About the project
From 4 to 40: Scaling OneUp’s Team, Product, and Culture
I joined OneUp as the 5th hire in the summer of 2019. I’ll never forget sitting down for an in-person interview with the entire company—four people—sat across the table from me. I was joining as a front-end engineer straight out of university. They loved my final year project, saw my potential, and the rest is history.
Fast forward to today, and OneUp has grown to over 40 people spread out across the world. I’m incredibly proud of the role I played as an engineer, designer, leader, and thinker. Together, we battled through incredibly challenging times, like COVID-19, and came out with an outstanding product and one of the best company cultures in the world (I may be biased).
Company
Role
Engineering
Product Design
Product Management
Senior Leader
I joined OneUp as the 5th hire in the summer of 2019. I’ll never forget sitting down for an in-person interview with the entire company—four people—sat across the table from me. I was joining as a front-end engineer straight out of university. They loved my final year project, saw my potential, and the rest is history.
Fast forward to today, and OneUp has grown to over 40 people spread out across the world. I’m incredibly proud of the role I played as an engineer, designer, leader, and thinker. Together, we battled through incredibly challenging times, like COVID-19, and came out with an outstanding product and one of the best company cultures in the world (I may be biased).
Company
Role
Engineering
Product Design
Product Management
Senior Leader
The OneUp team on a yearly off-site in Malta
My role
I joined OneUp as the lead front-end engineer, owning all product design for nearly five years. Eventually, I founded the Product department and hired a dedicated Product Designer to work alongside me and scaled the engineering team from 2 to 8. During my time, I led the conception, design, and launch of all platform features, working closely with design and engineering to drive impactful solutions. Beyond product, I played a pivotal role in marketing and brand design, shaping OneUp’s aesthetic and presence. For the last two years, I served on the Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO and board, and helping guide OneUp’s strategic direction.
My role
I joined OneUp as the lead front-end engineer, owning all product design for nearly five years. Eventually, I founded the Product department and hired a dedicated Product Designer to work alongside me and scaled the engineering team from 2 to 8. During my time, I led the conception, design, and launch of all platform features, working closely with design and engineering to drive impactful solutions. Beyond product, I played a pivotal role in marketing and brand design, shaping OneUp’s aesthetic and presence. For the last two years, I served on the Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO and board, and helping guide OneUp’s strategic direction.
My role
I joined OneUp as the lead front-end engineer, owning all product design for nearly five years. Eventually, I hired a dedicated Product Designer to work alongside me and scaled the engineering team from 2 to 8. During my time, I led the conception, design, and launch of all platform features, working closely with design and engineering to drive impactful solutions. Beyond product, I played a pivotal role in marketing and brand design, shaping OneUp’s aesthetic and presence. For the last two years, I served on the Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO and board, and helping guide OneUp’s strategic direction.
My role
I joined OneUp as the lead front-end engineer, owning all product design for nearly five years. Eventually, I founded the Product department and hired a dedicated Product Designer to work alongside me and scaled the engineering team from 2 to 8. During my time, I led the conception, design, and launch of all platform features, working closely with design and engineering to drive impactful solutions. Beyond product, I played a pivotal role in marketing and brand design, shaping OneUp’s aesthetic and presence. For the last two years, I served on the Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the CEO and board, and helping guide OneUp’s strategic direction.
02
The Company
02
The Company
02
The Company
Bread & butter
OneUp is a sales performance management and motivation platform on a mission to rid the world of boring spreadsheets. Early on, the platform gained traction in the recruitment space, which has remained its core market ever since.
Bread & butter
OneUp is a sales performance management and motivation platform on a mission to rid the world of boring spreadsheets. Early on, the platform gained traction in the recruitment space, which has remained its core market ever since.
Bread & butter
OneUp is a sales performance management and motivation platform on a mission to rid the world of boring spreadsheets. Early on, the platform gained traction in the recruitment space, which has remained its core market ever since.
