Conway & Co

Back by popular demand! 🥁 Announcing our next guest at the European Commerce Summit: Jons Janssens, founder of Conway & Co. Deja vu? Completely possible. Jons had us all hooked with his keynote during last year's Summit, so we invited him back. This time around, he’s joining our Tech Panel to dive into a lively discussion on how technology drives business. During his time at Ace & Tate, Jons overhauled the technical infrastructure, preparing it for the future demands of digital commerce. At Conway & Co, he helps D2C brands digitally mature with advice on technology, strategy and analytics. Thanks for joining us Jons, looking forward! #deardigital #european #commerce #summit

Conway Talent Network is live!

I love watching e-com managers and product managers debating. They often clash. It’s inherent to their responsibilities and skills:  → E-com manager brings traffic to the webshop & creates promotional offers. → Product manager focuses on the customer experience & manages the backlog.  The challenge: both roles own the conversion rate & NPS.  And they disagree on the HOW part 🥊:  - How the UX & technology platform should be improved;  - Whether to focus on traffic acquisition or customer retention;  - Whether to spend on marketing or better technology.  But that’s ok. Let them battle it out.  However, make sure you:  1.) Understand where their perspectives are coming from;  2.) Enable them to thrive in THEIR area of expertise.  E-com managers come from marketing: commercial mind  - Digital campaigns to drive revenue & profit.  - Managing media budget & ROI.  - Performance marketing background  Product managers come from software: analytical mind  - Long-term digital experience development.  - Managing the roadmap & backlog of features.  - Business analytics or technical background.  It will always be hard to choose:  - Commercial vs Experience  - Acquisition vs Retention  - Marketing budget vs Technology budget  But everything is about the balance and ensuring the e-commerce equation works.  If you master this mindset, you will see the bigger picture, enabling you to resolve any conflict of priorities. ——— Looking for your next job opportunity in e-commerce? On September 25th, at Conway & Co we will launch 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: a career platform with curated opportunities for the top e-commerce professionals in the Netherlands. Sign up for the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e6qjDy6K

We are launching Conway Talent Network: 𝗮 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 on September 25th. Join the waitlist and be notified first: https://lnkd.in/e6qjDy6K Conway Talent Network will feature career opportunities for: - Heads of digital; - E-commerce managers; - Product owners; - Online marketeers; - Webshop managers; And so on. We carefully curated the companies based on their growth potential, digital maturity, and company culture. If your application is a good match, we will give you a warm introduction to our network of selected companies. Think of Bugaboo, Rituals, Coolblue, Crisp, Dopper, MR MARVIS, Ace & Tate, Fairphone, etc. Why did we come up with this idea? ↳ For years, we’ve been helping our clients to set up digital roles and find & evaluate talented people through our own personal network. 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀. ↳ We know firsthand how hard it is to find a team you want to work for and people you want to hire. ↳ No matter how good your strategy & tech stack are, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. If you'd like to feature a job or have any questions about the network, please reach out.   

Here's some harsh truth for e-com tech & digital leaders: Business executives don’t give a damn about technology. They only care about money and business impact. Technology just provides the backbone to their business operations. 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀, 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻. That’s why technology is strategically critical. As a digital leader (whether you're a head of digital, e-commerce manager, or product manager), you bear responsibility for the fact that commercial success hinges on technology and data. Therefore, technology investments are not merely expenses but strategic levers for achieving business impact. The key is to align technology investments with the business strategy, ensuring that every €€ spent contributes to the company's overarching goals. —— At Conway & Co, we're developing Conway Talent Network: a career platform with curated job opportunities for the top e-commerce professionals in the Netherlands. To be launched on September 25th. Sign up for the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e6qjDy6K

