Finch is cognizant that building culture can also mean giving people space to have lives outside of their job. Of course, as a 30-person company, we have to be invested in building the company from the ground up. But we are still respectful of each other’s personal commitments. Giving people the space to be flexible and to work the way they want to work is super important.

What makes Finch a great company to work for?

We are building the infrastructure that will power the future of employment data. The use cases and applicability of what we are doing are limitless and, as a result, we are addressing both tactical and massive issues for our customers. On top of that, Finch is growing at a rate where every single employee is sharing ideas and iterating to improve processes, plans, and approach. We are constantly collaborating in a way where different functional areas can improve others. One of the hallmarks of Finch is our hiring practices. We have folks from all walks of life with completely different backgrounds. By bringing this team together and focusing on how we build together, we are able to share new ideas and perspectives to turn Finch into the best company it can be.

What’s challenging about your job?

We're a startup, so there are nuances and gaps that we still have to define. This makes every day different and fresh. You don't always know where the next challenge is going to come from. We can be prescriptive and try to anticipate that, but there's always going to be an element of surprise.

What excites you about your work?

Right now we are focused on a few specific use cases – these get our foot in the door – but they only scratch the surface in terms of what our product can do. Being an integration layer between applications and payroll and HR platforms may not sound incredibly exciting, but companies in the employment space are handling extremely sensitive data in very porous ways. If we can solve this piece of the puzzle, these organizations can build better products that can help people both at work and home.

All of this is pretty exciting, especially since employers are thinking more progressively about promoting holistic workplace wellness. Employees want to feel that their company is supportive, transparent, and respectful of their values and personal priorities. We can be leaders in this space and help refine the relationship between workers and their employers.

Interested in joining Erik’s team at Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Runae Lee: Head of Partnerships

Runae (he/him) most recently worked at Checkr as Director of Business Development, where he helped build the channel program and worked closely with leading players in HR tech along the way.

From my days at Checkr, and before that, at Ernst & Young, I saw firsthand how fragmented the HR tech ecosystem is,” said Runae. “Unifying the HR tech space with modern and thoughtful APIs represents the future in terms of how new products are built and how employers expect their payroll, HR, and other solutions to ‘just work’ together. Finch’s vision is an exciting piece of that puzzle, and the opportunity to work with such a talented and humble team to bring this vision to life was too compelling not to say yes to.

At Finch, Runae is applying his business development experience to crafting our partner strategy and securing partnerships with the most innovative companies in the employment data ecosystem. He will also be hiring for roles dedicated to new partner acquisition and partner management.

Runae is based in the Bay Area with his partner and 15-month-old daughter, who recently discovered how to run (which is an exciting but also scary milestone!). When he’s not chasing after toddlers, you can find him hiking around Northern California or hosting Dungeons & Dragons games for friends and coworkers.

Joshua Krohn: Head of Design

Joshua (he/him) comes to Finch from Focus Lab—an agency focused on rebranding high-growth tech companies—where he most recently served as design director. In his seven years at Focus Lab, Joshua led brand strategy and visual identity projects for companies that have collectively gone on to raise billions of dollars. In his new role at Finch, Joshua will apply that experience to lead on all things design for our brand, including our product and website.

I’ve been branding and designing for software companies for over seven years, but it’s always been on the outside as a design agency partner,” said Joshua. “I’ve consistently been intrigued by what it takes to solve design challenges from the inside. At Finch, I get to do just that. Finch is also working on some deep problems in the employment sector, and helping solve those problems is exciting. Combine that with great founders and a world-class team, and it was an easy decision to join.

Joshua is based in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, where he balances his passion for design with running, chess, writing music, and playing any and all manners of games with his family.

Interested in joining Runae and Joshua at Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Although we’re fully remote at Finch, we host bi-annual in-person offsites!  

We had approximately 20 team members gathered at our last offsite (April 2022) in Lake Tahoe. We celebrated our recent growth, bonded over a variety of team activities, and had a blast snowshoeing, skiing, and relaxing at the spa.

Sharing some photos below – huge thanks to the team for being so engaged throughout the whole offsite, and can’t wait for the next one!

About Finch

Finch is a remote-first company; our team members are located across the United States and Canada. Visit our BuiltIn page to learn more about our culture and how you can make an impact (We were just featured in a BuiltIn article, check us out here!) We’re passionate about our company values of execution, curiosity, humility, and empathy.

Interested in joining Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Finch has added a dynamic new leader, with Oz Ruiz heading up the engineering team.

