Spotify is ending the summer with sizzle. Just last week, the audio streaming giant introduced a major new messaging service feature, a daring target of 1 billion users, and a new record-breaker: The Weeknd’s 2019 megahit “Blinding Light” is the first song to reach 5 billion streams on the platform.
The Swedish firm is used to outsize stats. Since its launch in 2008, Spotify has garnered some 9 billion user playlists and 696 million active users per month, making it a poster child for rapid tech scale-ups.
That’s also the reason why Hosanna Ouellette calls it a “dream brand” to work for, despite having to tackle a major companywide problem endemic to scale-ups when she arrived two and a half years ago.
As Spotify’s director of global program management, she faced a distributed workforce and multiple product lines, and led a recent initiative to transform the company’s work management system. She took a simplified, design-driven approach that emphasizes aligned goals and collaboration.
Ouellette is one of 23 stand-out IT and security leaders who share their real-world experiences and perspectives in the new online report The Interconnection Between People, Process and Technology, based on in-depth interviews with these industry executives from around the globe.
In the following excerpt—the second in our series exploring new approaches to automation, security-enhancing AI, and other tools of business transformation—Focal Point gives you a taste of the top-level expertise you'll find in the book, which was produced by Chief Disruptor, a UK-based membership community for business and tech innovators, in partnership with Tanium, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions and autonomous endpoint management (and publisher of this magazine).
(This interview has been edited for space and clarity.)
HOSANNA OUELLETTE
On siloed work environments and how Spotify overcame them:
I majored in computer science at university [at Barnard in New York City], so I have always been in the technical space. My background has been in scale-up tech companies, where you often see a trajectory of rapid growth. Internal systems evolve organically, but at a certain scale—whether it's an IPO or reaching thousands of employees—those systems start to falter.
“Internal systems evolve organically, but at a certain scale—whether it's an IPO or reaching thousands of employees—those systems start to falter.”
To address this, we developed a centralized tooling platform at Spotify, consolidating 17 different tools into one. This system creates visibility from leadership down to individual teams, allowing us to work more efficiently.
This is an ongoing journey. The initial implementation brought immediate wins, like a shared language across teams—a single source of truth accessible by leadership and global teams. But there's always room for optimization. Because we have measurable metrics, we can continuously refine our approach. The focus may shift over time—from speed to efficiency or better forecasting—but [our process] allows us to adapt accordingly.
On identifying the most time-consuming procedures for her and her team:
Initially, we had assumptions about time-consuming tasks, but our system allowed us to validate them.
“Leading with business objectives ensures we gain traction, particularly in large-scale transformations. We never want to be a ‘hammer looking for a nail.’”
While many focus on developer productivity, we took a holistic approach to measure the efficiency of our most important company initiatives. We found that while we were effective at executing smaller, innovative projects, we struggled with large-scale, multi-product initiatives. Identifying this allowed us to have strategic discussions at a leadership level about refining our product development process for speed.
On what—and what not—to automate:
Process automation is complex. We've invested in automation where it makes sense, particularly for repeatable processes, but since our processes are constantly evolving, we avoid large-scale automation that might become obsolete. Instead, we focus on incremental improvements that provide ongoing efficiency gains.
[Read also: IT automation—how it works, benefits, and future tools]
Technology is powerful, but it must be fit for purpose. We always lead with business objectives first, ensuring our tools are aligned with our needs. We also consider the long-term cost of maintaining and implementing technology. Still, leading with business objectives ensures we gain traction, particularly in large-scale transformations. We never want to be a “hammer looking for a nail.”
On what drives Spotify’s commitment to cybersecurity:
Cybersecurity is important for any organization, but especially for a consumer product like Spotify, where trust is a key factor. If we fail to maintain that trust, it erodes confidence in the brand.
“Technology is powerful, but it must be fit for purpose.”
At Spotify, cybersecurity is even more critical because we are responsible for protecting not only our users but also artists, record labels, podcasters, and other media partners. Ensuring their work and livelihoods are secure is a top priority for us.
[Read also: Quantum computing is advancing fast—here’s your cybersecurity pocket guide]
On AI tools and the (yes, positive) impact they can have on human workers’ roles:
AI can lower the bar to entry for innovators, democratizing and accelerating the technology learning curve. Now employees with other forms of expertise like compliance, security, etc., don’t have to also be technical experts. They can combine their expertise with AI to discover new approaches to our biggest technical and security challenges. Those who are investing in learning with AI, especially [anyone] non-technical, will be the ones leading the vanguard of the next technology innovation boom.
TO LEARN MORE:
Check out the insights from 22 other in-depth, qualitative interviews with IT and security leaders at Barclays, WPP, Unilever, NHS Digital and a host of other organizations from around the globe.