My Name Is Euan Callow — This Is Why I Joined Aha!

“Hi, I'm Euan." Sometimes a simple introduction is all you need to spark a connection. Growing up in Ireland, I spent some time studying in France and joined a summer work program in America. In the years after college, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and backpacked all over Egypt and southeast Asia. The most challenging (and rewarding) part of my travels was building meaningful bonds with the people I encountered. Initiating conversations and quickly figuring out what we had in common was the key to overcoming cultural barriers.

Connecting with people and discovering a shared experience is exhilarating — to me it is the greatest adventure of all.

After studying languages and business at Dublin City University, I wanted to expand my knowledge of digital marketing. I earned a masters degree in e-commerce, then began working at a creative agency in Dublin where I focused on data analytics. Data was still an up-and-coming field, so it was exciting to immerse myself in A/B tests and SEO optimization for multi-national companies such as Guinness and Coca-Cola.

While I enjoyed helping brands refine their marketing strategy, I realized that agency life was not for me. To gain experience at a data-focused startup, I joined a social media analytics company as the third hire. Initially I analyzed data from social networks, then I tested the idea of productizing this information. My goal was to present this complex data in a digestible way so customers could formulate their own marketing and content strategy.

As the product evolved from a simple spreadsheet to a database plugin, my responsibilities grew. I became a product manager responsible for setting strategy, learning about the problems our customers were trying to solve, and taking the product to market. Agencies, news organizations, and brands began using our offering to define their content strategy and report on performance. Our success was humbling — the product became the world’s largest content analytics database.

After six years at a fast-growing startup, I was ready to take a break and travel full-time. My plan was to tour Asia for a year. I spent eight months in the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia until Covid-19 forced me to return to Ireland. As I was preparing to fly home, I learned about an open role on the Aha! Customer Success team. I was intrigued as I read more about the company and the product.

The idea of product managers helping other product managers was absolutely appealing — instead of selling software, I could be building supportive relationships with our customers.

The interview process began while I was in Bali and continued during my quarantine in Ireland. Each person I spoke to was friendly and came prepared with a clear theme and specific discussion topics. Everyone asked thought-provoking questions that encouraged me to think more deeply about the "why" behind my passions and motivations. And the team moved quickly. By the time I finished my two-week quarantine, I was hired.

My main open question before I joined Aha! was the culture. I wondered how much team spirit there could be at an entirely remote company. But since joining I feel incredibly close and connected to my teammates. We are all supportive and jump in to help when needed.

Just as traveling on my own has pushed me outside my comfort zone, each day at Aha! presents a new challenge and opportunity to grow. I might be answering technical questions, giving guidance on product management best practices, or helping customers become experts in Aha! Roadmaps and Aha! Ideas.

Building rapport with customers makes me happy. I can empathize with their struggles because I faced many of the same challenges as a product manager.

I cannot wait to meet everyone in person at my first onsite. This is a week where the entire company gathers at a beautiful location to celebrate our accomplishments and plan for the future. I eagerly anticipate being able to travel again. Sharing this experience with my teammates is something we will remember for the rest of our lives. And I know just how to start the conversation.

That is why I joined Aha! — and why you should too.