In some consumer or retail brands, digital specialists get stuck: → Solving irrelevant problems; → Dealing with office politics; → Stressing about tech costs & poor performance; → Blindly implementing ideas from someone at the top. It happens even when these companies are heavily investing in e-commerce. These are the symptoms of no system. And if you look deeper, you will find even more issues 🔍: - The technology stack is a complicated mess. It frustrates everyone; - There’s no reliable data to back up decisions. Instead, someone’s ego guides everyone; - The growth & performance are stagnant or decreasing; - People aren’t staying long in the company. Now, it’s up to you whether you want to leave such a company or try to fix it. If you decide to move to your next gig, look for a company that is system-led, takes digital & tech strategy seriously, and has sustainable growth ambitions. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸: 𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆?  If the company has a chief digital officer or a strong director of digital, it means they take this area seriously. 𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 & 𝗡𝗣𝗦 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱?  Are they even tracking that? No focus on customer retention = no focus on digital experience throughout the full e-commerce funnel. You'll struggle. 𝟯. 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?  Avoid companies where a single 'dungeon master' holds all the technical knowledge, keeping things unnecessarily complex and under their control. —— Looking for your next job opportunity in e-commerce? On September 25th, at Conway & Co we will launch 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: a career platform with curated opportunities for the top e-commerce professionals in the Netherlands. Sign up for the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e6qjDy6K

E-commerce digital talents often get stuck in mid-management roles. Even when they: • Excel as specialists in their niche; • Lead large-scale projects; • Receive positive feedback from colleagues and seniors. Yet, after 3, 4, or 5 years, they’re still in the same position. The problem? → The skills that got you the job aren’t the same ones needed for a promotion. The solution: → Become capable of managing new areas, digital transformations, and leading people. Own the entire e-commerce funnel, not just one part of it. Specifically, it means: 1. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 → 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗧-𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿.  Broaden your skills in adjacent digital fields (e.g., tech, branding, UX). This will enable you to take on wider responsibility and bigger projects. 2. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 → 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.   How do your projects connect with the long-term business strategy? This way, you can position your achievements as an integral part of the company’s success. 3. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 → 𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲. Focus on creating clear roles, effective workflows, a seamless tech stack, and a stress-free culture. Master these skills, and you will demonstrate your ability to lead. By expanding your expertise and fostering a collaborative environment, you’ll showcase your potential to lead and take ownership of the entire e-commerce funnel. *** If you’re looking for your next career opportunity at top e-commerce companies, read on. On September 25th, Conway & Co will launch 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. It’s a career platform with curated opportunities for the top e-com professionals in the Netherlands. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e6qjDy6K

In the world of e-commerce, there's a clear distinction between amateurs and professionals. → 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 set goals. → 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 build systems. This insight resonates deeply with my ∼20 years of experience in online-first consumer brands. The professional mindset is what separates successful top execs from the average ones. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 & 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀: - Applying trendy hacks for quick wins. - Coming up with big “genius” breakthrough ideas. - Making themselves look good and always right. - Creating a competitive environment within the team. 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. They focus on the long term: - Designing systems that consistently achieve the highest targets. - Building robust data and tech infrastructure to streamline operations. - Embracing an open, ego-free mindset. - Assembling a team of top talent to create a powerhouse. *** At Conway & Co, we've been developing something for both seasoned digital professionals and those on the path to becoming one. On September 25th, we’re launching Conway Talent Network—a career platform with curated opportunities in the e-commerce industry. This is our first step towards building a community. First in The Netherlands, and later across Europe. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eTQB4PxR P.S.: The Amateur vs. Professional idea was coined by Shane Parrish (Farnam Street blog).

Whether you're enjoying the beach breeze or the air conditioning, check out the latest Conway & Co newsletter ☀️ https://lnkd.in/dpg_iany

An important lesson brought by a mystery shopper's experience at AG1: sometimes simplicity can cost you more than you think 🤔 Why? → AG1 started off as a all-in-one solution but over time began introducing more products into the portfolio. Daan's experience explains how this might become a challenging area for the brand's positioning, customer experience, and operations. Check out our recent DXP Snapshot Nº3 on our Substack: https://lnkd.in/dBijn2Xd ---------------------------------------- In our ‘DXP Snapshots’ series, we explore three critical areas for consumer & retail brands that want to win the e-commerce game: Decoding digital success ↴ A. Strategy Review → Focus on the 3C flywheel content, commerce, and community. B. Tactics Review → Evaluate the impact on conversion, NPS, and retention. C. Shopping Experience → Analyze the buying, service, and return journey. Want to learn more about our Digital experience audit? Feel free to contact Daan Spangenberg. #ag1 #ecommerce #positioning #customerexperience #digitalexperience #ux