Yelp Official Blog

Day in the Life of a Product Manager

Following in our Day in the Life series is Vivek P., Product Manager at Yelp.

Vivek talks about how he likes to keep Yelp all in the family, and why no day is ever the same - especially as the Product Manager in charge of expanding Yelp internationally (parlez-vous Yelp?) But when he's not busy launching our site in other countries, you can find him kicking back with a cooler of beer on wheels and playing, er, frisbee golf with the team.

(Vivek: Second from the left. A Product Manager is never too far from his engineers - or a good beer!)

What did you do before coming to Yelp?
Before Yelp, I was the Director of Product Management at SugarSync, a startup that built file backup and sync service for consumers.

How did you first hear about Yelp and the job opening?
As a bay area foodie, I had used Yelp to look up reviews for years, but I realized that the site was something truly special when my wife would stay up late into the night pounding out reviews in her quest to be Yelp Elite. Following that, I heard about the opening on the product team from a friend who was already working at Yelp and jumped at the opportunity (or risk the ire of my wife!)

What's your title at Yelp and how long have you been with the company?
I've been a Product Manager at Yelp for a little over a year now -- I started in April '09.

What comprises a typical day for you?
One of the fun things about being a Product Manager at Yelp is that there's never a typical day. Most recently I've been managing our international expansion so I'll start my day by checking out what happened overnight in Europe. I'll look into what users have been doing on the site in Canada, UK, Ireland and France and answer questions from our international community managers and user operations team. Following that morning routine, we have our daily stand-up where the engineers on the consumer team will check in about what they're planning to work on for the day. After that, pretty much anything can happen. We push new code to the website everyday so there's always a possibility that something isn't working as expected and I might need to jump in to coordinate a fix. Or maybe it'll be a quiet day and I'll spend time designing a new feature in Fireworks or some longer term product planning; talking to a partner or testing a feature that's about to be released. We've got a bunch of exciting projects underway so there's never a dull day at the office.

What's the BEST part of working for Yelp?
I genuinely like the people I work with and I believe in our mission of creating a community that helps connect people to great local businesses. Perhaps most important to my role as a Product Manager, I LOVE the fact that I spend my time actually working and executing on really cool things rather than sitting in meetings just talking about getting them done. Having a team that is able to move quickly, efficiently and with creativity on projects is rewarding - one you don't get just anywhere!

What is your favorite perk at Yelp?
Yelp HQ is located in downtown San Francisco right across the street from the Yerba Buena Gardens. It's great to feel like you're at the center of things and not stuck in some boring office park eating at Quizno's everyday.

What has been your favorite memory at Yelp?
After several months of laying the groundwork for our first version of Yelp in another language, my team launched Yelp France. To celebrate many months of hard work as a team, I organized a surprise off site to play frisbee golf in Golden Gate Park. I'm pretty sure no one had actually played frisbee golf before, but we we were well prepared with our cooler of beer on wheels (in lieu of the Yelp kegerator) and enjoyed a memorable afternoon together.

What separates Yelp from other places you've worked?
Yelp has done a remarkable job of keeping its rich culture and feel as a small start-up intact - even though it's grown rapidly in the past year. Everyone I work with really cares about what we're doing and the management team is completely accessible and actively engaged.  It's nice to know you play an important and valued role in a company that has already demonstrated it has massive potential.

Finally, what would be your one piece of advice for someone interested in your role?
Don't be afraid to learn new things and get your hands dirty!

Yelp for Business Owners Hits the Road

We were thrilled to announce our Small Business Advisory Council last Friday. The Council will provide yet another channel for Yelp to engage constructively with the business community.

In this same spirit, Yelp is also hitting the road to meet with business owners across the nation by participating in several upcoming national events throughout summer. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, check them out and say hello!

Washington, DC

National Small Business Week, Social Media Forum (May 25)

San Francisco

SF Small Business Week, Mobile Web Technology & Your Business (May 19)

SF Chamber, Business After Hours Grand Expo (May 20)

Chicago

National Restaurant Association 2010 Expo (May 23)

Health Care New Media Marketing Conference (June 15)

Announcing Yelp's Small Business Advisory Council

Last month, we announced the creation of the Yelp Small Business Advisory Council (YSBAC), a formalized organization of business owners who will provide Yelp management with input and guidance regarding the concerns of small business owners. Business owners across the nation were invited to submit their applications to join YSBAC where they would have the opportunity to provide perspective about the SMB community to Yelp.