Oz (he/him) has over 16 years of experience as a software engineer across different roles and responsibilities. Before joining Finch, he helped a subscription platform, Recharge Payments, grow their engineering team from 14 to 170+ people. He also created and ran departments for R&D, platform engineering, infrastructure, DevOps, analytics, and compliance. With his leadership skills, the company reached $2.1 billion in valuation and secured a $227 million Series B, surging 10x in size and revenue in the course of just four years.

I’m excited to do it all again—and better—with Finch. Everyone, from the founders to the engineers, are heavily invested in our organization’s success, and that gives us a solid foundation for growth. I’m looking forward to pushing Finch to the level I know it can achieve, and doing so with fantastic, highly motivated people will make it that much more satisfying.

At Finch, Oz is focused on building and overseeing a world-class engineering team. For him, that means cultivating high-velocity product teams, hiring and retaining people who care about their customers and coworkers, implementing and scaling repeatable processes, and instilling operational excellence as a core value.

A fluent Spanish speaker, Oz was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Florida, and spent his early professional years in Denver. Recently, he moved back to the Tampa Bay area with his wife and three children to be closer to family (and prime fishing spots). If you ever see him out and about, buy him a bourbon—it’s his drink of choice.

Interested in joining Oz at Finch? We’re hiring! Head over to our careers page to check out our open positions.

While working in quality assurance at Checkr, Lauren Wan discovered her passion for product optimization. Her willingness to confront new challenges head-on and her knack for quickly getting to the root of a problem has made her a valuable addition to Finch. Read on to see what Lauren has learned on the job and the helpful advice she’d offer others starting out in product operations.‌    

What does it mean to work in product operations at Finch?

I’m part of a team that’s responsible for operationalizing and optimizing our product. A big part of it is being a subject matter expert on the many payroll systems we integrate with so we can help inform engineering decisions and provide insights when our customers reach out with questions.

If I were to break down my day-to-day, the big categories would be researching different payroll systems, building and iterating on processes and SOPs, investigating issues our customers have surfaced, and providing hands-on support. While I’m not a highly technical person, I love learning how a product functions and translating that to non-technical and operations folks.

What did you do before Finch?

I graduated from UC Davis with a degree in managerial economics and had various internships throughout college. One of my main projects was at the university research office, where I performed data quality assurance for a new website launch.

That’s what led me to Checkr, which was one of my first jobs out of college. I started there as a quality assurance associate in operations, which meant ensuring the accuracy of background check reports by investigating criminal records, researching court documents, and analyzing compliance laws. I was in that department for three and a half years, ultimately getting promoted to manager. Eventually, I realized that, while I loved helping the people on my team grow, I was mostly passionate about optimizing our product by rooting out inefficiencies and reducing manual workloads.

That’s what drove me to product operations, which was my final role at Checkr. I was in that position for nine or ten months before making the transition to Finch.

How did you learn about this opportunity at Finch, and why did you decide to go for it?

I heard about the position through Diana, who I worked with at Checkr. She posted on Instagram that Finch was hiring, and I reached out to learn more. I wanted to understand what product ops meant in a broader context and where my skill set might fit in. That led to conversations with Finch’s co-founders, Jeremy and Ansel, which really got the ball rolling.

I loved my team and role at Checkr, but I was ready for a new challenge. The idea of learning about a brand new product and industry was exciting, and Finch felt like a great fit. I’d known for a while that I wanted to join a smaller startup and truly contribute to its growth, and I appreciated the thoughtfulness that Jeremy and Ansel brought to the interview process. They made a point of going through all the reasons that I stood out as a candidate, and that was a defining moment for me. It really demonstrated the fantastic culture at Finch.

What would you say you’ve learned so far in your time at Finch?

Of course, I’ve learned a lot about our product and how it works, but one thing that’s emphasized at Finch is running toward problems, not away from them. Even if you’re not the person who can solve a specific problem, that doesn’t mean that it won’t impact you in some way. I’ve learned the importance of finding the right people to help you tackle an issue and collaborating with them to find a way forward.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

In product ops, you’re often operating in ambiguity. There are thousands of payroll systems out there. If a customer makes a detailed request, or if we’re exploring new integrations, I may have to explore payroll systems I’ve never worked with before. It can be challenging, but it’s very rewarding when I’m able to find the right solution.

Is there a particular project you’ve been especially proud to work on?

