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April 14, 2023
While it was snowing here in Massachusetts and the sun shone down there in São Paulo, I got to have a lovely chat with our Head of Design, Leandro Cassa. Among other things, the conversation sparked a great discussion about our mutual passion for user experience – he’ll inspire you, too! Read about this tech-minded, dedicated, passionate, gamer and vocalist, and hear about his journey to Digibee and the work that motivates him every day.
Why Digibee?
Leandro had spent the majority of his career working in a big tech company. He had begun to feel like just another cog in the engine without space to express himself. His efforts to make changes were discouraged or ignored. Leandro saw leaving that company as the catalyst he needed to seek an opportunity that aligned more with his professional goals. A childhood friend who was familiar with Digibee’s accomplishments encouraged him to apply, sensing that Digibee’s mission and culture was a great match for Leandro. He told Leandro that Digibee was smart, cared about quality, and wanted to do integration right. That endorsement and meeting Head of Project Management, Rodrigo Lara, solidified for Leandro that Digibee was the place to be. He and Rodrigo instantly connected. They wanted to accomplish similar things and Leandro felt for the first time that he had a voice.
Leandro saw Digibee as a place where he could apply his knowledge, skills, and experience to work he believed in and make an impact. It’s been over 3 years now, and he is grateful he took that chance on Digibee.
Life at Digibee
As Digibee has evolved, so has Leandro’s role. His passion for user experience (UX) is the driving force behind him, and spreading a UX-facing culture across the company is a key focus for his team. “I really care about people and making their lives easier. I am passionate about UX – it motivates me and informs my work,” said Leandro. The goal for the users is three-fold: to utilize data and feedback to enhance the experience, to expedite productivity and efficiency, and to accomplish this while also making the platform enjoyable to use. The challenge, he says, is understanding the nuances, complexities, and pain points for the people you are designing for, and aligning that with the right technical solutions. Having a technical background has definitely been an asset for Leandro.
Digibee is a tech company, so naturally, there is an abundance of engineering and technical people. Leandro is working to bridge the gaps between the technical and UX mindsets; both for engineers to understand the users, and for users to get more familiar with the technical aspects of the platform. Leandro is particularly excited about this challenge because he feels his technical background coupled with his passion for UX has prepared him for how to present technical concepts to non-technical people.
Leandro is also new to management and is getting acclimated to that shift in his position. He’s grateful for all he has learned over the past few years at Digibee to equip him for the role. As the company and Digibee’s team continues to grow he is also cognizant of the importance of keeping the spirit, culture, and value of a smaller company alive. Leandro feels we should always be evaluating what is working, continuing to help each other, and pushing to maintain our shared values.
The Future Ahead
When Leandro thinks of the future, his purpose is clear – he wants Digibee to have the best UX possible. In the B2B space, Leandro feels that UX overall is rather lacking, so positioning Digibee’s UX to be exceptional is another way to set Digibee apart. Leandro embraces this challenge, saying “in the position I’m in, I can keep moving us toward better UX. But, I want great UX and that’s the journey I am on.” He’s thrilled to finally be in a place where he can set goals that will make an impact both for him professionally and the company.
A common sentiment I’ve heard throughout the interviews in this Employee Highlight series is the faith Digibee’s employees have in each other. Leandro is no exception. He is invested in the leadership at Digibee because of the authenticity of their character and intentions. He believes “they are the right people with the right mindset.” He also ties his longevity with the company to the team, saying “I’m still here because I’m a believer. It’s not just the company, it’s the people. They are why I am here and why I’ve stayed here.” Leandro believes that our team is the differentiator that will continue to drive Digibee’s success into the future.
“I’m still here because I’m a believer. It’s not just the company, it’s the people. They are why I am here and why I’ve stayed here.”
Balancing Work & Life at Digibee
Before you get the idea that Leandro only thinks about UX, we did get in some fun conversations about his other interests. Leandro is a secret rockstar! (Ok, those are my words, not his). He plays a little acoustic guitar, but he’s mainly a singer, covering mostly rock and roll music. His experience playing music live has been a great asset to him professionally though. Learning how to react and respond to an audience has helped him work with users, made him more comfortable presenting, and showed him how to engage people.
Leandro is also a total gamer – and not just video games – he plays card games weekly and loves board games (of course, he does play video games too). He loves how gaming helps you strategize, think creatively, and encourages you to analyze structure and organization.
Since conducting this interview a few weeks ago, Leandro has welcomed a second child (congratulations!), so, I suspect he probably won’t have much time for these hobbies for a while. Although, I’m sure the newest family member will appreciate Leandro’s vocals when it comes to lullabies!
I love speaking with incredible “Digibees” like Leandro each month and hearing about their different interests and journeys. Keep reading our employee highlights to learn more about this amazing team of people working to bring Digibee’s innovative enterprise integration solution forward in the US and globally, and see for yourself why we have the best team around!
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