This blog is part of our ongoing ‘Why I joined ThoughtSpot’ series, where we profile Spotters from around the world to learn who they are and why they chose a career at ThoughtSpot.
Jeff Depa recently joined ThoughtSpot as Chief Revenue Officer, and is based out of Austin, Texas. In this role, Jeff will contribute to ThoughtSpot’s strategic growth and revenue goals by maximizing profit through go to market strategies that address the entire customer lifecycle. He is responsible for driving durable growth across multiple products, geographies and channels, as ThoughtSpot continues to support customers in realizing value from AI-Powered Analytics and delivering modern data experiences.
When not in the office, Jeff is an avid pilot and is passionate about supporting his kids' athletics (his son is a travel baseball player, and his daughter is a softball rockstar). If not consumed with the aforementioned activities, he will likely be found on his tractor working on his property or in his workshop consumed with a woodworking project.
Here’s what he has to say about #LifeAtThoughtSpot.
How did you hear about ThoughtSpot?
Prior to working with Gainsight, I was CRO at an AI-powered search & discovery company focused primarily on commerce and workplace use cases, and as a result we would be in some of the same circles and conferences.ThoughtSpot was definitely on my radar early as one to watch and I was impressed to see how quickly they scaled to $100M in ARR and then pivoted successfully to the cloud.
What were your top reasons for joining ThoughtSpot?
There are really three core things for me when it comes to evaluating career opportunities: People, culture and technology. I like to use a surfing analogy that I first heard from a VC in 2015. First, you need an incredible product, which is the surfboard. Longboard, short board, or whatever it might be, you’ve got to have the right product for the right opportunity. Then you need a talented surfer that knows how to get the most out of that board, and that's the team of Spotters that we have here. It was apparent to me in the interview process and now, in my first few weeks folding myself into the team and going on a listening tour, that we have a team of individuals that encapsulate humility and passion. That really shows through in the culture at ThoughtSpot. But as great as the board and the surfer may be, you don’t get anywhere without a wave—and the wave is the market. Where we are today, with a clearly defined path to go after the modern data stack and really solve a common business problem with generative AI is an incredible opportunity. ThoughtSpot is primed to ride the wave.
How is working at ThoughtSpot different from your past roles or teams?
In my short time here at ThoughtSpot, one thing that has really stood out for me is the focus on nurturing a very human first culture that is clearly performance driven. I’ve witnessed ThoughtSpotters genuinely cheering and supporting each other, but with a bit of an edge -expecting a high degree of performance. You can feel the company leaning into that culture, while layering it up with a focus on high performance. Here, every Spotter knows how to use the product, can demo the product, and can show how it makes an impact in their day to day. It's changing everybody's job here at the company as we drink our own champagne. So, for me it’s really the culture, and the product that is a true differentiator.
How do you plan to use ThoughtSpot in your day-to-day work?
ThoughtSpot gives us a single source of truth across the business. I use our liveboards everyday to track key activities, performance indicators and results, so that I can run my weekly operations reviews and forecast calls, and we're all looking at the same data. Unlike in some of my past experiences, we can actually develop and drive strategies based on that data as opposed to debating the validity of that data. It’s truly real time data-driven decision making at its finest. That’s how you find synergies, solve challenges, uncover opportunity, and build strategic programs that drive a business of durable growth.
What advice do you have for new Spotters joining the team?
Again, it all comes back to the technology and the people.
Be additive to the culture, “Make the news. Don't just report the news”. With a performance driven culture, it's a great opportunity for people that want to succeed in a supportive and inspiring environment to come in and be additive to the culture, not just consumers of the culture.
Secondly, we have technology that can change people's lives. Just a handful of customer use cases that drive that home are Becton Dickinson and Company, who use ThoughtSpot to improve patient care at hospitals across the US, or tails.com, who takes a data-first approach to transform the way you can care for your furry companions. So, when you think about what you're enabling in people's lives, whatever you're passionate about, we've got a technology that allows you to drive that passion.
Seize that passion, get excited, and merge what you’re doing in your business day to day with your passion to make a bigger picture impact.
Want to join Jeff and work at one of the best companies in data? Check out the open opportunities on our careers page today.