One of my larger projects is studying different payroll systems to understand the specific set of permissions a user needs to implement to successfully call each of our API endpoints—allowing us to provide more granular error messaging to our customers. It requires a lot of up-front research and testing across payroll systems, and it’s been super exciting to work on. The impact to our customers is going to be huge.

If someone were joining your team, what advice would you offer them?

Be flexible, and understand that what your role looks like this month may not necessarily be what it looks like next month. That’s certainly been the case for me. Product ops is a unique team, in that we’re interacting with payroll systems day in and day out—probably more than any other team at Finch. So, the requests we see from customers and internal teams can take many forms.

What keeps you busy outside of work?

I’ve recently rediscovered my love of reading. I have a goal to read 52 books in 52 weeks, and I try to read a little each night before going to bed. Right now, I’m just two books behind schedule.

I also travel a lot. I moved to Denver three years ago, but I probably only spend 40% of my time here. My partner lives in Miami, and my family lives in San Francisco, so I get to split my time between these very different cities. It’s great just biking around, exploring new neighborhoods, and trying out new restaurants.

What would you say makes Finch a great company to work for?

The people here are incredible. Everyone is so hardworking and always willing to help. They’re also genuine and kind, which speaks volumes to the culture we’re building at Finch. The company as a whole has done a great job of creating a space where people feel comfortable being themselves, and there are many different personalities in the mix.

If you had to describe Finch in one word, what would it be?

Scrappy. The team has doubled in size since I joined six months ago, but we’re still small, and everyone still wears multiple hats. I love that no one’s afraid to roll up their sleeves and get in the weeds to solve problems.

Interested in joining Lauren at Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

We’re excited to announce Built In has named Finch to its 2023 Best Places To Work! Finch earned 12th place among Built In’s 50 Best Startups To Work for in San Francisco 2023.

The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes — from startups to those in enterprise markets — and honors both remote-first employers as well as companies in large tech markets across the U.S.

“At Finch, we put employee wellbeing first because we believe life and work should fit together. That’s what sets us apart and what has earned us this recognition,” said Jeremy Zhang, CEO at Finch. “We’re proud to have built a culture founded on empathy, meaningful work and opportunities for growth, creating a workplace that allows our employees to show up as their best, most authentic selves — inside and outside of the office.”

Being recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in San Francisco is a clear demonstration of Finch’s people-first culture. Here’s how we help our people do their best work:

• Our core values — execution, curiosity, humility and empathy — serve as the foundation of our culture. These values reflect what we expect from each other and inform all of our decisions, encouraging outside-the-box thinking, teamwork and respect for every voice to create a workplace we love.
• Consciously building a smart, diverse and driven team. We are as passionate about our lives outside of the office as we are about the work we do together.
• Benefits that support employee wellbeing including generous stipends ($1,000 work from home and $200/month flex), covering 100% of health insurance plans for employees, and unlimited PTO (mandatory 15-day minimum per year).
• A remote-first work environment so employees have the flexibility to prop open their laptop wherever life takes them.
• A fast-paced environment offering lots of opportunities for growth and development.

Built In determines the winners of Best Places to Work based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation and benefits. To reflect the benefits candidates are searching for more frequently on Built In, the program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI and other people-first cultural offerings.

“It’s my honor to congratulate this year’s Best Places to Work winners,” said Sheridan Orr, Chief Marketing Officer at Built In. “These exemplary companies understand their people are their most valuable asset, and they’ve stepped up to meet the modern professional’s new expectations, including the desire to work for companies that deliver purpose, growth and inclusion. These winners set the stage for a human-centered future of work, and we can’t wait to see that future unfold.”

Find out what Finch’s award-winning culture is all about. Apply to one of our open positions!

Time in the startup world moves fast—something Sean Breen knows from experience. After getting his start as an intern at a venture capital firm in Washington D.C., he quickly immersed himself in the ecosystem of enterprise companies and their founders, eventually making his mark as the territory account executive for Mapbox, a billion-dollar mapping platform. After hitting the job market a few years later in search of a new challenge, Sean met his match with Finch. Read on to hear Sean talk about the road that led him to our team and how he has been able to succeed.

How did you hear about Finch?

I was referred to Finch by a company they use for placements called Candidate Labs. It was at the point in my career where I was ready for change and looking for a fresh challenge to energize me. When I met Ansel and Jeremy, Finch’s co-founders, I immediately understood what they were trying to build. I understood their business model and had prior experience selling technical products to developers. But meeting the team and feeling the chemistry was what sealed the deal for me.

