Tell us about yourself and how long you’ve been with Optimal Dynamics.
My name is Jaselle Burnham, I am a Senior Product Manager at Optimal Dynamics based out of Atlanta, GA. I have been with the company for almost two years.
Can you summarize your job in one sentence?
I am a product leader of AI and software solutions that automate operational decisions while optimizing for better outcomes within a platform that users want to take advantage of.
What inspired you the most to join Optimal Dynamics?
Logistics is a fascinating industry. It is a web of complex processes that are the backbone to our economy. There are so many variables at play with an imperative for high quality outcomes. I am inspired every day by taking on these big problems and the intelligence of our solutions.
What do you like best about our company culture?
Kindness and teamwork are the norm. Every day I “walk into the office” knowing it will be a day of working together towards our vision.
What is unique about what we do at Optimal Dynamics?
We have a product breadth and analytical strength that sets us apart from others in the problem space. Our solution is capable of transitioning an industry into a world of collaborative optimization, instead of siloed reaction that has been the standard for so long. Operators will no longer have to gather tribal knowledge over years and years to make educated guesses on every single small, granular decision throughout the day. Optimal Dynamics gives them a way to automatically make strategic decisions, so they can instead focus on optimizing profit and handling the complex exception problems.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I really enjoy getting on the operations floor with our users and their managers to deeply understand the problems they are facing and the goals they are trying to achieve. This thing we are doing is changing how carriers run their business, so it’s crucial we design together in partnership. I believe that it should be a never-ending pursuit to grow empathy for your target segments and love that I am able to dive so deeply into this aspect of product management here.
What have been your biggest accomplishments on our team, and what was the impact on the product/company?
I am very proud of being the product leader who (with the support of many great people and teams!) helped take the software from a technical representation of the engine that solves customer needs, into a full fledged SaaS product with customer engagement, support teams, and a stream of new customers. I brought my obsession for listening to customers and used that to lead redesigns and new solutions that bridged the gap between the analytical engine results and the mindset on the operations floor.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
My role here at Optimal Dynamics has enabled me to strengthen my leadership skills. Our product is complex, built with the support of many teams, integrating data, and advanced mathematical technologies. It is also paving the way in a relatively unknown territory so there are so many paths that can be taken at every turn. Amongst this complexity, I have successfully launched multiple products that involved bringing together various teams, levels of leadership, and points of view into a cohesive, strategic implementation.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Tennis! Being outside, getting exercise, all while trying to figure out the puzzle of how to beat my opponent is addicting. When I am not on the court, I also enjoy creative pursuits like writing and drawing.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work at Optimal Dynamics?
Take a moment to research the industry if it is new to you. Ask questions if you are unsure - we have a culture of always learning. It is important to understand the problems we are trying to solve in addition to having analytical or software development skills.