Bread & butter
OneUp is a sales performance management and motivation platform on a mission to rid the world of boring spreadsheets. Early on, the platform gained traction in the recruitment space, which has remained its core market ever since.
The Brand
Design had never been OneUp’s strength. When I joined, I became the sole designer in the company. The existing brand felt outdated, antiquated, and unprofessional. In my first few months at OneUp, I set out on a personal mission to completely redefine the brand.
The Brand
Design had never been OneUp’s strength. When I joined, I became the sole designer in the company. The existing brand felt outdated, antiquated, and unprofessional. In my first few months at OneUp, I set out on a personal mission to completely redefine the brand.
The Brand
Design had never been OneUp’s strength. When I joined, I became the sole designer in the company. The existing brand felt outdated, antiquated, and unprofessional. In my first few months at OneUp, I set out on a personal mission to completely redefine the brand.
The Brand
Design had never been OneUp’s strength. When I joined, I became the sole designer in the company. The existing brand felt outdated, antiquated, and unprofessional. In my first few months at OneUp, I set out on a personal mission to completely redefine the brand.
The refreshed logo I produced to elevate the brand image
Poppins is used for headings, Muli for body
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
Each area of functionality of the platform had its own 'brand' colour
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
The Culture
Culture is an inherent trait of any company. Without intention from the start, it can go awry as you scale. From day one, I took pride in being a driver of culture, becoming known internally as “the culture guy.” I helped the company establish and stay aligned with our values.
The Culture
Culture is an inherent trait of any company. Without intention from the start, it can go awry as you scale. From day one, I took pride in being a driver of culture, becoming known internally as “the culture guy.” I helped the company establish and stay aligned with our values.
The Culture
Culture is an inherent trait of any company. Without intention from the start, it can go awry as you scale. From day one, I took pride in being a driver of culture, becoming known internally as “the culture guy.” I helped the company establish and stay aligned with our values.
The Culture
Culture is an inherent trait of any company. Without intention from the start, it can go awry as you scale. From day one, I took pride in being a driver of culture, becoming known internally as “the culture guy.” I helped the company establish and stay aligned with our values.
Hiring on culture
I established and led the culture interview stage in our hiring process, ensuring we hired in alignment with our core values.
Enjoying the journey
Sure, there were stressful times at OneUp, but it was one incredible journey. We had some great fun along the way—times I’ll treasure forever 💙
Hiring on culture
I established and led the culture interview stage in our hiring process, ensuring we hired in alignment with our core values.
Enjoying the journey
Sure, there were stressful times at OneUp, but it was one incredible journey. We had some great fun along the way—times I’ll treasure forever 💙
Hiring on culture
I established and led the culture interview stage in our hiring process, ensuring we hired in alignment with our core values.
Enjoying the journey
Sure, there were stressful times at OneUp, but it was one incredible journey. We had some great fun along the way—times I’ll treasure forever 💙
Company Growth
During my time at OneUp, the company grew from 5 to 40 people, and we scaled revenue from £300K to £2.1M.
Company Growth
During my time at OneUp, the company grew from 5 to 40 people, and we scaled revenue from £300K to £2.1M.
Company Growth
During my time at OneUp, the company grew from 5 to 40 people, and we scaled revenue from £300K to £2.1M.
Company Growth
During my time at OneUp, the company grew from 5 to 40 people, and we scaled revenue from £300K to £2.1M.
Award winning
We consistently ranked high in our category on G2. Most notably, for ease of use and best usability.
Award winning
We consistently ranked high in our category on G2. Most notably, for ease of use and best usability.
Award winning
We consistently ranked high in our category on G2. Most notably, for ease of use and best usability.
Award winning
We consistently ranked high in our category on G2. Most notably, for ease of use and best usability.
04
The website
04
The website
04
The website
A new look
Redefining OneUp’s brand included redesigning and building the website to give it a fresh, clean, and bold new look.
