About the company

eBay Inc. is the world's largest online marketplace. With roughly 200 million users worldwide (3% of the worlds population), and $6.1 Billion in revenue last year, it has become one of the best known names on the net. eBay's unique user experience is its business model and it allows for "Mom and Pop" shops to fight on a level playing field with stores like Wal-Mart and Amazon.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

I work on the Product Management team that is responsible for communication through eBay's various channels. This includes email, My Messages (internal messaging platform), and RTM (Real Time Messaging). eBay is the largest email sender in the world (13 BILLION site related messages per year), and making sure these emails are delivered, look consistent, are optimized to drive revenue, and enhance the user experience is a tall task. I work on projects to meet these goals, determine the optimal solution, and then prescribe requirements in a detailed manner such that software developers can turn my requirements into code, and eventually bring those features live to site.

My primary focus area is My Messages, for which I am the product owner. Currently, I am working on a strategy for the future of My Messages, a two-year-old product whose user expereince is not completely understood. This has involved speaking directly with eBay users, designing user surveys, analyzing usage data, speaking with various stakeholders within the company, and comparing what they say against the original goals of My Messages. Based on the synthesis of all this information, I will develop a strategy, write concepts aligned to the strategy, and eventually turn these into specific projects designed to meet the goals that I have prescribed.

About the band

When I'm not working at eBay, I surround myself with music. I recently started a Band - Drowning Luca - with a few other members. Drowning Luca combines the low range and haunting vocals of Leslie Monteiro with the unique and tremendous lead guitar abilities of Dan Prull. Backed up by the intricate drumming of Shez Ali and contrasting eclectic bass lines by me, Drowning Luca pulls its influences from bands ranging from Bloc Party, U2, and Pink Floyd, to Dredg, Ani Di Franco, and Muse. Our band members was formed by a random collection of events, leading to eloquent and refined rock.

What's the niche?

There really is no niche market for eBay. Users range from just a couple transactions a year, to hobbyists who buy, sell, and collect for fun, to full fledged business completing hundreds of thousands of transactions a year.

What's your most memorable business experience?

Unquestionably I would have to say my time at Ferrari. Getting the opportunity to live and work in a foreign country, learning the language, culture, and lifestyle was definitely an amazing experience. Actually functioning within the logistics of a foreign company, understanding their practices, and seeing how progress can still be made in a completely different way and with a completely different work ethic than here in the states was a great learning experience.

Since personal relationships and friendships are emphasized more in Italy, I have learned that making a substantial effort to build strong relationships within the workplace can have serious advantages, even stateside. And of course, there were the perks that left me open-mouthed daily. Every morning after I passed the security gates, I would walk down Viale Enzo Ferrari, the main road within the Ferrari factory. The Viale would be lined with freshly-built Ferrari's waiting to be shipped to their new homes.

On any given day, at least 30 new cars would line my walk to the Centro Sviluppo Prodotto (Product Development Center). On certain occasions, I would have the opportunity to walk within the garages and warehouses where all 20 FXX's were housed alongside MC-12's. During lunch breaks, I could walk through the factory where each car is hand assembled - an honor offered only to repeat-customers. Other days I would spend near the in-house race track and have the incredibly privileged opportunity to watch F1 cars being tested along side secret prototypes. It was an experience I will never forget and I am forever grateful for the amazing opportunity I was given.

Most notable milestones

The five largest industries on the internet are eCommerce, Payments, Communications, Entertainment, and Information. In 2002, eBay acquired PayPal, which is now the largest online payment method, taking leadership in the payments realm. In September of 2005, eBay acquired Skype, the online leader in VoIP. Already being the leader in online marketplaces, this gave eBay the upper hand in 3 of the 5 internet industries.

What's the biggest challenge?

Addressing these different segments all at once is the biggest challenge. It is difficult to develop a single platform which satisfies all the needs for all the people all the time.

What's in store for the future?

Sticking to the business model, re-strategizing after 10 years of significant growth, and tightening up the user experience while addressing the constantly changing needs of a dynamic user base.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

Anyone interested in a startup who wants some product management/development help for an innovative new website. I have actually been helping out with a new website called Urban Mela, which is a new exclusive South Asian social networking site currently in the works. It's been a great experience, and I wouldn't mind meeting other people starting new sites.

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