Leveraging Engineering to Drive Profitability and Growth
Danielle Cooper, a seasoned tech executive with 20 years of experience, shares her insights on harnessing engineering to propel business success. With a diverse background in defense, logistics, medical, and real estate industries, Cooper has led high-performing teams at companies like Northrop Grumman, Dematic, and Realtor.com. We sat down with her to discuss the importance of balancing quality and efficiency, communicating the value of engineering projects, and strategies for driving profitability.
Chasing the Big Picture
Cooper’s career path has been marked by her ability to adapt to new technologies and leadership roles. She believes that software development expertise can be applied across industries, with some ramp-up time. Cooper’s experience has taught her that good engineering principles, such as microservices, are timeless and can be applied to various projects.
Bridging Technical and Nontechnical Communication
Effective communication is crucial when working with stakeholders from different backgrounds. Cooper emphasizes the need for engineers to empathize with nontechnical business partners and convey the value of engineering projects in terms of time, money, or impact to the consumer. By doing so, engineers can secure buy-in from business leaders and drive business growth.
Staying in Touch with User Feedback
Cooper stresses the importance of staying close to the end-user to understand their pain points and preferences. By involving engineers in consumer research and gathering user feedback, companies can create products that meet customer needs and drive business success.
Why Done is Better Than Perfect
Cooper believes that done is better than perfect, especially when it comes to shipping products quickly. By time-bounding tasks and focusing on simplicity, engineers can strike a balance between quality and efficiency. This approach enables companies to stay competitive, reduce costs, and increase revenue.
The Power of Networking
Cooper advises women in tech to prioritize networking and building connections outside their companies. By doing so, they can stay open to new opportunities, learn from others, and add value to their networks. She also encourages women to speak up and share their perspectives, even if they’re not entirely sure they’re correct.
Key Takeaways
- Good engineering principles are timeless and can be applied across industries.
- Effective communication is crucial for securing buy-in from business leaders and driving business growth.
- Staying close to the end-user is essential for creating products that meet customer needs.
- Done is better than perfect when it comes to shipping products quickly.
- Networking and building connections are vital for women in tech to stay competitive and succeed.