After receiving and evaluating over 700 applications, we are excited to share the 10 members of this inaugural council who will serve an annual term:

• Jeff Diamond, Farmstead Wines & Cheeses (Alameda, CA / Montclair Village, CA)
  
• Tim Gorin, MyEyeDr, (37 locations throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC)
  
• Ashley Hankins, Salon Ami (Scottsdale, AZ)
  
• Jay Hariz, Bridal Rings Company (Los Angeles, CA)
  
• Gina Higgins, The Irish Times (South Miami, FL)
• Kurt Huffman, Pok Pok / Ping / Foster Burger / Gruner / Whiskey Soda Lounge (Portland, OR)
• Adam Saxton, Pinkberry (Dallas / Arlington, TX)
  
• Jay Sofer, Lockbusters (New York, NY)
  
• Keniey Sonley, Saj Mediterranean Grill (Cenntenial, CO)
  
• Joel Spainhour, Tucker Pup's Dog Activity Center (Chicago, IL)

View Yelp's Small Business Advisory Council in a larger map

We made our selections with the goal of creating a diverse group: a sole proprietor; a 25 year-old business and a less than one-year-old business; non-advertisers, current advertisers, and a former advertiser; multi-location and single location businesses; and categorical diversity (restaurants, health & beauty, nightlife, retail, medical, pets, home services, etc.) These small business owners all share the common thread of wanting to play an active role in how fellow business owners are thinking about and leveraging online tools.

Activities of the YSBAC shall include:

• A trip to Yelp HQ in San Francisco, CA for meetings with Yelp's executive team.
  
• Participation in a monthly conference call that will provide early access to product and business updates, as well as the opportunity to offer feedback on features under development.
• Ongoing meetings with Yelp's individual business units to provide valuable input on existing features and policies and act as a sounding board for those in development.
• Serve as a resource for other business owners who have questions about the services and tools on Yelp.

We at Yelp have always loved working closely with the small business community and in addition to the formation of YSBAC, we will continue our tradition of meeting with small businesses around the country. We're excited for what this next step will bring for Yelp, as well as for our friends in the small business world.

We at Yelp have always loved working closely with the small business community and in addition to the formation of YSBAC, we will continue our tradition of meeting with small businesses around the country. We're excited for what this next step will bring for Yelp, as well as for our friends in the small business world.

Day in the Life of a Yelp Account Manager

Would you believe following the popular Day in the Life series we ran a few months ago, that Yelp has grown even MORE! That means because we're looking for even more eager recruits to join our team, we thought we'd give you a peek into some of the other exciting and rewarding roles at Yelp in addition to Community Managers, Account Executives and Engineers!

Next up to bat in the series is Kadecia W. Recently transplanted from San Francisco HQ to our newly opened Yelp Phoenix digs, Kadecia talks about her day to day role as a Yelp Account Manager, working with Yelp advertisers and the unique situations they sometimes face, as well as how maracas help get Yelp Phoenix into the groove!

How did you first hear about Yelp and the job opening?
I ran a tutoring center before Yelp. A colleague told me to check out the site because she thought I would like what the company was doing. Once I spent some time on Yelp, I thought the idea of working with small business advertisers would be a great fit for me because I enjoy talking with people and working in a fast paced environment.

What's your title at Yelp and how long have you been with the company?
I'm an Account Manager and work with small business advertisers on Yelp to provide more in-depth insight on how Yelp advertising works, answer any and all questions and make sure that they are getting the most out of Yelp. I came on board in July 2008, and in early 2010 I joined a migration of Yelp workers from San Francisco to our brand new Phoenix office.

What comprises a typical day for you?
I arrive between 7:30 and 8:30am, and get my morning started with a cup of black tea and toast with peanut butter and apples from the infamous Yelp kitchen. I then sort through the emails that I received the evening before; check my voice mails and then conduct about 3-4 client orientation calls for new clients.

Tell me more about your client calls?
As part of advertising on Yelp, every client gets a designated Account Manager. That person is responsible for working with that business to make sure that they are educated on the tools available to them, as well as how the service works. We're also there should they ever have a question. In fact, clients often call me when they receive a critical review and they’re upset and want us to take it down. I listen to their situation, and share ways to resolve the issue by sending the reviewer a private message or posting a public comment on the review and explain that Yelp will not remove a review unless it's in violation of our review guidelines.  Oftentimes, that’s all they need to know, but all my clients - and their situations - can be unique! Some issues come up frequently so I can use the background I have to resolve the issues quickly. Other times, we discuss an issue and then together take a step back to look at the big picture. For example, one restaurant owner was upset with a critical review from a customer who ate at their outside patio. The customer got up to do something else during the meal, and wrote that when she returned, ants had gotten to her food. We worked together to craft a nice public response that basically said: yes, if you eat outside and leave your food unguarded, bugs will come. More often than not, all it really takes is providing a human element to talk through a situation.