Can you describe your role?

In the beginning, it was all about building processes. Since then, it has evolved into generating new business and growing sales. Getting new customers to join Finch is my main job, but because we’re a startup, I also work with the engineering and product teams to understand what the market is telling us and communicate that internally.

What does your work with the product and engineering teams look like?

It's very bidirectional. We're building our roadmap based on what we think the market needs and, at the same time, the market is telling us what it actually needs.

Did you always want to end up in sales?

Not at all. I was a chemistry and economics major in school. Going into the workforce, I wanted to figure out what my abilities were and what I might be more naturally inclined at than others. A few of my mentors suggested sales. The first thing I pictured was the stereotype that everybody associates with sales, but I was intrigued by how consultative the field can be. It’s more than just selling. I’m thankful for my mentors and the conversations we had that led me here.

What do you think has made you successful in a sales role?

Along with being naturally curious, I’d say it’s the ability to hear what someone is saying at face value and then deduce what will best solve their problem. Oftentimes, the real value that people are looking for is one or two layers deeper than what they might communicate. For me, it presents a fun puzzle to solve.

What excites you about your work?

I love that it's so dynamic. I’m a naturally curious person, and I like to get into the weeds. Working at a startup, some days are harder than others for a variety of reasons. You don’t know what you’re going to get. At the same time, you exercise a real impact on the company, the team, and your own career. Outside of fulfilling my own needs, it’s important to me to help other people fulfill theirs.

How do you structure your day to optimize your time?

I’ve found that simplicity is key. There are three things that I need to do to have a good day: drink water, work out, and get outside. I structure my day around these very clear objectives to ensure I can be the best version of myself both professionally and personally.

What are you passionate about outside work?

I like being outside and moving around. Last year I did a couple of endurance races, but my biggest passion outside of work is helping to organize the D.C. Bike Party. It’s a once-a-month social ride that attracts 600 to 1,000 people. We tow around a large sound system and have a DJ play music, but it’s more than just a party on wheels. We’re bringing music, the arts, and joy to the city.

What do you like best about working at Finch?

The people. Every company is going to have its customers and its product, but it’s the people that you’re working with and going through challenges with that make a major difference. The longer I’ve been at Finch, the more I realize how great my teammates are.

Being a remote-first company, how do you create strong relationships with your teammates?

Zoom. It sounds weird, but having conversations where you can see someone’s face gets you 70% of the way there. And then, because we’re a remote-first company, there’s greater emphasis on building relationships at any time, not just during office hours. For example, I was skiing in Utah and arranged to meet up with my co-worker, Sam. We skied a full day together. It was like we’d been friends for decades.

What’s something you’ve learned from your time at Finch?

The importance of process. Passion can get you a long way when it comes to certain endeavors, but process helps you scale. That’s a lesson I’ve learned in my time here, and I already feel like I can apply it to future projects.

Interested in joining Sean’s team at Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Eugenie Ma always knew she wanted to pursue a career in recruiting. After working as a tech recruiter in a variety of sectors, from IoT to public safety, she found herself at Finch helping to build a world-class team. Read on to discover what Eugenie looks for in a job candidate, why she makes diversity, equity, and inclusion a top priority in her work, and where she prefers to spend her free time.

Can you tell us about your role at Finch?

I was hired as Finch’s first internal recruiter to build the foundational pieces of our talent function. Besides building processes, I review resumes, screen applicants, and provide candidate support. One important element of my work is ensuring that candidates fully understand our company goals and how they would fit into the puzzle as part of Finch’s team. I want them to be fully comfortable with their decision to build with us.

Like all my colleagues, I wear multiple hats. I’ve been fortunate enough to work both in people operations and on employer branding projects.

What does a great candidate fit look like at Finch?

It really depends on the role. They probably already embody our core values—execution, curiosity, humility, and empathy. Our organization is quite unique because we all come from different walks of life. Our range of experiences enables us to come up with creative solutions together.

However, at the end of the day, it’s all about being organized and being willing to navigate ambiguous situations, so I look for those qualities in an applicant as well.

Do you have any advice for applicants?

First impressions have a lasting impact. That means submitting an error-free and reader-friendly resume. Then, let your authentic self shine through during the interview process. We want to celebrate your track record and learn how you’ve conquered challenges. It’s also okay to ask clarifying questions after conducting your initial research.

Did you always know you wanted to work in tech?

