Profile: Don Pawlowski
Name: Don Pawlowski
Current Job: Chief Technology Officer, University Tees
Current City: Solon
Hometown: Seven Hill
Q: What is it that you do at University Tees?
University Tees creates custom collegiate and Greek apparel. We offer unique designs and trendy products for group and single-piece orders.
My core accountabilities as CTO at UTees are: 1) To serve a team of Software Developers, IT Admins, Data Analysts, QA and Product people 2) Drive organization innovation 3) Develop long term technology, product, data & security strategies 4) Improve our customer’s experience and finally 5) Improve our organization’s efficiency. In a nut shell, I aim to make everything better.
Q: What’s a problem that you are working to solve?
Every order that leaves our hands has a custom piece of artwork on it. We create a lot of art that has to be presented to customers in a pleasing manner that urges them to buy. Our app isn’t doing that very well right now.
User research has been key in solving this problem. That research has highlighted that our customers are now preferring text alerts instead of emails. Given that, we are designing a way to allow them to review and approve their art via texting. In addition, we are exploring how technology can make our art team more efficient by automatically proofing art work or intelligently routing jobs to the most qualified artist.
Q: What’s a lesson you’ve learned that has helped shaped your work?
Hire nice people. My job is to build an environment that my team and collaborators can do their best work in, and that means you must hire nice people. Notice I didn’t say hire a “culture fit.”
In my humble opinion, hiring someone who is a “culture fit” 1) can be very exclusionary and 2) doesn’t afford you the opportunity to hire someone who sees the world in a different way and thus likely solves problems in a different way. Hire someone you wouldn’t mind taking a road trip with.
Q: What’s a trend in technology or innovation that you believe doesn’t get enough attention?
Simplification. Technology can provide so many options. We are often tempted to add every bell and whistle we can.
I believe the companies that can utilize technology in a simple and friendly way will be the ones that will win the day. This means you need a powerful team of user experience professionals who can identify exactly what the customer needs. Your team needs to be willing to remove existing features to make room for new ones.
If you can keep things simple, not only will your customers be happy, but so will your future engineers who have to maintain your technology.
Q: What’s a recent book, podcast or news story that you found interesting?
The Go Giver. It reiterates one of those life lessons you are taught early on, but it is easy to forget: to get where you are going, you must first help others to get where they want to be.
For example, I never worry about a team member not doing quality work. Why? Well, I strive to create an environment in which our team members feel fulfilled. Whether that is a week off to explore a topic that interests them (whether or not it directly relates to our tech stack) or 12 weeks paid leave to care for a new born child.
By first giving to my team (by meeting their individual needs), I am able to receive what I need (quality work in a timely fashion).
Q: What's your favorite place in Ohio?
The Cleveland Metroparks, in winter, after a really good snow fall. Hiking through the woods in the dead silence and cold of winter reinvigorates me. There isn’t anything quite like it.
Q: What makes Ohio special to you?
This is cliche among Ohioans, but the people make it special. I mentioned above how hiring nice people is important. Well, that is easy when you live in Ohio!