A new look
Redefining OneUp’s brand included redesigning and building the website to give it a fresh, clean, and bold new look.
A new look
Redefining OneUp’s brand included redesigning and building the website to give it a fresh, clean, and bold new look.
A new look
Redefining OneUp’s brand included redesigning and building the website to give it a fresh, clean, and bold new look.
From…
The coach dashboard web app
To…
The coach dashboard web app
03
The Product
A curated collection of featured projects that I worked on during my time at OneUp.
03
The Product
A curated collection of featured projects that I worked on during my time at OneUp.
03
The Product
A curated collection of featured projects that I worked on during my time at OneUp.
Platform Redesign
I still remember, in my third week at OneUp, setting up a call with the CEO and CTO to give them my assessment of the platform’s state: we needed to rebuild this monolith. The existing platform was overflowing with tech debt, making it impossible to scale. I embarked on a complete redesign and rebuild of the platform on a new tech stack.
Platform Redesign
I still remember, in my third week at OneUp, setting up a call with the CEO and CTO to give them my assessment of the platform’s state: we needed to rebuild this monolith. The existing platform was overflowing with tech debt, making it impossible to scale. I embarked on a complete redesign and rebuild of the platform on a new tech stack.
Platform Redesign
I still remember, in my third week at OneUp, setting up a call with the CEO and CTO to give them my assessment of the platform’s state: we needed to rebuild this monolith. The existing platform was overflowing with tech debt, making it impossible to scale. I embarked on a complete redesign and rebuild of the platform on a new tech stack.
Platform Redesign
I still remember, in my third week at OneUp, setting up a call with the CEO and CTO to give them my assessment of the platform’s state: we needed to rebuild this monolith. The existing platform was overflowing with tech debt, making it impossible to scale. I embarked on a complete redesign and rebuild of the platform on a new tech stack.
A collection of screens from the OneUp platform
Design System
I led the strategy to formalise our interface with a robust design system, collaborating with the Product Designer I hired to bring it to life and roll it out across the product and engineering teams.
Design System
I led the strategy to formalise our interface with a robust design system, collaborating with the Product Designer I hired to bring it to life and roll it out across the product and engineering teams.
Design System
I led the strategy to formalise our interface with a robust design system, collaborating with the Product Designer I hired to bring it to life and roll it out across the product and engineering teams.
Design System
I led the strategy to formalise our interface with a robust design system, collaborating with the Product Designer I hired to bring it to life and roll it out across the product and engineering teams.
A collection of components from the design system
An example of a documented component from the design system
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
FontAwesome was chosen as the icon provider
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
Commission
I led the development of OneUp’s first standalone product, designed to tackle the complex process of real-time commission calculation for sales teams.
Problem
Commission was calculated only at the end of each quarter, meaning consultants had to wait months to see their earnings progress. This process was often error-prone, making quarter-end a stressful period for both managers and consultants. Additionally, a lack of transparency in commission schemes hindered motivation for salespeople.
Outcome
Commission piloted with 10 customers, 60% of whom were interested in continuing beyond the initial pilot. Unfortunately, due to a shift in priorities the product was put on pause.
Commission
I led the development of OneUp’s first standalone product, designed to tackle the complex process of real-time commission calculation for sales teams.
Problem
Commission was calculated only at the end of each quarter, meaning consultants had to wait months to see their earnings progress. This process was often error-prone, making quarter-end a stressful period for both managers and consultants. Additionally, a lack of transparency in commission schemes hindered motivation for salespeople.
Outcome
Commission piloted with 10 customers, 60% of whom were interested in continuing beyond the initial pilot. Unfortunately, due to a shift in priorities the product was put on pause.
Commission
I led the development of OneUp’s first standalone product, designed to tackle the complex process of real-time commission calculation for sales teams.