Actually, if someone had told me I was going to work in tech, I wouldn’t have believed them. My undergraduate degree was in business administration. I was lucky enough to find a mentor who took a chance on me. She offered a recruiting internship at an internet of things (IoT) company, and the rest was history. After that, I moved into the machine learning and computer vision space, then into public safety.

How did you end up at Finch?

Jeremy, one of Finch’s co-founders, reached out when I was an executive recruiter at Amazon. I missed working with technical populations and building meaningful processes, so I tried my hand at consulting. I could tell Finch was going to be a great fit because of how friendly everyone was. They would go out of their way to check in with me, even though I wasn’t a full-time member of their team. That’s rare—especially in a remote work environment.

Initially, I did top-of-funnel projects like generating lists of prospects, but that quickly evolved into more strategic work like crafting messaging and fine-tuning interview structures.

What motivates you to show up to work each day?

I want to leave the world a better place, and the possibility that I’ll change even one life makes everything worth it. We spend a majority of our adult lives working, so we should operate in engaging spaces. As a career matchmaker, I help people navigate the job market and align them with roles that energize them.

Finch is the youngest startup I’ve been a part of, and I’m excited to apply the lessons I’ve learned in previous positions as we grow. Plus, working with brilliant people goes a long way. Everyone at Finch is driven and process-oriented, which is a welcome change from some larger companies.

Is there an aspect of talent acquisition that especially inspires you?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity goes beyond meeting checkbox requirements; it’s the diversity of thought and expressions that unlocks success. Someone once told me that it’s pointless to extend party invitations if attendees aren’t given the opportunity to dance and mingle. When it comes to recruiting, we’re striving to cultivate spaces where team members can be bold and know that their thoughts are being heard.

I’m an introverted extrovert, so I appreciate having a high level of autonomy, ownership, and impact while bringing my authentic self to the table. It’s important to me that others feel that same sense of trust and worth.

What have you learned from your teammates?

When I first started, I was very impressed with our doc center and standard operating procedures. Things were very well organized for a team of our size and stage. I’ve learned how to fine-tune my project management skills and how to create detailed documents with clear goals. Diana Liu is especially talented when it comes to project management, and she has really shown me the ropes.

How do you get to know your colleagues?

We’re a remote-first team, so all communication is very intentional. Unlike collaborating in a physical office space, we can’t just hang out at the water cooler to have spontaneous conversations. But we’ve been using Gather Town as a virtual office space to build meaningful relationships, so the ability to verbally brainstorm, whiteboard, and play games with one another is only a click away.

We also have a strong one-to-one peer-manager culture; we’re constantly adjusting our communication methods as we continue to scale.

What advice would you give a new hire on their first day at Finch?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. Curiosity is one of our core values, and everybody at Finch is exceedingly gracious and thoughtful. Leverage the resources you have, and meet proactively with your manager as much as possible. Those early conversations are crucial for setting the expectations both for yourself and for your team.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I’m a yogi in the making—but if I’m not at my local studio, I’m probably at the gym or reading in Central Park. I’ve also started bouldering.

If you had to describe Finch in one word, what would it be?

Exhilarating. Things change all the time! There’s always something going on, and there’s always something to do. There’s never a moment of boredom.

Interested in joining Eugenie at Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.

Sam (he/him) brings over 10 years of experience building and leading post-sales organizations from customer success to account management. He was most recently a Senior Director of Customer Success at Mezmo where he tripled the team and contributed to a 3x increase in ARR in 3 years. During his tenure he was responsible for unlocking functional value and growth for customers across their journey with Mezmo. He oversaw Customer Success Management, Renewal Operations, and Solutions Architects.

I’ve been lucky to work at stellar companies at various stages that prioritized customer trust, from AdRoll to Segment to Mezmo. Finch fit that pattern and I’m excited to build best-practices and a world-class team so we can scale trust at this key inflection point for the company’s future. I look forward to working with an amazingly dedicated team and pushing the organization to deliver the best customer experience possible.

At Finch, Sam is focused on building and overseeing a world-class technical success and support team. For him, that means cultivating clear processes to handle customer issues and feedback, hiring and retaining people who deeply empathize with developers, and unlocking new insights into how customers use our product so we continue to build for evolving workflows.

Pairing his east coast grit with west coast creativity, Sam is a proud New Jerseyan, who has called San Francisco home for the past 15 years. In his free time, he loves playing and watching basketball, taking to the mountains, and traveling with his wife.

Interested in joining Sam at Finch? We’re hiring! Head over to our careers page to check out our open positions.