An Interview with Tekton CEO Lorena Ortiz de Zevallos
What was the biggest challenge of taking on the role of CEO at Tekton?
Three years ago I embarked on the adventure of becoming CEO of Tekton. Having worked in positions related to Human Resources and Marketing, I saw the opportunity to work in an innovation and technology company as both a challenge and cause for tremendous motivation.
The biggest challenge I faced upon taking on the role was becoming familiar with and understanding the technology industry. It was a completely different world to me in which I faced new concepts and mindsets, a young team and a general openness to change. Using what I had previously learned in other industries and companies was a starting point to applying strategies that gave positive results.
What do you value most about the culture and vision of Tekton?
What I love most about the culture is that we can be ourselves, we value authenticity and diversity and you know that each day is different. We enjoy what we do and there is a genuine interest in achieving the well-being of the people who work with us.
We aim to improve people´s lives through technology. This doesn’t apply to only those who use the solutions we create but also to those who are part of the Tekton team. I firmly believe that people-oriented companies are those that stand out and rise in their sector. And when it comes to technology, we know that human value is paramount.
What are some of the hurdles you have had to overcome as CEO of Tekton?
We are in an industry where there is a huge demand for tech talent globally. For companies in the industry, this represents an enormous challenge.
In this sense, I believe there are two key pillars. On one hand, strengthening the company culture by creating a work environment where team members can be happy with their work. On the other hand, find a way to contribute to each person's personal and professional growth in Tekton.
We want Tekton to be a learning experience. That’s why we have created a growth path that considers the necessary steps so that they [our team members] continue to learn— hard and soft skills— and we are in charge of facilitating the tools and support to develop and thrive.
What do you think the future of work will look like in 2022?
Remote work has radically changed how we interact. Tekton has become a fully remote company, which has opened doors to hiring talent worldwide. Our team also asked to work from home when we conducted internal surveys.
I believe that this new style of working is here to stay. The flexibility offered by remote work is highly valued and there is so much time you can save by not commuting back and forth [between home and office]. Of course, the in-person workspace has advantages and a perfect model doesn’t exist. However, Tekton aims to make the best of both worlds.
What are some of the strategies that you will implement in 2022?
First, we’ll focus on communication and cohesion. Project plannings, for example, will be done in person. Whether you live in Peru, Argentina or Mexico, all necessary team members will travel to meet and carry out the planning and ideation sessions. We have a rule that meetings are either carried out entirely in-person or completely remote. We will accompany this with team-building dynamics to establish confidence and successful communication in the long run. Finally, we have set various channels and internal meetings (Slack, Daily, Weekly, Monthly Meetings, Results Meeting, and more) in order to achieve a much more fluid and complete communication. For remote companies, constant communication is crucial.
The second strategy is more focused on the informal ambiance. Throughout the year, we will have events where we can get to know one another and generate a sense of belonging.
And finally, satellite offices. We know that working from home isn’t for everyone; each case is unique and we understand that. For us [Tekton], the office will no longer be a place where everyone works on the same schedule, watched over by the boss or leader. We have redefined our concept of the office to be a space where one can retreat to as an outlet outside of the home. For that reason, we will have various workspace locations throughout the city where team members who need it most can go to get work done.
In terms of Tekton's services and products, how have they changed or improved over the last year?
In terms of our services, 2021 was a crucial year for generating products and services that adapt to our clients’ new needs. Our industry experiences constant change, and I believe that Tekton excels at adaptation. The impact of the pandemic has been very powerful in terms of pushing our clients to digitize and adopt new ways of working. In Tekton, our value proposition is supported by the fact that we can help our clients no matter what stage they are at. We can guide or assist them through the end-to-end process when it comes to releasing a digital product in the market, from the ideation to the launch and iteration of a digital product.
In addition, we complement our services with new disciplines related to Research and Product Design. In the area of implementation (software development) we manage to make our delivery flexible, allocating complete teams with diverse profiles or helping them with specific profiles to speed up the development of their projects. All are supported by three key pillars: Strategy, Design and Technology.
What are the company’s goals for 2022?
From 2020 to 2021, we increased revenue by 60%, 70% derived from North American clients. In 2022, we will consolidate our growth strategy in said market, aiming for 80% with an increase of 70% in revenue.
Another key driver in our industry is the conversion rate of two dependent funnels: sales and recruiting. That’s why in 2022, we have launched a new area called Capacity Management. Responsible for having the right people at the right time, this area will be the intermediary between the Sales team and the Product Tribes (Design and Technology).
Our goal is to improve conversion rates by 10% in both funnels: recruiting and sales. The satisfaction of our clients and collaborators is essential for us. In 2021, we had an average NPS above 60 and in 2022 we are aiming for an NPS above 65. In the case of eNPS in 2021, we had a result over 65; we are aiming for more than 70 in 2022.
Finally, one of our main objectives for this new year is to continue strengthening our services in the search for clients with whom we share values and can establish long-term relationships. This is vital for the growth of our company. Happy clients plus happy collaborators equal successful projects.