Problem
Commission was calculated only at the end of each quarter, meaning consultants had to wait months to see their earnings progress. This process was often error-prone, making quarter-end a stressful period for both managers and consultants. Additionally, a lack of transparency in commission schemes hindered motivation for salespeople.
Outcome
Commission piloted with 10 customers, 60% of whom were interested in continuing beyond the initial pilot. Unfortunately, due to a shift in priorities the product was put on pause.
Commission
I led the development of OneUp’s first standalone product, designed to tackle the complex process of real-time commission calculation for sales teams.
Problem
Commission was calculated only at the end of each quarter, meaning consultants had to wait months to see their earnings progress. This process was often error-prone, making quarter-end a stressful period for both managers and consultants. Additionally, a lack of transparency in commission schemes hindered motivation for salespeople.
Outcome
Commission piloted with 10 customers, 60% of whom were interested in continuing beyond the initial pilot. Unfortunately, due to a shift in priorities the product was put on pause.
A managers control centre for managing commission for their consultants
An example of a workflow where a manager is resolving a dispute
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
The different states a commission record can be in
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
The sales person's personal earnings dashboard where they can see their real-time commission earnings
Timeline
2023
Role
Product Management
Product Strategy
Product Design
Collaborators
Xavier King (Product Design)
Alex G (Engineering Lead)
Derry Holt (CEO)
Timeline
2023
Role
Product Management
Product Strategy
Product Design
Collaborators
Xavier King (Product Design)
Alex G (Engineering Lead)
Derry Holt (CEO)
Timeline
2023
Role
Product Management
Product Strategy
Product Design
Collaborators
Xavier King (Product Design)
Alex G (Engineering Lead)
Derry Holt (CEO)
Dashboard
I led the transformation of the legacy dashboard into a fully customisable, shareable solution with built-in data access controls for larger organisations.
Problem
The existing dashboard was a one-size-fits-all solution, but users wanted the ability to customise the information to suit their individual needs.
Outcome
A 40% increase in dashboard usage, week on week.
Dashboard
I led the transformation of the legacy dashboard into a fully customisable, shareable solution with built-in data access controls for larger organisations.
Problem
The existing dashboard was a one-size-fits-all solution, but users wanted the ability to customise the information to suit their individual needs.
Outcome
A 40% increase in dashboard usage, week on week.
Dashboard
I led the transformation of the legacy dashboard into a fully customisable, shareable solution with built-in data access controls for larger organisations.
Problem
The existing dashboard was a one-size-fits-all solution, but users wanted the ability to customise the information to suit their individual needs.
Outcome
A 40% increase in dashboard usage, week on week.
Dashboard
I led the transformation of the legacy dashboard into a fully customisable, shareable solution with built-in data access controls for larger organisations.
Problem
The existing dashboard was a one-size-fits-all solution, but users wanted the ability to customise the information to suit their individual needs.
Outcome
A 40% increase in dashboard usage, week on week.
A dashboard showing a sales teams targets and activities for last month
A large standalone version of an activity widget
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
A large standalone version of a target widget
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
The dashboard is designed around a robust widget system allowing for full customisation
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
Dashboards can be shared with other people via the share menu
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
An example of 2 other types of competition widgets that we launched the new dashboard with
Timeline
2023
Role
Product Management
Product Strategy
Product Design
Collaborators
Xavier King (Product Design)
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Tom Rosenfeld (Engineering)
Timeline
2023
Role
Product Management
Product Strategy
Product Design
Collaborators
Xavier King (Product Design)
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Tom Rosenfeld (Engineering)
Timeline
2023
Role
Product Management
Product Strategy
Product Design
Collaborators
Xavier King (Product Design)
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Tom Rosenfeld (Engineering)
Targets
Targets are at the core of OneUp, enabling quota-setting for sales teams. I led a redesign of the targets system, transforming it into a scalable solution to better support managers setting multiple targets for different users.
Problem
Managers found the process of setting multiple targets for many users too time-consuming, often abandoning it altogether.
