Our enterprise is made up of 1000+ improbable folks engaged on stuff you’d by no means anticipate, all pushing onerous in the direction of a shared aim: driving the worldwide inexperienced vitality revolution.
In our Highlight collection, we’ll introduce you to a few of the sensible folks behind the scenes at Octopus.
Considered one of Octopus’ first ever vitality specialists, Ruby began approach again in August 2016.
Since then, she’s finished nearly every part there’s to do within the firm – from spearheading our first ever buyer migration into Kraken, working with tech to construct essential ops capabilities, constructing our complete credit score workforce, to her present Kraken Applied sciences position introducing new Kraken convert corporations to our software program and our distinctive approach of working, in addition to being an instrumental a part of our inner Black Lives Matter Fund group.
I chat to Ruby for a view of the corporate by the eyes of a real Octopus authentic.
Maddie: Hey Ruby, introduce your self!
Ruby: I’m Ruby, and I’ve labored for Octopus Vitality for over 4 years – now Kraken Applied sciences, really! I joined as concerning the ninth or tenth particular person within the operations workforce. I’ve finished many alternative roles however my present one is basically completely different to something I’ve ever finished (or that’s been finished within the firm) earlier than.
Ruby speaking Octopus with the Prime Minister and Chancellor
I’m engaged on what we name a ‘Construct Function Switch’, or ‘BOT’ migration, of a large legacy utilities firm, to our vitality platform Kraken.
We’re transferring thousands and thousands of consumers over to be managed on Kraken, which is basically cool. However the ‘migration’ is much more than that – we’re additionally migrating their operation model and methods of working. We’re serving to them transfer in the direction of the way in which Octopus has all the time labored.
Meaning attempting to vary their complete enterprise tradition – who they’re, how they act, how they deal with one another. So it is a fairly large process, one I do not actually assume has been finished earlier than.
We’re not simply transferring prospects onto our platform – we’re additionally migrating our shoppers’ operation model and methods of getting stuff finished – who they’re, how they act, how they work collectively.
Ruby: The magic of Kraken is not simply the tech itself, it is the folks and the tradition. That is what we’re promoting as properly. It is really easy to assume that approach of working is JUST related inside the precise operational customer support groups. However really, at Octopus our tradition reaches throughout the board. The tech workforce, and the way they strategy issues can also be actually, actually completely different.
Maddie: What do you assume makes the tech workforce’s approach of working completely different?
Ruby: Our know-how and working mannequin imply we will do stuff ‘dwell’. We deploy agile modifications to our web site and platform at pace, normally many occasions per day (whereas most conventional corporations normally ‘deploy’ modifications at a set time each few weeks – typically, months).
The Octopus tech workforce at work
Relatively than going by laborious testing phases that delay prospects gaining access to nice issues, we put stuff out into the world. Then, by an obsessively iterative, customer-centric strategy, we ‘take a look at’ in good parallel with real-world person suggestions from our workforce and our prospects.
There’s this concept that it is advisable have a plan for a plan for if the plan goes unsuitable. I HATE the thought of an ‘sad path’. Why take into consideration the sad path?! Let’s simply good the completely satisfied path, and as we go on, if issues go unsuitable, we’ll repair them.
I hate the thought of an ‘sad path’. Let’s simply good the completely satisfied path, and as we go on, if issues go unsuitable, we’ll repair them.
Maddie: Has that been a problem to instil in corporations which are becoming a member of Kraken?
Ruby: Yeah. We’re working with giant organisations which have 20-30 years of expertise, and due to that, we can not simply inform folks “that is how we expect you have to be doing issues”, processes are constructed up attributable to expertise and what was greatest at the moment. To alter lengthy standing beliefs it is necessary to spotlight WHY.
It could be a gradual course of, however I am fairly assured we’ll do it as a result of what’s most secret is buyer happiness, and worker happiness as properly. We’re proud to say we now have each due to our know-how and our tradition— and it’s an immeasurably nice achieve for any firm to have the ability to obtain that.
Maddie: How did it really feel switching over to the Kraken Applied sciences workforce after so a few years with Octopus, and the way did that come about?
Ruby: In typical Octopus vogue, we put every part into motion in a brilliant agile approach. To make issues further unusual, my change in position really occurred throughout lockdown!
We began planning in April, then impulsively, I used to be handing over my credit score workforce and getting geared up to handle the ‘BOT’.
Ruby with the earliest Octopus Vitality credit score workforce, and with the operations management workforce
Maddie: It nearly looks like your position now could be the proper end result of every part you’ve finished in 4 years at Octopus – customer-obsessed vitality specialist from the start, working with tech to construct Kraken for ops, managing big gross sales partnerships with company companions, then constructing a complete perform of the enterprise from scratch.
Then on high of that, you are completely positioned to introduce new Kraken adoptees to the Octopus approach, since you’ve actually lived by and formed the whole Octopus expertise.
