James Gurd interviews Jon Cleaver, CTO of Sportsshoes, about the challenges and strategies involved in digital transformation within the company, evolving from a custom-built monolith to a modern composable ecommerce tech stack built on BigCommerce.
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Jon Cleaver shares his extensive background in retail, and discusses the importance of resilience and adaptability in project management. He outlines the key challenges he faced upon joining the company, including team morale, technology issues, and stakeholder engagement. Jon emphasises the need for quick wins and effective communication to build trust and drive change, while also addressing resistance to change and the importance of customer feedback in the redesign of their ecommerce stack.
In this conversation, we discuss Sportsshoes’ iterative approach to launching their new ecommerce platform, emphasising the importance of learning from mistakes and customer feedback. He highlights the challenges of SEO during replatforming and the decision-making process behind choosing BigCommerce as a flexible ecommerce solution.
The discussion also covers the impact of these changes on the engineering team dynamics and the transition from project management to product management, showcasing the need for adaptability and continuous improvement in a fast-paced digital environment.
Key takeaways:
- Digital transformation requires resilience and adaptability.
- Building team morale is crucial for project success.
- Creating a flexible toolset empowers teams to work efficiently.
- Strong engineering teams are essential for successful project delivery.
- Identifying quick wins can drive momentum in change initiatives.
- Using a headless CMS can streamline operations and reduce bottlenecks.
- Involving cross-functional teams in discovery fosters collaboration.
- Understanding customer needs is essential for successful redesigns.
- Addressing complex areas early can mitigate project risks.
- Incremental delivery helps manage change effectively.
- Transitioning to product management requires a shift in mindset and processes.
Chapters:
- 00:45 > Introduction to Digital Transformation in Sports Shoes
- 06:30 > Challenges Faced Upon Joining Sports Shoes
- 09:30 > Identifying Key Pain Points and Quick Wins
- 12:30 > Implementing a Headless CMS for Efficiency
- 15:15 > Stakeholder Engagement and Building Trust
- 18:40 > Handling Resistance to Change
- 21:30 > Strategic Planning for Ecommerce Stack Redesign
- 24:40 > Discovery Process and Customer Feedback Integration
- 28:10 > Iterative Learning and Risk Management
- 31:20 > Customer Feedback and Experience
- 40:10 > Building a Flexible Tech Stack
- 47:30 > Transitioning from Project to Product Management
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