By: Tammy Chiasson, Managing Director, Canada
Every year, as is tradition, we gather as a team to take time to pause, reflect and celebrate at the start of the new year - and this year will be no exception. However, what was exceptional was just how much we have to celebrate because, on January 10, 2023, we officially became Thoughtworks Canada. And while the cause for celebration is momentous, it’s a little bittersweet, as this means we’ve officially retired our beloved Connected brand.
One question I’m continually asked is, “What’s changed now that you’re Thoughtworks Canada?”
The answer to that is both very little and a whole lot.
Our people, the Product Thinking methods we use and the impactful products we build for our partners hasn’t changed. The only thing that has changed is now we can do even more! This is a great thing because last year while working on our 2023 strategic plan, I had the pleasure of catching up with many of our clients, seeking out feedback and learning how we can better help our clients. And while undeniably a diverse group, there was one consistent message from all of them - they want more from us. And as Thoughtworks Canada, we can deliver.
Welcome to 2023, or as I’ll be referring to it - the year of more!
Our people
Our people have always been our greatest strength. Now that Connected and Thoughtworks Canada have fully integrated, the number of those people has grown, and their capabilities amplified, backed by over 12,500 Thoughtworkers globally. And although our numbers and resources have grown, we continue to focus on recruiting and retaining the best talent Canada has to offer.
Thoughtworks Canada will maintain and uphold the global Thoughtworks approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, an approach that ensures everyone is given a safe place where they feel respected and afforded the opportunity to grow while being recognized and valued for their contributions.
We’ll also enjoy Thoughtworks' world-class learning and development program, providing everyone with an opportunity to further their career through multi-faceted learning experiences at both a regional and global level.
We are pleased to announce that our effort to recruit and reward the best talent has been recognized with the award of Greater Toronto’s Top 2023 Employers.
Our methods
If there is one constant in what we do, it is in HOW we do it - our Product Thinking Playbook. We continue to define the rules for product development thanks to our tried-and-true method for dealing with the most difficult problems, and as a result, we have a long list of ground-breaking products that we are assisting our partners in bringing to market.
By popular demand, in 2022, we unveiled and launched our Product Thinking Certification program. This provided the opportunity for a select group of our clients to become certified in the tactics and techniques that our own practitioners utilize. And in 2023, it will be going global, with the certification being rolled out across Thoughtworks internally and externally. Through this program, we’ll be able to inspire, educate, and empower others with a better way of building products at a scale and scope like never before.
Our partners
I continue to be humbled by the trust our clients put in us. We often discuss building impactful products, but that impact isn’t limited to its users. Education, empowerment and enabling a better way of working are byproducts of our partnerships and Canopy is a prime example. What started as work on a product within Ford’s internal incubator grew into a standalone product company, one that attracted a partnership with security giant ADT.
Consumer electronics, automotive, financial services and everything in between; our clients come from diverse industries and verticals, but as I mentioned at the top, they all share a common theme - they want MORE from us. Something I also said we could deliver. But what does that look like?
It looks like fast team ramp-ups, providing you with the expertise you need when you need it. It looks like fast and efficient product launches, ones that provide constant feedback and the ability to ensure that each iteration is more usable, desirable, viable and feasible than the one before.
It looks like breadth and depth, provided through a network of talent across the globe, with clients already working with India with other partners exploring opportunities in Latin America and China and their potential impact.
As Connected, our clients recognized us as experts in 0-1 product building. And as Thoughtworks Canada, they can rely on us as their solution provider for all things digital, from data mesh to enterprise modernization, providing the strategy, design and engineering needed to do build products our clients love and drive business impact.
Rather than view 2023 as a year of change, I prefer to view it as one of growth. That’s because the extraordinary impact our people make through the products we build and the methods we use to build them hasn’t changed, nor likely will it. What it has done is grow in scope and scale, so together, we can partner with our clients to deliver extraordinary impact!
Happy new year and welcome to the year of more!