Zack Marty
Product Strategist
“Are we making the right software?” is Zack's entire mantra when it comes to his role at Echobind. He works to understand the industry that each of his clients are in and focus on what would give them the best chance of success in the present and into the future, as well. Zack is based in Louisville, KY and loves spending as much time as possible with his daughter Daphne. But when she's asleep, he makes YouTube tutorial videos for video games giving his viewers in-depth, step-by-step instructions of how to play the games and accomplish specific tasks. “Some games are really complex and almost inaccessible, and I want to make them more accessible.”
Least Favorite Emoji
:100:
Favorite Holiday Movie
Elf
Who would dress up like Santa in Echobind?
Cully, “not normal Santa, I'm outdoorsy Santa. He's got the beard for it.”
Most Used App?
Whimsical, where I make all my flow charts.
Food that doesn't get enough credit
Hot dogs “I want to see a hot dog at a Michelin-star restaurant but they use Kroger dogs.”
Where would you like the next Echobind Retreat to be?
Any place we can ski, like Utah.
Projects you loved most in 2023
Two projects that were the biggest deal to Zack in 2023 were working with Tachus, an internet service provider based in Texas, as well as O'Neil Software, a record storage and management solutions company. Working with these brands allowed him to realize what his entire year has been about while at Echobind: Displaying information in a visual manner that is extremely complex but doing it in a simple way. “It was very 'jobs to be done', that's a very popular term in product right now. That's what it's about: Stop talking about what the customer is going to touch, but what do they need to do.”
Your Personal peak/high of the year
Zack's peak actually deals with flow charts. In an internal demonstration meeting, he created a simple flow chart with animal symbols instead of words to showcase the concept that if you do one thing, it could filter to the bottom and the company wouldn't want that with the user experience. After the meeting, he received five different direct messages from co-workers praising his flow chart designs and how digestible he made the information. “In my mind, they were just quick charts, but it made me realize what I was doing had so much value,” he said. “You know you're good at your job but there's still that voice in the back of your head sometimes that makes you doubt yourself. So that made me feel valued.”
Advice you'd give January 2023 version of yourself
No more “live” documents with clients.
Favorite work-from-home perk or accessory:
While Zack admits that the physically working from home perk is unmatched, he also adores his Herman Miller desk chair that has stood the test of time. “Oh, but also, it's the fact I have a bowl of chili sitting next to me and nobody cares. No one is going to say, 'Does it smell like chili in here? Why does it smell like chili?' And then it's just me hiding in my cubicle. I'm glad I don't deal with that anymore.”