In this blog post, we caught up with Michelle Chan (@MichelleSQ) , one of our global beta managers. She primarily focuses on Canadian beta programs, and you probably see her name in the beta community quite often, always willing to lend a helping hand. Continue reading to learn more about Michelle, what she enjoys doing in her spare time, and what she’s most excited about for beta.
Tell us about your Square journey.
I joined Square as the beta manager working specifically on the Canadian market back in January 2020. I was promoted two years ago, and now I get to work on projects that span all of our global markets!
What is your favorite part about working on the beta team?
Hearing from all of you. Everything we work on together has a real impact on your livelihoods and businesses, and being able to shine a light on the things that are important to you is one of the best parts about working on the beta team at Square.
They let me hold this bad boy after I bought a smaller king crab for ¥10,000. Highly recommend visiting Sapporo for all the fresh seafood (and great mountains for snowboarding).
What beta(s) are you most excited about right now?
Square for Restaurants Next Generation. I’ve been on this beta project for over two years now, and it has been a challenging project that required flexibility and quick thinking. Seeing the behind-the-scenes work from our engineering and design team, incorporating the numerous feedback loops provided by our beta testers, and seeing things come to life has been so rewarding. Projects like this start with a lot of limitations and restrictions, and being able to incorporate your feedback on what features are most important for you to see now versus later shines a light on how our product development process works.
What has been the most challenging part of helping manage betas?
Sometimes we get assigned to over eight beta projects at once, which spreads us a bit thin. As a beta manager, I am responsible for making decisions based on data, but every project is prioritized differently within Square and can have varying impacts on the company and on the sellers’ experience. There’s a lot of data to look through and analyze, and sometimes this can take several days! We don’t want to make inaccurate assumptions and recommendations, so it’s important for us to get it right the first time.
Is there a local Square Seller you regularly support?
What do you like to do in your free time?
I actually work EDT hours even though I’m based on the West Coast, so I have a lot of free time after work ends. You can typically find me at the gym; I like to lift weights. It’s nice to be able to get a workout in while everyone else is still at work.
If you’ve made it this far, I’m happy to announce that I am also secretly planning to open a cafe. If you have any tips or advice, I’m all ears! Would love to hear from someone who’s also in the Vancouver area and how you opened your cafe.
Thank you, @MichelleSQ, for sharing your Square journey with us and giving us some insight into your personal interests! To connect with Michelle and learn more about our beta programs, head over to the Beta Community.
Nika is a Beta Community Manager at Square. You’ll find her most often in the Beta Community, helping to bridge the gap and build relationships between sellers and product teams.