We’re jammin’ out over here with May’s customer spotlight, Soundwave. A company whose accomplished, diverse team along with a space that fosters creativity, is keeping people connected through music. Learn more about the team at Soundwave via Community & Digital Manager, Leanne Fitzgerald.
Who are you, what’s your role, and your favorite hand-held food?
[LF] My name is Leanne and I am the Community and Digital Coordinator at Soundwave. My role is to be the connection between our global Soundwave community and the team at HQ. My favorite hand-held food is definitely pizza!
What’s the story of Soundwave?
[LF] Soundwave was founded by Brendan O’Driscoll, Aidan Sliney, and Craig Watson. They took the simple idea of creating an easy way to share music with friends and turned into into a fully-fledged startup company!
The Soundwave app tracks what songs people are listening to on their smartphones and where in real time. Users can plug into different groups of people and locations in real time to see what songs are trending and discover new music as quickly as it is played. At the moment, Soundwave is featured in the Editor’s Choice section of the Google Play Store and it was previously voted Best Innovation in Music 2013 by Apple.
What’s great about working at Soundwave?
[LF] One of the best things about working at Soundwave is the people. Everyone is so very talented at their jobs, but are also accomplished at a variety of activities outside of work. From sailing to fencing to opera singing, everybody has something unique and they’re not afraid to share with the group! This is what makes Soundwave such a rich and dynamic team.
Additionally, we have a large open-plan office with smart paint on the walls so folks can freely brainstorm ideas as they come. With spaces like our Mario-themed treehouse, the colorful mural and the on-going foosball league, the Soundwave office is really a creative space for the whole team to enjoy!
Please share some insight into Soundwave’s approach to employee and workplace operations. How has Kin played a role?
[LF] It sounds like a simple task, but we struggled with scheduling employee time off for a long time. Most HR tools that we tried over-complicated things or relied on one person to keep everything up-to-date.
“This is why we love Kin! It’s simple to use and everything is so clearly organized.”
Using Kin is also a really great way to welcome new hires to the company. The simple onboarding page allows us to introduce a new employee to the team before they even start, making their first day a little less daunting!
Anything notable going on lately?
[LF] We’re always up to something at Soundwave! Currently, we’re working on some designs for the Apple Watch that we’re pretty excited about. The best way to keep up with us is by following our Medium blog publication! Members of the team submit a post every week and give their expert advice on everything from design to app development.