Firm name: ecobee
Job title: Supervisor Product Management
Quantity of time with business: 2 years
Education/Training: MBA, Schulich Institution of Business; BEng, India
At ecobee, a Toronto cleantech upstart, Sahaj Cheema found the ideal place to recognize her enthusiasm: structure items that solve problems for people. Sahaj leads advancement on the budget friendly ecobee 3 Lite clever thermostat that can be managed from a mobile app. She’s also leading the development of Switch+, ecobee’s very first wise light button with integrated Alexa Voice Service. After studying design in her native India, Sahaj landed in Toronto to finish her MBA, a step that planted the seed for her career in lasting technology. Throughout a break in her active timetable, Sahaj explained her motivation to create “earth favorable” items that conserve power and lower home energy expenses, while additionally improving their owner’s comfort and health.
How long you’ve been operating at ecobee? Exactly how did you pertain to work at the firm?
I have actually been at ecobee for 2 years. Prior to ecobee, I functioned as an advancement strategist for an approach and design consulting firm called Idea Couture. As soon as we provided our ideas to the customer, we had no control over what they would build and when. You may truly count on a principle, yet you might not see it most likely to clients, in some cases for many years and often never.
This was my first task right out of my MBA, so it was practically a continuation of my knowing. I began desire to take concepts and concepts all the way to meaningful impact on consumers lives, building from the nuts and screws.
What brought you to Toronto?
My dad remains in the Indian army, and I did my design level in in this town near Bombay called Pune. Then I functioned as a software program designer there for nearly three years. I knew I wished to do my MBA, but I truly wanted to increase my horizons– we had lived practically anywhere in the nation– and that’s why I began looking abroad. Eventually, I did my MBA at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto.
Were you always passionate about sustainability or conserving power before you involved ecobee?
I think the seeds of it were planted throughout the MBA. Schulich has a few sustainability programs that I used up, so that went to the rear of my mind.
From the first communication that I had with somebody at ecobee, it became really clear just how sustainability is a priority. We’re not below simply for earnings, we’re here to in fact transform the world for the better.
One of the firm values is to believe “planet positive.” As we are trying to make any selection, let’s say we’re trying to decide product packaging or product finish for a product, we’ll decide that’s world favorable. We’ll remind ourselves, “no, the tarnish service is not terrific. It does not function terrific for reusing.”
Considered that’s the area that I run in for eight to 10 hours a day, I take that forward when I’m home, as well. Simply making use of less energy, shopping greener products, coming to be much more aware about exactly how I dispose of electronic waste and recycling more things. I assume that’s now been instilled in my frame of mind and it’s become a personal worth.
Can you tell me a little bit regarding a few of the projects you worked on in the past? And what you’re working on right now?
When I started at ecobee, my initial item was ecobee 3 Lite. It had just about started, so we were in the early hardware alpha phase, however from that point on I took the lead. That very first complete year I was working with bringing ecobee 3 Light to the marketplace. Then, ecobee 3 was our front runner thermostat and it was doing actually well. ecobee 3 and Google Nest were both at the $ 249 price point. We wished to develop a really excellent looking, solid product for consumers that potentially want less features. ecobee 3 Light launched as a $ 169 item with somewhat pared-down functionality, however still overall, an excellent experience.
Ever since, I’ve been dealing with a wise light button called the ecobee Switch+ that has Amazon Alexa developed right into it. The light button is our initial item that’s not a thermostat.
Inform me a bit more regarding what your everyday working at ecobee. What is your preferred component of your task?
My daily is hectic. It’s really, truly quick. As a product lead, you go to the intersections of all the different work streams that obtain this item from a concept to something that customers can experience in their homes.
Encountering unanticipated challenges with my group is what I appreciate most. I do a lot of preparation however there are always unexpected advancements that occur along the way. Then you’re like, “we didn’t prepare for this. This is not working. What are we expected to do?” I believe that getting the team together and doing almost real-time difficulty solving, that’s the most interesting component. In a great deal of methods, we come up with even a much better service than what we began with.
By Dashiell Brasen