Survival is more important than winning. If you remember one thing from this profile of Jesse Bird, that is likely something that will help you for the rest of your career. Bird has been used to helping people, having spent nearly a quarter of a century at TCN. Read on to learn more about Jesse, how he likes to talk in code — having bugs and features, for example, and why he thinks credit is customer service.
Name: Jesse Bird
Job Title: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Company: TCN
Length of time at current company: 24 Years
Length of time in industry: 24 years
How did you get your start in the industry?
I’ve been at TCN for 24 years. TCN is the premiere debt collection contact center solution. The debt collection industry was a good fit for the type of software TCN built and quickly became the target niche. So, by extension, I got involved.
What is your career highlight so far?
TCN has been growing for a long time, so it would be hard to describe a single highlight. However, in totality, TCN is the highlight. I’m very pleased with what we’ve accomplished, where we’ve come, and how much further we have to go. I’m excited for the future, and while looking forward, it is not always easy to see the next steps, but it is obvious when observing the path trod so far.
When or how are you most productive?
I am most productive when I can just sit, tune everything out and work without having to talk.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
My coworkers. TCN has a large, dedicated and very, very talented staff. Many of the employees at TCN have been with me for almost as long as I have been at TCN. The cliche is true in that people are not buying only TCN software but also the people.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
I have a very good ability to put the puzzle together. I can see how the pieces fit and determine what we need to do to finish it.
What do you like most about this industry?
The demands and rewards are high. Table stakes for participating in the industry are growing, and solutions to meet those stakes require new thinking and getting more done with less.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
That credit makes the world go round. And the debt collection space provides a critical service that fills a need in the credit world. Without collections activity, credit becomes more difficult to obtain. Those who need credit most badly will be the first denied. Restrictions on credit and collections activity will make credit harder to obtain. This is not to say that regulations should not be applied. They should, but the rules need to be objective and clear. Maximizing credit availability is a tacit goal of many government programs. There should be care when regulating industries that reduce available credit, especially to traditionally disadvantaged consumers. It would be great if there were an acknowledgment that the industry is first in line to figure out how to provide this valuable customer service in a way that benefits creditors and consumers. Credit is a customer service.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
I’ve been at TCN and in the industry for so long that it is difficult to imagine. However, I would like to think I’d be doing technical work and technical management elsewhere. Maybe even in another entrepreneurial endeavor.
Describe a typical work day
Meetings, meetings, and more meetings (Though, if I can swing it, I’ll code).
What is your guilty pleasure?
I love reading or playing with my kids. But I must say, there is no guilt for either.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
One of my favorite quotes is:
Genius is only the power of making continuous efforts. The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it, so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success? A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed a hopeless failure may turn into a glorious success. There is no defeat except within, no really insurmountable barrier save one’s own inherent weakness of purpose.
— Albert Hubbard
In essence, consistency wins. Doing something productive every day towards your goal wins. You do not need to burn the hottest but the longest. Survival is more important than winning. Play another day.
What are you currently reading?
“The Art of Alignment.” This book is about building consensus in an organization and aligning teams so every team member can pull in the same direction in unison, similar to watching a row team perform in synchronicity. A team that is aligned will perform much, much higher.
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I like to think that I have a bug and a feature — which is one and the same. I am both stubborn and persistent, which could lead to difficulties but also drives me to work as hard as I do and never accept anything less than the best.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
From anyone, I don’t know. I’d prefer to read about new people than those I already know.