Outcome
A sixfold reduction in the time needed to create bulk targets and a 30% increase in targets set per user.
Targets
Targets are at the core of OneUp, enabling quota-setting for sales teams. I led a redesign of the targets system, transforming it into a scalable solution to better support managers setting multiple targets for different users.
Problem
Managers found the process of setting multiple targets for many users too time-consuming, often abandoning it altogether.
Outcome
A sixfold reduction in the time needed to create bulk targets and a 30% increase in targets set per user.
Targets
Targets are at the core of OneUp, enabling quota-setting for sales teams. I led a redesign of the targets system, transforming it into a scalable solution to better support managers setting multiple targets for different users.
Problem
Managers found the process of setting multiple targets for many users too time-consuming, often abandoning it altogether.
Outcome
A sixfold reduction in the time needed to create bulk targets and a 30% increase in targets set per user.
Targets
Targets are at the core of OneUp, enabling quota-setting for sales teams. I led a redesign of the targets system, transforming it into a scalable solution to better support managers setting multiple targets for different users.
Problem
Managers found the process of setting multiple targets for many users too time-consuming, often abandoning it altogether.
Outcome
A sixfold reduction in the time needed to create bulk targets and a 30% increase in targets set per user.
The home of targets where a manager can view the targets for all of the people they manage
The process of creating a single target (top left to bottom right)
The daily habits experience. Habit home at the top, habits on the homepage (middle) & creating a habit (bottom)
Multiple targets can be assigned across multiple metrics, users and time periods from the same view
Timeline
2022-2023
Role
Product Management
Product Design
Collaborators
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Xavier King (Product Design)
Timeline
2022-2023
Role
Product Management
Product Design
Collaborators
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Xavier King (Product Design)
Timeline
2022-2023
Role
Product Management
Product Design
Collaborators
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Xavier King (Product Design)
TV Flash
One of the most enjoyable features I worked on was the TV Flash, which appears on customers’ office TVs to celebrate consultants’ achievements, like closing a deal. I led a refresh to enhance the flash with more context.
Problem
The existing flash only showed the consultant’s name, photo, and a basic metric (e.g., 1 placement). Customers wanted more detail to give better context to each celebration.
Outcome
Overwhelmingly positive feedback and an 80% adoption rate for the new, customisable flash features.
TV Flash
One of the most enjoyable features I worked on was the TV Flash, which appears on customers’ office TVs to celebrate consultants’ achievements, like closing a deal. I led a refresh to enhance the flash with more context.
Problem
The existing flash only showed the consultant’s name, photo, and a basic metric (e.g., 1 placement). Customers wanted more detail to give better context to each celebration.
Outcome
Overwhelmingly positive feedback and an 80% adoption rate for the new, customisable flash features.
TV Flash
One of the most enjoyable features I worked on was the TV Flash, which appears on customers’ office TVs to celebrate consultants’ achievements, like closing a deal. I led a refresh to enhance the flash with more context.
Problem
The existing flash only showed the consultant’s name, photo, and a basic metric (e.g., 1 placement). Customers wanted more detail to give better context to each celebration.
Outcome
Overwhelmingly positive feedback and an 80% adoption rate for the new, customisable flash features.
TV Flash
One of the most enjoyable features I worked on was the TV Flash, which appears on customers’ office TVs to celebrate consultants’ achievements, like closing a deal. I led a refresh to enhance the flash with more context.
Problem
The existing flash only showed the consultant’s name, photo, and a basic metric (e.g., 1 placement). Customers wanted more detail to give better context to each celebration.
Outcome
Overwhelmingly positive feedback and an 80% adoption rate for the new, customisable flash features.
