- Name
- Rusty Lindquist
- Company
- a la mode, Inc. (Agent / Broker XSites)
- E-mail
- Contact Rusty Lindquist (a la mode, Inc. (Agent / Broker XSites))
- Website
- http://www.alamode.com
- Description
- VP, Agent and Broker Products, a la mode, Inc.
rusty@alamode.com
About Me:
On a personal level, I should first say how incredibly enjoyable it is, working for a la mode. I've had opportunity to work at a number of companies, large and small, but have never found a company that is more engaging, more dynamic, more competitive, and that has more fun than this one.
It's one thing to have the opportunity to build cutting edge tools for an industry as dynamic and important as real estate, but it's entirely another to do so with a team of people that you genuinely enjoy being around, that are passionate about the same things you are, and that are as bright as this. Coincidentally, due to our ongoing growth, we're always hiring (especially right now), so if you're a real estate professional, who may be looking for something else to do, and who is passionate about both technology and real estate, please make sure to contact me.
Within the team of people (around 250) that make up a la mode, I'm responsible for the products we build for real estate brokers and agents. This usually begins at the market research level - The other managers within the agent side of a la mode, and I spend a lot of time simply reading (trying to keep up with a group of some of the most communicable people on the planet can take a fair share of one's time - especially with the recent explosion of agent blogs). I read a lot of industry news, go to the main tradeshows, and of course, I spend a lot of time listening to the tens of thousands of people that already use our products.
I then take what we learn and meld it together with the strategic direction and standards we set as a company, and that sets a vision that we can drive our products toward. From that vision, and from the multiple feature requests we get on an ongoing basis, I set a development plan, and then set to work actually designing the user interface and writing the "specifications" of exactly how that feature/product should work. My history is in UI (user interface) design, so I always have a lot of fun doing this part.
Once a feature/product is designed, and "spec'd", I manage it through development, to make sure the execution of that feature is in alignment with my vision. It's then passed through our rigorous QA (quality assurance) testing, before being rolled out first to our beta group, and then finally to our entire customer base. After that, the process simply recycles itself as more feedback circles back through our support channels, and the whole process continues in a never-ending cycle of evolution.
In all, it's a tremendously engaging process. At once both challenging, and exciting. You'll notice I use the word evolution - it's a term, a thought-process really, that continually permeates the culture at a la mode. Everything, big and small, is constantly in a state of evaluation and refinement.
On that specific note, if you have comments, specific things you feel we could do better, or should be doing (or shouldn't be doing, for that matter), or just would like to let me know about your experience, please make sure to tell me directly, and contribute to the overall ongoing evolution of our suite of tools for Agents and Brokers.
About a la mode, Inc.
Founded in 1985, a la mode has become the leader in real estate technology by developing software, workflow management systems and e-commerce technology for a wide range of participants in the mortgage lending and home selling processes.
Our appraisal management software is used by more than hlaf the real estate appraisers in North America, but we also build productivity and marketing solutions for Mortgage brokers, loan officers, home inspectors and REALTORS®.
a la mode's Agent XSites, Inspector XSites and Mortgage XSites join Appraiser XSites as websites that actually do something for real estate professionals. Not just online brochures or postcards, XSites fit into a real estate professional's overall marketing plan, enabling him or her to do productive business via the World Wide Web, and generate solid customer/client leads. XSellerate, a drip marketing and campaign management suite for XSites users (and others), then comes into play to busy professionals create and manage compelling, revenue-generating business marketing.
You can also check out my blog at www.xsitesblog.com, and www.retiblog.com.
How to learn more...
You can learn more about a la mode, by visiting our website (http://www.alamode.com/), or by calling us at 1-800-ALAMODE. If you're an a la mode customer, you can take advantage of our 24 x 7 live technical support.
If you're interested in learning more about our line of products, feel free to see our catalogs..
For training: http://www.alamode.com/support/training.aspx
To search the XSites Network: http://www.xsitesnetwork.com/