What is your favorite perk at Yelp?
I love the fact that Yelp invests in its employees. They've gone to great lengths to make sure the little things that have contributed to our great work culture are in place in all of Yelp's offices. One of my favorites -- the Yelp kegerator -- remains a standard feature in San Francisco, New York and Phoenix - and who doesn't look forward to an informal Friday 5pm Happy Hour?!

What has been your favorite memory at Yelp?
One of my best experiences so far is meeting clients in Phoenix.  Most small businesses here are located in strip malls that are spread out, and that's a very different setting than San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Chicago, where I'm used to talking about the city demographics and advertising to thousands of people in just a few square miles. For example, I visited a client who owns a trendy salon here in Phoenix, but when I arrived at the strip mall I was surprised by the bland decor outside. However, once I stepped inside it felt like I had been whisked away to a top salon in a massive metropolis! One thing I'm learning about visiting businesses in Phoenix is that looks can be deceiving.
 
What's the BEST part of working for Yelp?
We are a very vocal group! So much so that I bought a maraca and painted a Yelp burst on it to shake when something exciting in the office happens - anything from a new visitor to a happy client. So the rest of the team can join in, I also bought some hand drums. It’s just so cool to get ten celebrations a day and work somewhere where my co-workers are always singing and dancing. I have no doubt that a Yelp band is in the near future.

What separates Yelp from other places you've worked? 
I've never worked at a place where everyone is so invested in seeing each other succeed. Yelp is like a large family, everyone is unique, but committed to the same purpose. And because there is a family feel to our environment  there's always someone around to cheer you on and help you out when things get challenging. There's never been a day when I've dreaded coming to the office, and that's not something I can say about my previous jobs.

Finally, what would be your one piece of advice for someone interested in your role?
A good Account Manager has to be passionate about helping small businesses succeed.  In this role you get the chance to work with business owners all over the country across a variety of industries.  It's important to educate yourself on various industries, the internet, and consumer behavior.  For me there's no better feeling than talking to a client whose business is growing and expanding because of the new business they've generated from Yelp.

Can the Yelp iPhone app make you rich, famous and beautiful?

A few of us sought out to answer this question. How? First, we picked an unsuspecting victim -- I mean volunteer -- and iPhone addict, Ruggy J. Then we followed him around all weekend with a camera to document how the Yelp iPhone app would propel him to new levels of fame and fortune.

Our findings:
Will it make you rich? Not likely.
Beautiful? Maybe.
Popular? Now, that all depends on how you define popular.

All we have to say is that we're sure glad we had the camera rolling, because you never know when the moment will strike, or strike back. 

Disclaimer:
No Yelp employees were seriously injured in the making of this video. Claims made in this Yelpfomercial have not been clinically tested, nor do they guarantee that your future will be bright, should you use the Yelp iPhone app incessantly. The Yelp iPhone app can help you find the best restaurant or the happiest happy hour within walking distance. And really, isn't that all we need in life?

Parlez-vous Yelp?

Oui, je parle Yelp – et vous aussi pouvez le faire!

 
Mesdames et Messieurs, Yelp débarque en Europe! Dotée de fortes traditions culinaires, artistiques et culturelles, la France était un choix naturel pour le lancement de notre premier site non-anglophone. Les Yelpeurs français peuvent désormais utiliser Yelp.fr pour lire et partager des avis sur les commerces préférés (et moins préférés) de leur quartier. De la patisserie formidable et trop peu connue Blé Sucre dans le 12e, au studio de bijouterie artisanale Valso dans le 3e, en passant par le salon privé de pédicure de M. Ho dans le 8e, nous sommes impatients de voir quels trésors locaux les Yelpeurs parisiens partageront en ligne.


 
De plus, les yelpeurs du monde entier pourront choisir entre le français et l’anglais pour consulter l’interface ou pour écrire et lire les avis, grâce à un lien figurant sous le nom des commerces listés. Est-ce que cela veut dire que le site traduira les avis? Pas pour le moment, mais vous pouvez vous attendre à de nouvelles fonctionnalités – et de nouvelles villes – dans les mois à venir. Pour nos nouveaux amis français: bienvenue sur Yelp! Nous espérons que le site vous plait et nous sommes impatients de vous lire.

OK, for those of us who aren't fluent en Francais...