cutting through the noise
Dawid Kowalik
Technical Lead & Product Manager
Areas of Expertise
Product ManagementTech Team LeadershipAgile MethodologiesCommunication SkillsHands-on TechnicalWorkload PrioritizationFrontend DevelopmentRelease Management
Profile
Extensive and proactive Technical Lead & Product Manager with the unique ability to discern what truly matters. Cutting through the noise, proactively bringing clarity to technical challenges, and ensuring that innovative solutions are conceived and effectively executed. With a keen eye for detail and a steadfast commitment to excellence lead products from ideation to market success, always focusing on the signal amidst the cacophony of the tech landscape.
Skills
Management
Agile, Scrum, Cross-functional, Stakeholder Management, Roadmapping, Iterative Approach, Oral & Written Communication, Mentoring, Workload Prioritization, Detail Oriented, Presentation Skills, DORA Metrics, JIRA, JIRA Automation, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Power Automate
Frontend Technologies
HTML, Pug, CSS, SCSS, SASS, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Angular, jQuery, Vite, Rollup, Gulp, Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap, Hotwire Turbo
Backend Technologies
Node.js, Next.js, PHP+Laravel, Java, Python basics, Databases (MySQL, MongoDB), WordPress, Prestashop
Software Development Tools
Git, GitLab, GitHub, GitHub Actions, Docker, Bitbucket, Bamboo, Release Management, DevOps
Analytics & Analysis
Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Contentsquare, Hotjar, AB Testing (Optimizely), Core Web Vitals
Visual
UI/UX Design for web, UX Research, Mockups, Responsive web design, Generative graphics (Blender, P5.js, GLSL basics), GIMP, Blender
Audio
Audio Production, Sound Design, Ableton Live, Max4Live, Homerecording
Experience
10/2024 – present
Led the design and development of the frontend for the GenAI.Financial website, utilizing modern technologies such as Next.js, React, and Tailwind CSS.
- Designed a modern, clean, and user-friendly interface for the application, ensuring an intuitive user experience.
- Provided technical expertise in configuring the CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions and introduced server components to improve security and page load times.
11/2023 – 09/2024
- Established OKRs and KPIs. Managed backlogs, and roadmaps. From the Scrum perspective, handled Product Owner duties. Ensured consistent value delivery during the time of company structural reorganisation. Provided strategies for the increase in lead capture numbers and quality - long-term vision and easy wins. Cooperated closely with 4 Development Teams, and actively supported the recruitment of new Team Leaders. Planned new functionalities in a data-driven way, based on Google Analytics and Contentsquare analysis in close cooperation with multiple tech teams, SEO, and Designers.
- Increased lead capture form coverage of the DailyFX website close to 95% of pages, bringing hundreds of additional clients.
- Created the process for AB testing and for further implementation of test results.
- Led the migration of consent management to a third-party tool project, using solutions that allowed smooth rollout and confidence in following the user's consent.
- Used technical background during migration to JIRA Cloud to create time-saving automation for reports and alerts.
06/2023 – 11/2023
Managed Technical Team Lead responsibilities while entering the world of Product Management in the DailyFX
- Led the development of an internal CMS tool, with the iterative approach, made it usable in a matter of few months, and gradually migrated less critical functionalities from the outdated tool later. Managed to handle it as BAU, due to budget constraints. This enabled the creation of DailyFX Japan, new functionalities, and a minimization of technical debt. Delivered a major part of the design for the tool, to reduce workload on UI/UX designer. In close cooperation with internal stakeholders, making the CMS finetuned to their needs, delivering a highly praised tool, which reduced the time of single article publication approximately from 30 to 5 minutes.
- Led the implementation of Google Analytics 4, in an easily maintainable, extendable, futureproof way, in cooperation with an external agency.
Experience - continued
11/2021 – 06/2023
Led the DailyFX Development Team of 11 people using the Agile methodology.
- Handled Scrum Master responsibilities as the Agile & Scrum practices implementation leader. Cooperated closely with the Product Owner and Stakeholders. Prioritised the workload to ensure consistent delivery of new features, while managing the maintenance work and paying off the technical debt. Collaborated with various teams, stakeholders and external agencies, helping them communicate technical matters. Embraced cross-functionality in the team, by encouraging developers to work on stories from outside of their usual scope, which benefited consistent delivery.
- Led the development of DailyFX Japan: ensured keeping the deadline, and stable release while maintaining the consistent BAU. Collaborated closely with internal stakeholders and the external agency to establish MVP, roadmap, and processes. Provided the best technical solutions to make new, culturally customised, designs possible without disturbing current codebase and workflows.
- Created the Release Management processes - ensured reliable, weekly releases, contributing to the iterative approach. Brought clarity to the scope and the timing of releases for the development team and stakeholders.
- Handled Product Owner duties during PM changes/absences: keeping backlog up to date, maintaining contact with stakeholders, ensuring consistent business value delivery - started to gain hands-on experience in Product Management.
- Successfully recruited new team members, coached and mentored them. Supported other Team Leads in their recruitment processes.
06/2019 – 11/2021
Proactively guided the technical innovation.
- Took technical ownership of the whole frontend technology of DailyFX.
- Improved build and deployment pipeline - reduced developers' time needed to put code on the environment by 60%.
- Led the technical change: introduced TypeScript, frontend unit tests and Hotwired Turbo library, providing a seamless SPA experience to the website, without the need to change the framework.
- Set up the roadmap for improving technical solutions and technical debt reduction. Embraced cross-functionality by working on backend-related tasks, in Java and PHP. Represented the Development Team in contact with stakeholders.
07/2017 – 06/2019
Gathered technical efficiency on the large-scale project, the DailyFX website.
- Maintained and developed new features for the portal and actively participated in migration from Java to PHP + Laravel.
- Introduced the usage of SASS to the project, which resulted in long-term improvement in stylesheet quality.
04/2015 – 07/2017
Independently worked on small apps and large CRM, and ERP systems.
- Created designs for web and mobile, developed web applications for car repair shop groups such as MaXserwis and O.K. Serwis. Delivered numerous interactive quiz apps.
- Designed and programmed ecosystem of CMS and ERP systems, allowing the creation of independent, customized virtual machines with instances for multiple clients, all manageable from the administration panel.
01/2012 – present
Worked on numerous design and webdevelopment projects.
- Created multiple websites and shops, from scratch or using WordPress, and PrestaShop. Designed posters, graphics, banners.
Certificates
Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM I)
Scrum.org
Contentsquare Certified Expert
Contentsquare
Agile Foundations
Project Management Institute
Interests
Music
Listening, Going to gigs, Music production, Modular synthesizers and instruments, Playing in multiple projects: D. Kowalik, Milczenie, Luty, Grief Christ
DIY & visual
Soldering electronics, DIY instruments, Creating reactive visuals
Bodybuilding
Languages
Polish
Native
English
C1
Russian
A2