Doing it throughout lockdown can’t have been simple although!
Ruby: It was an additional problem assembly all of the those who I’d be working intently with for months OVER ZOOM, attempting to construct an amazing relationship with our shoppers nearly. Everybody that I work with and speak to day by day, I’ve not met but, in order that’s fairly weird.
Fast Qs
Maddie: What’s your Octopus maintain music jam?
Poker Face Woman Gaga, Giving my age away…. however an amazing tune.
Maddie: What’s your favorite Greg story?
I keep in mind getting right into a debate with him about HR after just a few drinks. I used to be 21 and sassing Greg like I had all of the life expertise. As an alternative of utterly shutting me down like many would have, he listened to all my factors, was non-judgemental however in fact nonetheless ended up successful the argument.
Maddie: Favorite lunch spot across the workplace?
Onerous one! In all probability Bread and Honey close to the Leicester workplace.
Maddie: Inform me about your self in 30 seconds.
My favorite issues are being a giant sister, melodrama, and cooking huge meals for a gaggle of buddies. I need to journey the world and I’m doing it little by little proper now however hope to take six months off someday to do it in bulk. I’m an obsessive googler, make myself (however nobody else) chortle out loud typically and dwell for a 22 minute sitcom.
Maddie: In a super, non-Covid world, what are the High 3 locations you’d wish to journey subsequent?
Japan, Botswana, and a highway journey across the USA!
Maddie: How did you be part of Octopus?
Ruby: I joined Octopus initially as a result of I used to be an unemployed uni grad. I used to be so completely satisfied to get a job! I’d studied Chemistry at college and my remaining piece was on methane gasoline within the ambiance. From that, I knew I wished to be concerned in one thing that helped in the direction of combating local weather change.
Throughout uni I form of thought I would go and promote my soul working for a giant financial institution. Genuinely, that is what I believed I would do, and now, I couldn’t consider something worse.
My plan was really to do six months at Octopus after which go six months travelling. Clearly, I began after which everybody was actually nice.
I simply liked what I used to be doing a lot I believed — ‘Oh gosh, I do not actually need to depart really. I believe there’s a whole lot of potential right here.’
I simply liked what I used to be doing a lot I believed — ‘Oh gosh, I do not actually need to depart really. I believe there’s a whole lot of potential right here.’ And now it is 4 years later.
Maddie: You have been right here at Octopus such a very long time, and labored on about 1,000,000 various things within the firm. Might you inform me a bit about what you have finished since becoming a member of?
Ruby’s Octo-jobs
After I joined, I believe I used to be just like the ninth or tenth member of the operations workforce! I got here in as an vitality specialist with no concept what operations was in any respect, taking buyer calls on our one telephone line – a bodily, ringing telephone within the workplace.
Due to how tight knit all capabilities of our enterprise are, I used to be actually fortunate to have the ability to spend numerous high quality time with the tech workforce whereas they have been constructing the earliest model of Kraken. I fed again to the tech workforce to assist map out all of the Kraken capabilities we might must make our lives, and our prospects’ lives, simpler.
As I had in-depth data of what ops, and prospects, wanted our software program to have the ability to do, and I actually began understanding what we would have liked to automate after I was about to go off for a months’ journey round Mexico. Whereas I used to be off, James [Eddison, CTO] constructed tonnes of the options that I requested for. I actually love that form of mathematical, scientific mind-set.
Then, I received concerned in our first ever buyer migration — transferring all our prospects off the off-the-shelf legacy system we’d been utilizing earlier than, and onto the model new, child model of Kraken, our proprietary tech.
Subsequent, I began managing our partnerships from an operational perspective — guaranteeing different corporations we labored with to get new prospects have been being sorted, and their prospects have been getting an amazing expertise with us and so on. Everybody from Arsenal FC to ‘Simply Transfer In’ to Monzo. This gave me my first perception into working with completely different corporations exterior Octopus — the work I do now, consumer administration, is a partnership in a approach, so that have was extremely helpful.
Then, Jon requested me if I wished to have a go at constructing and managing the credit score workforce. So I did! I used to be fairly younger, and had no concept what I used to be doing.
So after I first joined credit score, we had 4 non permanent workers. Nothing was automated – they have been all working manually off easy spreadsheets. After which over time, it is actually advanced. The workforce moved to Leicester, we have concerned third events, and our account well being and credit score care journeys are totally automated in Kraken. I’m actually pleased with that. I’ve left it in actually nice arms as properly – with individuals who actually care about their prospects – the workforce are actually fab.
In fact all through I nonetheless step in typically to speak to prospects as all of us do at Octopus, it doesn’t matter what position we’re in. You’re by no means in a field with regards to your position.
I by no means ever thought after I was at uni that I would be doing this.
Maddie: What made you keep? Was there one thing you thought you would be doing as a substitute?
