With the pace of the workday and its attendant checklist, it can be easy to get so wrapped up in the daily to-do that the big-picture vision begins to blur.
But sometimes, it’s actually the minutia that makes the difference. An engineer fixing that fickle piece of code, a marketer conceiving a great new strategy, a salesperson finally connecting with a seemingly elusive prospect — these small actions become all the more enriching when the end result positively impacts colleagues, customers and users. Understanding how one’s individual responsibilities fit into the grander scheme can help bring gravity, weight and meaning to a role.
According to a trio of colleagues at Riskified, having a wide impact is standard to their roles. Take, for example, Kelsey McNichol, a recruiting manager at Riskified. Leading recruiting efforts for the company’s go-to-market teams, McNichol thinks a great deal about the “ripple effect” of her work. It’s not just hiring sales, marketing and account management talent to fill a vacancy, but putting a key player in the position to contribute meaningfully.
“For me, making an impact is hiring the right person to do the job and seeing the ripple effect. That’s where I can build the biggest impact — bringing somebody on and seeing them grow with our company and adding value,” McNichol said. “Hearing that you hired somebody who was able to accomplish these larger things, that’s the success story.”
Built In NYC recently chatted with three Riskified team members — McNichol; business development representative, Charlotte Glatt; and account manager, Guthrie Jones — to get an idea of how their respective contributions to the e-commerce fraud-fighting platform become much more than just wins at the individual level.
For Jones, handling the ins and outs of an account is made more meaningful when it’s a collaborative, problem-solving exercise that in the end yields something mutually fruitful.
“I talk to my merchants every week and get to know these people. When something is really hitting their business and they need a solution and we’re able to provide it together, it’s a huge success, and we’re able to celebrate together,” Jones said.
Glatt agreed: “We really focus on maximizing our client’s success, because we succeed when they succeed.”
Recounting their ability to exercise their own unique impact at Riskified, Glatt, Jones and McNichol discussed how their respective positions coalesce into meaningful work at the fintech company.
Tell us more about Riskified’s mission. Why does it resonate with you?
Glatt: Anyone can fall victim to e-commerce fraud. It really doesn’t discriminate between who’s shopping, checking out or storing personal credentials on the web. Of course, as consumers this is not something we consider on a daily basis, but e-commerce fraud is ever present, and it’s up to companies like Riskified to ensure that consumers are able to shop online worry free. Riskified’s mission has helped hundreds of merchants by empowering businesses to realize their full potential by making e-commerce safe, accessible and frictionless. This really starts by creating trusted relationships with our consumers.
Jones: Before joining Riskified, I didn’t really know much about the problem of fraud and how e-commerce businesses are handling it. When I learned about Riskified, it really appealed to me as far as how the business is set up and the problem it’s trying to solve. It was such a good use case of machine learning and AI.
McNichol: As a recruiter, you’ve got to be excited about our products and the space we work in. We’re helping to protect merchants and consumers against fraud. I personally care about the products and what we’re doing. I mean, I’m a frequent online shopper, and so our work ties directly into that. Talking to candidates, they can relate to it as well, so that’s definitely exciting and energizing.
How does it enhance the day-to-day work, knowing that you’re connecting customers with impactful solutions?
Glatt: From a business development perspective, I like how I’m able to constantly educate companies, from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms, about the perils of e-commerce fraud, and produce tangible metrics for them that show how a partnership with Riskified can really boost revenue and ultimately benefit their bottom line.
McNichol: What’s exciting is when I’m talking to candidates who are excited about our mission. The benefits of our products make a lot of sense to anybody who’s shopped online and has experienced fraud. You can really relate to that larger goal that we have as a company to make e-commerce safer.
Jones: My core responsibilities are interacting with merchants and making sure that they’re understanding the value that we’re providing. It’s a huge responsibility to make sure that we’re making the right decisions and that they’re satisfied with the performance that we have.
“When they need a solution and we’re able to provide it together, it feels like success and we’re able to celebrate together.”
Do you have a personal success story that underscores the impact you’ve been able to have?
Jones: Almost every day, I can point to something where we’re making progress. In fact, just before this conversation, my team lead told me that an extension deal we’ve been working on since August for one of our larger merchants had finally been signed. That’s why I like being an account manager: I get to work on these deals and see them executed.
Glatt: We’re a global company, so every team experiences different types of wins. From a business perspective, I enjoy being able to show a merchant the ROI we’re able to provide them once they integrate our solution. On a cultural level, it has been a tremendous win watching my team grow.
McNichol: For me, hiring somebody who is really excited about the job that they’re doing, when they’re personally thankful or appreciative, that is a huge win. And when they’re performing well for our company — whether it’s building a new product, upselling a specific merchant, bringing on a new merchant — there are so many different ways that you’re able to see that.
Which of Riskified’s 10 operating principles resonate most with you?
McNichol: They all speak to different aspects that are important to our leadership, and make up the overall culture here. The operating principle that stands out to me the most is “authenticity and transparency.” We’re really transparent across the board, which is huge and important from the top down. You’re able to see what’s going on on a larger scale, which helps you feel connected to the company and the culture as a whole.
Glatt: One of my favorite operating principles is “clients first.” We really focus on maximizing our client’s success, because we succeed when they succeed. Another principle that stands out to me is “resourcefulness.” We find the best solutions and experiment when needed. As a team we are clever, prudent and creative in our approach, and when speed matters we make things happen. Finally, collaboration is important. We strive to build the best teams and work toward one common goal. After all, good ideas can come from anyone, anywhere.
Jones: The collaborative nature here is the best that I’ve ever experienced. People are really looking to do everything they can to make sure that we’re able to solve problems as quickly as possible for our merchants. My job is made so much easier by having such a quick reaction time internally and so much support from leadership.
When you see the impact of your work, how does that make the job feel like more than just a job?
Jones: That’s kind of the payoff, right? We’re trying to have a partnership structure where both parties are happy and it’s clear that it’s working for everybody. We want to make sure that the value is evident and the merchants are satisfied. I see these successes all the time and it’s the fulfilling part of the job.
Glatt: It definitely excites me to pinpoint areas where we can improve companies’ ROI, create operational efficiencies and identify fraud issues. That’s just the inherent nature of the job. But it goes beyond that. I’ve personally grown and learned a tremendous amount since joining the team, and it’s because of the enriching opportunities and experiences that Riskified provides.
McNichol: When I hire someone, and they’re really excited about what they’re doing or when they have a win of their own — I take it as a little bit of a personal one as well. Those are the things that add up and make it feel like more than just filling a role. When it has that larger effect at the end of the day, that’s really what’s valuable.
