When’s the last time you started a new job? Do you remember those first few weeks of drinking from the firehose and sponging up as much information about your new company, coworkers, industry and competitors as possible? I do—because I started as a Product Marketing Manager at Phunware eight weeks ago, and I’m still processing everything!
A big part of a product marketing is making sure that your product—and your customers—are ahead of the curve. You continually monitor trends to evolve your product, synthesizing market data, user feedback, economic events and more to help it stay competitive. For me to do that at Phunware, I spend a lot of time researching and thinking about the mobile landscape.
One concept that keeps popping up internally and externally is that of the device ecosystem. So let’s talk about what it is and what it means for the future of mobile.
The Device Ecosystem
First, what I mean by “device ecosystem” is the idea that connected devices can share enough information and functionality with each other for users to start a task in one device and finish it in another.
If you’ve been following WWDC (Apple developer conference) or I/O (Android developer conference), you know that the device ecosystem is a big priority for Apple and Google. Siri and Google Assistant are more powerful (and on more devices) than ever, and the lines between device operating systems are becoming increasingly blurred.
It’s happening because tech companies are beginning to realize that users don’t care about the device—they care about the experience. The device should be an invisible part of the equation. Google Home, Amazon Echo and other digital personal assistants are gaining traction because your voice is the interface. You can give your fat thumbs a break. The same software is running seamlessly in the background on all devices, and you don’t have to worry about it as you switch between them or perform complicated tasks. Or at least you won’t have to in the near future.
Smartphones have become such a big part of our lives that most of us can’t even remember how we survived without them. Forrester predicts that instead of using apps and relying on individual features to solve a need, we will eventually be able to rely on a mobile experience blended into our ecosystem. Mobile will become less of a channel and more of a “choreographer,” enabling our experience “across a connected ecosystem of partners, devices and data.”
The Company Ecosystem
Another thing I realized after thinking about the device ecosystem: Successful companies run the same way. When all parts of the company share an operating system (read: values, culture, product knowledge), the company can fade into the background, allowing the customer experience and employee productivity to become the focus.
In my first few weeks at Phunware, I’ve spent time with team members from across the company, from Product and Engineering to Sales and Solutions Consulting, and there is a real commitment to the Phunware OS, as it were. The open, collaborative environment helps us all keep working on the same page. And from my own experience as a new hire, it helps create a welcoming environment in the midst of rapid growth.
If you’re interested in becoming part of Phunware’s company ecosystem, check out our open positions and apply today.