Introducing... David Burns, Product Owner at Thrive.App

Team Thrive is growing! Introducing Thrive.App's new Product Owner, David Burns, who shares his experience of being a Product Owner, his vision for the Thrive employee app, and the impact upgrading our platforms will have on our app.

We might be a small business from a little corner of the UK, but that only makes us even prouder of our globally loved and award-winning employee app that has transformed employee engagement and internal communications for clients all over the world. Developed by our brilliant and exceptionally talented team, we’re on a mission to improve the employee experience for everyone, everywhere.

We’ve recently recruited a key new member of Team Thrive to help us achieve that mission, and we’re delighted to introduce David Burns, our new Product Owner! Here, David tells us a bit about himself and his plans to make the app even better in the year ahead.

Hi David, and welcome to the team! What is your role within the company – what are you responsible for?

I’m the new Product Owner at Thrive.App, responsible for maintaining the vision for our employee app, and finding new and exciting features ways to enhance and improve our app’s features. It is my job to help define the long-term vision for Thrive.App, setting the product roadmap, and prioritising features based on user needs and business goals.
 
This involves working with a wide variety of people including designers, developers, and the customers themselves. It gives us the opportunity to scope out new ideas for improvements and find out what is needed to help turn them into reality, so that we can continue to make the Thrive employee app even better for all users.

Tell us about your background and experience of being a Product Owner and working in tech?

My journey working in the product space didn’t start in tech. My background was initially in music and marketing, but I’ve always wanted to work in technology. After working in different roles like Operations and Business Analysis, I had the fortune to start working as a Product Owner, which combined the various things I enjoy about all my previous roles.
 
As a Product Owner I get to use my creativity, analytical, and communication skills, and work with some of the best and most talented people to help make amazing things, from the initial inception to the finished article. There is an immense amount of satisfaction to be had by helping create something, and seeing it used and appreciated by your clients.

Talk us through your vision for the app – how do you see it growing/evolving in the upcoming year?

• Expand our community: We want to continue adding new features and functionality that will attract more employees to use the app. We also want to make it easier for employees to connect, regardless of their department, location, or seniority.
• Boost engagement: We want to find new ways to encourage employees to use the app regularly. With the new features in the works and on the way, I feel this is highly achievable. We also want to make sure that the Thrive app is a positive and supportive environment for all employees.
• Improve communication: We want to use the app to improve communication between employees and management. This could include features such as polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions.
• A better user experience: With various technical upgrades and improvements being made under the hood, we want to make the app that the employees already use feel better, faster, and more responsive.

We are planning to upgrade our platforms to .NET 8 and MAUI this year. What does this mean for the app, and how do you feel it will benefit the app’s users?

Upgrading our platforms to .NET 8 and MAUI could unlock significant improvements for both features and reach. Here's how:
 
.NET 8:

• Performance boost: Enhanced memory management and overall performance would lead to a smoother and more responsive user experience - crucial for keeping employees engaged.
• Improved security: The latest security patches and features in .NET 8 ensure a safer environment for employee data and communication, building trust and peace of mind.
• Modern development experience: Utilizing the latest C# features and tooling from .NET 8 helps streamline development, allowing our teams to innovate faster and adapt to changing needs.

• Unified codebase: Developing our app for web and mobile platforms with MAUI using the one codebase helps us save time and resources while offering a consistent experience across devices.
• Wider reach: Helps expand our platform’s accessibility to all employees, regardless of their preferred device, fostering inclusivity and wider engagement.
• Native performance: MAUI leverages native UI components on each platform, delivering a smooth and familiar experience for users on any device.
• Future-proof technology: By adopting MAUI, we help put the Thrive employee app in a better position for the future, taking advantage of ongoing development and innovation within the .NET ecosystem.

What's next?

To find out more about Thrive App updates, check out our feature updates blog.