The Octopus Vitality operations management workforce, Christmas 2018
Ruby: I by no means actually had goals for what I used to be going to do after I was older or something like that. Which is fairly commonplace, I believe.
What stored me going and stored my position altering was that every part that I have been requested to do, I all the time say sure.
That is one thing actually good about the place we work – you even have these choices as properly.
Every thing that I have been requested to do, I all the time say sure, as a result of I am identical to, why not? It is a chance – and different doorways open and also you get extra selection.
Maddie: Not too long ago, you’ve been concerned in Octopus’ Black Lives Matter Fund. How’s that going?
(We’re an organization the place you by no means have to depart who you’re on the door if you get to work. At each stage of the enterprise we over-index on gender and BAME illustration, however there’s all the time extra we will do.
Within the midst of protests all over the world sparked by the killing of George Floyd, the Octopus workforce had essential inner conversations about how our firm might do extra to help black folks in our workforce and in our wider neighborhood – and introduced a BLM Fund with preliminary funding of £100,000.)
Ruby: It is going rather well.
I’m working with 17 folks in a devoted group to plan how we will greatest use this cash so it’s not only a one-off initiative, however an ongoing fund that we will proceed to complement folks’s lives with. It is actually thrilling – and fairly daunting – to be part of. It is such a giant subject and there is a whole lot of emotion round it. It is fairly powerful to steadiness how far you go together with that emotion in a office setting. It has been actually nice seeing folks’s involvement.
Maddie: Yeah. I believe this strategy is so cool – it’s a promise that’ll maintain us accountable on this perpetually – so it might by no means be lip service or a PR train.
Ruby: Yep, not only a tick field, which I do know Greg hates.
Ruby at Octopus’ Black Science Issues speak for Black Historical past Month
I can actually see the way it will work sooner or later. A few of the concepts that the fellows are arising with are simply so progressive and I believe could make an actual distinction. In order that’s actually thrilling. I believe there’s extra work to do as we transfer and develop as an organization – some work we will do to self-reflect in an ongoing approach, which I am hoping to play an element in as properly.
I hope to get Octopus to some extent the place we’re appeared as much as on how we strategy variety within the office.
That is the aim, that folks know that we actually care.
Variety is an actual downside throughout our complete trade. The demographic of individuals in senior roles is simply utterly not aligned with the demographic in additional entry stage roles.
Maddie: What do you assume you’ve realized seeing Octopus develop up?
Ruby representing Octopus Vitality at London Pleasure in 2017
Ruby: I believe I by no means actually appreciated how a lot comes with simply seeing one thing change and evolve.
I believe for my position, it’s nice to have the ability to converse with religion that after I say “that is how we do issues” to a brand new consumer for Kraken. After they ask “why”, it’s not simply “as a result of that’s the way it works” – I can inform them with first hand data that it really works like that as a result of it’s the suitable factor to do by prospects.
Maddie: What’s actually completely different about working at Octopus?
Ruby: My place means I work intently with Stuart (Jackson, CFO), Jon and James. Although I did not know a lot about credit score in any respect, they have been all the time simply so open and critical about me as an individual and as somebody that is presenting to them. And that’s positively set me up for transferring on in my profession and dealing with completely different folks. I realised that it is tremendous particular to be round – that extra senior folks all the time take you critically – it doesn’t matter what your expertise is, for those who’re speaking sense, then they are going to be listening.
Essentially the most senior folks within the enterprise all the time take you critically – it doesn’t matter what your expertise is, for those who’re speaking sense, then they are going to be listening.
Maddie: What’s the largest change you may see from the early days?
Ruby: In all probability our objectives. A few of the stuff we’re aiming for now I’m identical to WOW, as if we’re trying this, who do we expect we’re!?
However to date we’ve managed all of it, so I believe it’s a constructive factor.
When Greg would inform us we have been going to succeed in 1,000,000 prospects some day, it felt unbelievable and nearly unimaginable – however the whole workforce labored like they believed we have been going to do it.
Not understanding everybody within the workplace is a giant change. It’s so nuts assembly folks for the primary time they usually’re 3 months in! I miss understanding everybody.
Maddie: What’s your most memorable day at Octopus?
Ruby: There’ve been so many nice moments. A few of the best have been our whole-company e-mail ‘blitzes’ throughout actually busy durations. For instance, when Ofgem appointed us to tackle all the shoppers of one other provider who’d gone out of enterprise similtaneously we had simply launched the brand new M&S Vitality, naturally calls and emails have been by the roof like they’d by no means been earlier than. Each perform of the enterprise pitched it to get the amount down – from ops to tech to advertising, finance, and the senior administration workforce.
At Octopus you typically take as a right what you are doing as regular – “the service we’re giving prospects is regular. The best way we deal with our workers is regular.”
And in normalising it, you by no means actually rejoice it. In order that was an amazing second to look again and assume, really, every part that we wished to attain, we have finished and extra. Like, that is fairly superior.