A TV flash that appears on customers TV's in the office to celebrate a positive event, such as a new deal being closed
Timeline
2022
Role
Product Management
Product Design
Engineering
Collaborators
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Timeline
2022
Role
Product Management
Product Design
Engineering
Collaborators
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
Timeline
2022
Role
Product Management
Product Design
Engineering
Collaborators
Salem Cresswell (Engineering)
05
Learnings
05
Learnings
05
Learnings
Done is better than perfect
I naturally strive for perfection, which is both my greatest strength and my weakness. Not everything has to be flawless—sometimes, trade-offs are necessary. While poor quality should never be accepted, the pursuit of perfection can often be incremental.
You’re only human
Becoming a senior leader at 25 was a big achievement, but it also brought a lot of pressure—and truthfully, I probably wasn’t fully ready for it. I can be my own worst enemy, pushing myself beyond physical limits to get things done. It’s important to remember that you’re only human and can’t solve every problem; sometimes, you have to let certain fires burn.
Hire exceptional talent
The exceptional hires we made propelled us forward with the momentum of five mid-performers combined. Don’t compromise on great talent—do whatever you can to bring them on board and keep them.
Deeply understand your footing
OneUp struggled from the start with a lack of a well-defined problem or clear purpose in the market. Simply put, the two founders wanted to build a cool startup after uni. They worked incredibly hard and got lucky, but there was never a strong drive toward a clearly defined mission. Moving forward, I know this is something I need in any company I work with.
Done is better than perfect
I naturally strive for perfection, which is both my greatest strength and my weakness. Not everything has to be flawless—sometimes, trade-offs are necessary. While poor quality should never be accepted, the pursuit of perfection can often be incremental.
You’re only human
Becoming a senior leader at 25 was a big achievement, but it also brought a lot of pressure—and truthfully, I probably wasn’t fully ready for it. I can be my own worst enemy, pushing myself beyond physical limits to get things done. It’s important to remember that you’re only human and can’t solve every problem; sometimes, you have to let certain fires burn.
Hire exceptional talent
The exceptional hires we made propelled us forward with the momentum of five mid-performers combined. Don’t compromise on great talent—do whatever you can to bring them on board and keep them.
Deeply understand your footing
OneUp struggled from the start with a lack of a well-defined problem or clear purpose in the market. Simply put, the two founders wanted to build a cool startup after uni. They worked incredibly hard and got lucky, but there was never a strong drive toward a clearly defined mission. Moving forward, I know this is something I need in any company I work with.
Done is better than perfect
I naturally strive for perfection, which is both my greatest strength and my weakness. Not everything has to be flawless—sometimes, trade-offs are necessary. While poor quality should never be accepted, the pursuit of perfection can often be incremental.
You’re only human
Becoming a senior leader at 25 was a big achievement, but it also brought a lot of pressure—and truthfully, I probably wasn’t fully ready for it. I can be my own worst enemy, pushing myself beyond physical limits to get things done. It’s important to remember that you’re only human and can’t solve every problem; sometimes, you have to let certain fires burn.
Hire exceptional talent
The exceptional hires we made propelled us forward with the momentum of five mid-performers combined. Don’t compromise on great talent—do whatever you can to bring them on board and keep them.
Deeply understand your footing
OneUp struggled from the start with a lack of a well-defined problem or clear purpose in the market. Simply put, the two founders wanted to build a cool startup after uni. They worked incredibly hard and got lucky, but there was never a strong drive toward a clearly defined mission. Moving forward, I know this is something I need in any company I work with.
Whoop, you made it to the end!
Want more detail?
Whoop, you made it to the end!
Want more detail?
Whoop, you made it to the end!
Want more detail?
Let's chat
I’ve intentionally kept my online portfolio light on detail to let the visuals speak for themselves. However, I’d be happy to dive deeper and discuss any aspect of my work.
Let's chat
I’ve intentionally kept my online portfolio light on detail to let the visuals speak for themselves. However, I’d be happy to dive deeper and discuss any aspect of my work.
Let's chat
I’ve intentionally kept my online portfolio light on detail to let the visuals speak for themselves. However, I’d be happy to dive deeper and discuss any aspect of my work.