Marketing teams require a lot of data to accurately engage with their audience, and a lot of the time that data is spread out between the various platforms and tools they need it in. This was a problem hygge member Alec Haase saw while working at Red Ventures as the director of data products.

While he was there, the company began working with Hightouch, a Series-B SaaS platform, which allows organizations to sync their data to appropriate apps and tools without any manual processes that can slow a team down. The solution was a game changer in Alec’s eyes, and he made the jump to join the team leading product marketing.

If all of that sounds a bit complex, we get it. We were fascinated by what Alec and his team does and wanted to learn more, so we sent him a few questions to get the scoop on Hightouch, working remotely for a San Francisco startup and his favorite things about Charlotte.

What’s your role with Hightouch? What does a typical day look like for you?

I lead product marketing at Hightouch, a Series-B SaaS platform that enables organizations to activate the data stored in their data warehouse out to the various tools and platforms they need it in. Through my role, I get the opportunity to work directly with customers from companies like the NBA, Chime, and Cars.com to understand their needs, determine how to refine our go-to-market strategy, and develop a product roadmap that delivers the most value possible. Product marketing at Hightouch is a highly cross-functional role where we get to work with every team, in addition to our partners and customers. Some days I work with product managers scoping new features, while other days have me working with partner marketing to discuss new GTM ideas. Every day is a bit different, which I absolutely love.

What makes you passionate about the work you do?

In my previous role as Director of Data Products at Red Ventures, I saw first-hand how painful it was for marketing teams to be unable to fully leverage their data. I was tired of seeing world-class digital marketers getting slowed down by manual processes and legacy platforms… that is until we found Hightouch. After seeing the agility that the product could provide my teams at Red Ventures, I knew I needed to take the leap and join Hightouch to help empower marketing teams everywhere with the tools they need to unlock the full potential of their customer data. Knowing that the technology we are building is helping marketing teams achieve their goals is what keeps me passionate about the work I do.

What do you think sets Hightouch apart from other companies?

While the product itself is incredibly powerful, what sets us apart is our people. I am proud to work alongside some of the smartest, kindest, and most driven people I have ever encountered. Our team deeply cares about solving our customers’ needs and continually strives to improve both ourselves and our product. Everyone at Hightouch is hungry to succeed; that drive is genuinely contagious for us as well as our customers and partners.

Why did you choose Hygge coworking to work from?

After some searching and trying out other coworking options, Hygge was a no-brainer for our team of four here in Charlotte. The spaces are high quality, in great locations, and allow us to switch between different locations daily (we usually do ~3 a week). Overall, it’s a great environment for our team to come together and work.

What’s your favorite thing about Charlotte?

What I like the most about Charlotte is that it offers a perfect balance between work and life. It has a fast-growing city vibe, but still retains the small town feel in neighborhoods like Wesley Heights, Plaza Midwood and Noda. I can go to a data happy hour with people from major corporations to small startups, and then just walk 10 minutes back home – something that’s quite difficult to find in other cities. Recently, I heard a quote that really resonated with me: “In Charlotte, you’re only one message away from having coffee with anyone you want to talk to.” I have found this to be so true, and after hearing the quote, have had so many amazing conversations just by reaching out and asking.

What’s a fun fact about yourself that not many folks know?

Although I love working remotely for a San Francisco-based company, I felt pretty isolated for the first few months. This led me to create a slack workspace for some CLT-based tech friends so we had a place to chat. A few months later, it’s transformed into a highly active community of over 200 tech, product, and data leaders in CLT. We do 1:1 coffee chats, monthly group meetups and will host our first community Demo Night at Hygge Wesley Heights in a few weeks. It’s blown me away how many amazing people in tech and startups were looking for a community like ours, and I’m just happy we’ve created a place to facilitate the connections we’ve made so far. You can check it out at startupCLT.co