I’ve been at Kevel for 2 years now. I was the first Solutions Architect to be hired outside of the US. When I joined in June 2021 we were only 60 people, but the company has doubled in size over that period, and we’ve gone from one product to five, and from having 3 offices (NC, SF, LDN) to 5 (NC, SF, LDN, Porto and Singapore).
As a Solutions Architect at Kevel my role involves leveraging my technical and domain-specific expertise to establish ourselves as trusted advisors for prospects, customers, partners, and internal stakeholders. Our teams primary objectives include ensuring successful customer adoption of the Kevel platform, understanding customers' challenges, and collaborating as strategic partners to deliver innovative solutions. We bridge the gap across the entire customer journey, from pre-sale to post-sale, aligning business and technical aspects to maximize value. Proactivity, ownership, effective communication, and strategic initiative define the role.
Ash was promoted to Team Leader in December 2022. His colleagues describe Ash as a critical part of Kevel’s success and a fantastic leader for other solutions architects across his team.
I’ll admit I somewhat fell into this role. I started my career as a Software Engineer at a small SaaS company (4 people when I first joined). At a small company everyone needs to do a bit of everything, and I found myself really enjoying the engagements I had working directly with customers. It’s great seeing them succeed.
My previous role was interesting because it was such a small company, which also doubled in size and revenue during my time there. I made the move because I was ready for something more established but not for a huge company. I was happy to join Kevel because if offered me an opportunity to have the freedom and flexibility to work on different projects.
My best advice would be to really embrace a growth mindset. Be open to learning, seeking new experiences, and continuously improving yourself. Take on challenges, ask questions, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Networking, building relationships, and seeking mentorship are really valuable too. Stay passionate and persevere through setbacks.
It’s really hard to pick just one thing! But if I had to pick I’d say the people. At Kevel we have some of the best talent out there, not only is everyone passionately working towards our vision of Kevel, but everyone is so eager to support one another. Across the company, we have such a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences, and it really makes for an incredible team ethos.
One of the best aspects of being a Solutions Architect at Kevel is the opportunity to work at the intersection of technology, business, and innovation. It allows for creative problem-solving, collaborating with diverse teams, and helping our customers drive incredible success using our platform.
'Always Be Crushing' - This value embodies our relentless pursuit of driving value in everything that we do, be it through innovation, supporting our customers, or creating a fantastic place to work. We are lucky to be surrounded by a group of passionate, innovative and talented individuals who work hard - this leads to great things.
Coming from a very small startup (4 people) to a larger startup, I was worried that I would not have the same flexibility in my role as I did at my previous company. Kevel really fosters a place for people to do their best work, everyone has their own unique superpower, and Kevel does a great job at providing people with the freedom to really lean into that. This really comes back to one of Kevel’s other core values 'We’re all Adults'.
Do your research! While we don’t expect you to be a Kevel expert, it really shows when someone has spent some time researching what Kevel offers. Passionate people do really well at Kevel, so tell us what makes you excited about the opportunity at Kevel, be it how it relates to your past experience, our vision, our product, or the systems that we build.
I moved to London less than a year ago, so in my spare time, you’ll find me exploring all that London has to offer - typically through finding the best restaurants!
I dropped out of high school and university! I love learning, but I’ve found that I learn the most when I have the freedom to focus on learning with my own structure.
Crisis intervention - I spent 2 years volunteering for a Mental Health Crisis Line. The experience really shaped who I am today. It is such a privilege to be able to provide support to individuals in severe distress. Individuals who often have no one else that they feel comfortable speaking to. It really was instrumental in further developing my ability to actively listen and my empathy.
