Spearheading a lightning-fast Asia-Pacific rollout for a European ecommerce leader? Check. Juggling legacy tech, a brand new distributed team across four countries, and a non-negotiable 3-month launch deadline? Done.

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My mission was to make the mobile experience faster, sturdier, and ready for the new Korean market launch with my team of five. We were starting with an existing product that, while popular in Europe, needed a huge change to handle the predicted peak volume.

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With a focus on ownership and clear communication, we not only launched on time with a dramatically improved mobile experience (19% faster!), but also earned recognition for the APAC team within the global company.

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A critical early decision was championing a complete overhaul of the clunky content management system (CMS) with a robust, API-driven integration. This enabled product updates, promotions, and localized campaigns to sync seamlessly across mobile, web, and the whole store experience.

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As lead architect for the mobile app aspects of this migration, I designed the new backend/app data contract, introduced stability-enhancing error tracking, and laid the foundation for the continued global rollout and further development of the new CMS.

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4 Key Leadership Takeaways

This project reinforced valuable lessons for me:

• Trust is Paramount: In a high-growth environment, fostering trust among a newly formed, distributed team is crucial. We prioritized open communication and mutual accountability
• Leadership is Service: Long nights to bridge timezones and quick responsiveness were essential to keep the project moving. My role was to empower talented engineers to take ownership of their domains.
• Cross-Functional Wins: Collaborating with non-technical stakeholders and seeking our diverse perspectives from product and QA strengthened our solutions.
• Beyond the Code: My proudest moments are not just about solving technical problems, but also helping others. I enjoy breaking down complex topics, explaining solutions, and learning from colleagues across disciplines.

I'm energized by this transformative experience. It has shaped my approach to fast-paced projects, client-focused development, and cultivating high-performing teams ready for ambitious global expansion.

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Looking for your next bold tech challenge? Check out my profile!