At Amplitude, our Digital Analytics Platform enables companies to build better products. And the true power behind our success? Our people!
In our Meet the Ampliteer series, we amplify their stories and honor their achievements in shaping data-driven success.
This installment spotlights the three winners of Amplitude’s Values Awards, recognizing their excellence in Humility, Ownership, and Growth Mindset.
- Humility: Alan Lee, Director of Engineering
- Ownership: Eddie Gaona, Senior Technical Support Engineer
- Growth Mindset: Joanna Shen, GTM Strategy & Analytics Manager
Can you tell us about yourself and how you landed your role at Amplitude?
Alan: I joined Amplitude in March 2024. I’ve worked at a mix of large and small companies and had a good idea of the type of impact I wanted to have. Data-driven decisions have been so important in all of my previous companies, and the product really resonated with me. I was already familiar with Amplitude having been a user at previous companies, but what really sold me on the company was its cultural values. It’s really important to me that the company lives up to the values it sets forth, and it was clear throughout the interview process that this was top of mind for Amplitude’s founders.
Eddie: I landed in Amplitude in January 2020, right before the COVID-19 shutdown. My previous role relocated me to Texas, and then I was laid off. At the time, I realized I wanted to pursue a career in tech but also help people understand tech. I found Amplitude after countless hours of searching through companies and felt passionate about the product and the value it provided customers. Right off the bat I felt connected to the company and felt at home as a Technical Support Engineer to combine both my passion for technology and helping customers.
Joanna: I joined Amplitude in October 2022 as a Senior Analyst in the GTM Strategy & Analytics team. At the time, I sought to pivot from management consulting to the tech world, eager to apply the skills I had honed in consulting to drive growth and innovation at a fast-growing company. When I came across this role at Amplitude, I was really excited and applied right away. During the interview process, I got the chance to meet with people from the Revenue Operations team and cross-functional leaders, and I remember I was struck by everyone’s enthusiasm for the company’s visions, and the dedication and commitment they brought to their work. That passion left a lasting impression on me and ultimately led to my decision to embark on this new journey with Amplitude. Now, nearly two years later, I can confidently say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made!
How does your work at Amplitude help create a world where technology is frustration-free? Can you share a project you’re particularly proud of that reflects this goal?
Alan: Technology is frustrating when it’s not understood. Part of our role as builders is to create experiences that are easy and intuitive to use. As part of Amp Easy, my teams worked on multiple initiatives that took complex features that were hard to understand and vastly simplified them. Search and Alerts & Subscriptions were features that were hard to use or set up, and we simplified the first-time user experience. With Autocapture, we simplified the setup process and introduced Visual Labeling, which was an intuitive way to explore your data.
Eddie: As a Technical Support Engineer I am equipped with the product's knowledge. One of the trends I noticed for existing customers is hiring new employees who need to use Amplitude but have never used the product before. Based on this observation, I was made aware of the Amplitude Certification program run by the Education Team. I volunteered to help out with this project in order to educate users to have education around the platform before jumping into the weeds.
Joanna: The GTM Strategy & Analytics team at Amplitude is all about driving strategy and using data to provide the GTM leadership teams with the insights they need to maximize performance. As a result, my projects are always aligned with the company strategy, focusing on optimizing current processes and workflows, helping the field identify expansion opportunities, or mitigating risks from implementation to product adoption through analytics, all with the goal of driving ARR growth and building successful, long-lasting partnerships between Amplitude and our customers.
One recent project I worked on was setting up and launching the very first multi-product reporting in GTM. Selling the Platform is a core pillar of the GTM strategy, but it has always been a bit of a black box in terms of tracking our progress on that initiative. Building out the infrastructure and seeing the early successes through the insights yielded from my analyses has been the most rewarding part of this project. It truly highlighted the impact of my team at Amplitude.
How do our Humility, Ownership, and Growth Mindset values shape your approach to work?
Alan: Ownership and Growth encourage teams to set ambitious goals and feel empowered to take the initiative to reach them. Humility rounds it out by emphasizing taking an empathetic approach. These values are carried out by the product development teams as we strive to make the best products possible, iterate quickly, and enjoy the process along the way.
Eddie: The values always remind me to tackle each conversation with empathy and understanding. We are all human and should always remember that. Ownership helps me take the lead on challenging projects and customer inquiries, but since it’s such an open concept at Amplitude, it also makes me comfortable with owning my mistakes and faults. One thing that drew me to Amplitude and Technical Support was always wanting to learn and never stopping. This is where the Growth Mindset came into play. I know I can’t learn everything, but pushing myself to learn as much as I can is what I seek in my role.
Joanna: Humility, Ownership, and Growth Mindset are the guiding principles that keep me grounded, accountable, and always looking to improve. There are always things that I don’t know or haven’t thought of. Humility reminds me to stay open to feedback, new perspectives, and solutions and to learn from others—whether they are more tenured or less experienced—knowing there is always room to grow. One thing I’ve realized while working in the Strategy & Analytics team is that most tasks and questions we receive are vague and often untackled. That’s where I think Ownership and Growth Mindset come into play. Ownership drives me to take responsibility for my work, ensuring I see projects through to the end and own the outcomes—both successes and challenges. Growth Mindset pushes me to embrace challenges as chances to learn and improve along the way.
We admire Ampliteers who go above and beyond to ensure success for our customers and the business. What inspires you to be extraordinary in your role at Amplitude?
Alan: When you see the impact of your work, enjoy the problem domain, and have exceptional peers to work with, it’s natural to want to put more into it. Amplitude has such an amazing suite of products and such a promising future. I’m inspired to do my part to help get us there quickly.
Eddie: The product and the value it provides internally and externally for customers. Collaborating with other Ampliteers and directly with customers to solve complex problems always fuels my everyday work. Every customer has a unique situation and finding a solution for each unique situation creates a challenge that I am willing and eager to tackle through collaboration.
Joanna: I would say it is the people at Amplitude who live up to our values that inspire me every day. GTM Strategy & Ops is such a talented team, and I am fortunate not only to work with talented and skilled peers and cross-functional stakeholders, but also learn from leaders who embody our values—Humility, Ownership, and Growth Mindset. Their passion for the job and their drive to tackle complex problems motivate me to never settle for “good” but strive for “better” and “excellence.”
What personal or professional goals are you excited about for the future, and how do you envision Amplitude playing a part in your growth?
Alan: As Amplitude’s business scales, the challenges faced by a growing engineering team also change. I love navigating these growth phases, and I look forward to helping the individuals on my team, the engineering organization, and the company scale over the next few years.
Eddie: I want to continue learning Amplitude's diverse portfolio of products and understanding customers use cases to bridge the gap between product and product adoption. At Amplitude I see myself leaning towards the technical side of the house focusing on the product decisions and/or joining engineering.
Joanna: I am excited to grow with Amplitude by leading strategic initiatives that streamline operations, enhance the decision-making processes, and drive scalable growth. Professionally, I want to continue developing my leadership skills by working with leaders from strategy development through execution and fostering strong cross-functional collaboration. Eventually, I hope to expand my role and lead a high-performing team at Amplitude, contributing to both the company’s and my personal growth.
Intrigued by our Ampliteers experience at Amplitude? Check out our careers site to learn more about #LifeAtAmplitude!