Operations
Nathan Taylor, Chief Operating Officer at Partly
Having lived in China, Nathan became fascinated with e-commerce and how some of the insight he gained could be transferred to New Zealand. After founding an e-commerce business with some friends, Nathan and the Co-founders at Partly saw challenges in the auto-parts industry that we not being adequately addressed. Nathan shares more about his journey into his role Co-founding Partly and the bright future ahead. Thanks for sharing, Nathan.
How would you explain to a five year old what it is that you do?
I make sure everyone in our company has a job.
And for the adults, what does a typical day-in-the-life of a Chief Operating Officer at Partly look like?
I manage all company operations and bridge the gap between our sales, data, and product teams.
“.. I never imagined I would build a tech company. As a kid I wanted to be an olympic gymnast.”
Was building a tech company something you dreamed about doing as a kid? If not, what was?
No, I never imagined I would build a tech company. As a kid I wanted to be an olympic gymnast.
Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and what inspired you to start Partly?
Living in China and experiencing e-commerce there inspired me to start a company which was more generally focused at modernising e-commerce in New Zealand. It was through this company and dealing with thousands of businesses that I quickly realised there were uniquely difficult problems in the auto-parts industry - this is where Partly is focused.
“..you need to launch your product, talk to A LOT of customers, make a hundred small pivots and a few big ones.”
What has been the biggest challenge building the business to date and what have you learnt from it?
The biggest challenge (which I think is the same challenge for any startup) is finding product market fit. I have learned that in order to find product market fit, you need to launch your product, talk to A LOT of customers, make a hundred small pivots and a few big ones.
Where do you hope Partly will be in five years from now?
Dominating.
What is unique about working at Partly and how do you help develop your people?
We’re a company with global ambitions and customers from all around the world. Our company makeup reflects that. We’re a very diverse group of different cultures and languages, but we’re all on the same exciting mission.
We develop our people internally where possible by pairing junior employees with seniors. We’re also constantly looking to upskill everyone in the company through our vast network of advisors and their resources.
“We eat lunch together. It sounds simple, but we believe it is very important to have time daily to chat and socialise with other team members.”
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Ensure you are always in a position where you are learning.
Lastly, as Partly continues to evolve, what kind of talent do you want to hear from in the coming months?
We always want to hear from smart people. Partly has data, product and sales teams which are all expanding over the coming months.