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Before I could respond, Grayson asked, “Why don’t you tell us what you know about Hooked.”
His voice was cold, demanding. Definitely the broodiest of the trio.
I had one hand resting atop the table and the other on my lap. I moved them together and squeezed. This was where my attitude needed to match my black suit. “I must say, you’ve built quite an infrastructure from a technical standpoint. Your design is clean. Easy to use and follow. There’s compatibility and seamlessness between the different operating systems. Is there room for improvement? Always. I’ve also noticed your app is only US based, and that’s a change I would make if it’s something you’d even consider.”
Easton glanced at the other two and then said, “Are you a member of Hooked?” When I didn’t immediately respond, he added, “Why I’m asking is that certain aspects of the app can’t be accessed unless you have a membership. I’m just curious if you saw it all or half or if you only concentrated on one of the divisions—say, the dating and marriage section.”
“Let’s put it this way,” I started. “I may be in management now, but I began my career in coding, and I’m highly skilled and highly trained in that arena. I don’t need to be a member to access your app”—I offered them another smile—“as I can slide through any unprotected pathway.”
“Oh shit,” Grayson groaned. “Should we ramp up security if we’re that easy to hack?”
I laughed. “What you have is adequate for the average user, but, yes, I would increase security because if I’m able to get in, others can, too, and that addition is something I would do immediately if I was given this position.”
Holden moved his chair closer to the table. “One of the things we liked most about your résumé is your international experience. As I reviewed the different positions you’ve had at Faceframe over the years, I see that part of your responsibilities has been to utilize data to create better experiences for the user.”
“Yes,” I confirmed, the sweat finally starting to dry on my hands. “For the last year, it’s been one of my main focuses. I’ve traveled allover the world to make our interface as friendly as possible within each market.”
“That’s exactly what we’re looking to do and one of the main reasons we’re hiring for this position.” Easton’s hand lifted from his chest, his fingers rubbing through his scruff. Fingers that were causing the strangest sensation to enter my body. “We’re launching the app internationally.”
The sound of his skin brushing through his whiskers reached me on the other side of the table.
So did his gaze.
Neither was letting me go.
I coughed to clear my throat. “What I’ve learned during my years at Faceframe is every demographic has a different experience while using the app, and that expands across all countries and languages. We conduct rigorous testing, thoroughly researching these markets to understand them better, constantly tweaking the interface to meet their needs and expectations.”
“Let’s talk about travel,” Holden said. “Would you be open to representing our brand at international conventions?”
“I love to travel—it’s a huge passion of mine,” I replied. “So yes, I would absolutely represent your brand at conventions. That’s also something I did at Faceframe.”
“Were you at the convention in Austin last month?” Holden asked.
“I was and, admittedly, had the best barbecue I’ve ever eaten in my life.” I smiled.
“Was that your first time trying Texas barbecue?” Easton inquired.
My stomach tightened from his voice. “Sadly, yes, but now I find myself craving their brisket and ribs, and I need to find my way back there very soon.” I laughed. “But I want to also say that in addition to conferences, something else I did for Faceframe was when the data showed a feature wasn’t working on the app, I would be the first person to get on a plane to analyze the market personally.”
“Without breaking your NDA, could you give us an example of that?” Grayson asked.
The excitement from my most recent discovery caused my pulse to hammer. “Of course. We launched a new messaging feature in Israel, and it wasn’t being used. I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t figure out why, after conducting all this research, it was being ignored. I flew to Tel Aviv and spent days working with test groups and analyzing data, and the problem immediately became apparent.” I tucked a chunk of hair behind my ear, my mom’s bracelet grazing my skin. “Hebrew is read from right to left. The message feature was in the wrong spot, and it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing for those users. Now, for a US-based user, it would have worked perfectly, but this was a case of understanding the market and adapting to it.”
“What happened once you moved the button?” Easton asked.
I shook my head, feeling my face light up. “Exactly what you’d imagine—the usage increased over eighty percent.”
“That had to be a fascinating find,” Holden said.
I nodded. “Those are some of the things I would do for Hooked. I would get you answers, like why are users signing up for their free one-month trial and quitting after only a week. Did they match and find the One that quickly? Maybe. But it’s more likely that their experience wasn’t what they wanted or what they were looking for.” I glanced at each of their faces. “You need someone who doesn’t just understand different audiences, but someone who knows how to target them, how to create an experience that will result in an increase of revenue, not a loss or a missed opportunity.”
“The person who’s currently in that role does none of that,” Grayson said.
We were speaking candidly here, so I replied, “In their defense, they probably don’t realize they have to. Your membership rate has continued to grow, am I right?” When I received a nod from Grayson, I continued, “You started with a solo focus and you expanded to includemore offerings, therefore you’ve been on an upward trend. Things have been going amazingly well. The director just needed to help maintain that, and I’m sure they have. But I’m assuming you’ve reached the point where things are starting to plateau—every app hits that point right around the five-year mark, and you’re beyond all that. You can increase ad spend, but something tells me you probably tried that. You can lower the membership fee, offer discounts, sales—enticing language that will result in only short-term gains. Or you can broaden your audience, and that’s why I’m sitting at this table with all of you.”
The ideas were already flowing.
A few days inside their network, reviewing, testing, and I would have an entire presentation to share with them.
