As the CTO and head of product at EDO, Josh Lee describes himself as a “data engineer-turned-Chief Product Officer,” and someone who leans heavily on his background as a software developer and engineer. As one of the earliest employees of EDO, Lee left Airbnb to make his mark in a field that he saw as ripe for disruption: TV advertising.
“I joined EDO for the opportunity to really grow in my career in terms of knowledge and ability. Before joining, I was at a great company and learning a ton. But I wanted to be in a place where I’d be thrown into the fire and given the opportunity to learn by doing, uncovering challenges that had never been tackled before. I’ve gotten that experience at EDO, and I still feel like I’m being challenged and learning new things every day.”
As one of the first data engineers in EDO’s early years, Lee now leads the company’s growing technical teams while also serving as a player/coach. Lee says he still likes to get in the weeds and maintains a heavy focus on the product roadmap, “not just for our ambitious company vision, but also in how we bring it to life for our industry partners.”
Lee says he saw the opportunity of advertising measurement early on. Because he’s always been curious about how any underlying tech works, Lee’s developed a deep understanding of EDO’s product, how measurement really works, and how the industry can take advantage of new technologies to improve.
“I try to quickly understand how all the pieces come together to make something work – and envision what could be possible,” he explains.
In this Q&A, Lee discusses his career path, how he spends his free time, and his view on what’s next.
Wellth: What’s your superpower – what sets you apart compared to others?
Josh: Probably my engineering background – and I don’t just mean that as a software developer, but in the truest sense of “engineering.” I really like to understand how things work very deeply and to think through all the little steps along the way to make them operate more effectively and efficiently. Maybe it started as a curiosity, but I think it’s turned into a real skill.
Wellth: Who are you when you’re not a CTO and product leader?
Josh: I like to hike and travel, when I can get away with my partner, but I’ve really just been playing a lot of pickleball recently! I’m not going to lie – I’ve gotten pretty passionate about it, but it’s a lot of fun and so different from my day-to-day. It’s kind of the only thing I do outside of work right now! I’m pretty young relative to my peer set of execs, so that’s proof that it’s not an old people’s game.
Wellth: EDO prides itself on a strong culture. What cultural / organizational values define how you build and lead your team?
Josh: We have our five core values, but the one that probably sticks out the most is “We own our excellence.”
Ownership comes in the form of understanding the end user’s problem and then making sure you’re thinking about your technical solution in terms of the end outcome that you’re trying to achieve, solving that user’s problem.
While we’re no longer a startup – we’re a successful growth-stage company with partnerships with Netflix to Disney to Nielsen – I think this can-do approach is still a big part of our culture.
Wellth: How are you innovating when it comes to media measurement?
Josh: TV measurement is an area that’s been long overdue for innovation, and the work we’re doing is becoming increasingly important to our industry with each passing day. We can all see the changes happening in how we watch TV, and yet the way we measure what is and isn’t working has somehow not yet caught up. We’re at the forefront of that change.
Advertising has underwritten pretty much all of the great creative content we enjoy today. And that moves the culture forward. When content creators know what works, more great content gets made. Our technology provides real-time outcomes data to all sides of the content equation – TV networks, streamers, Hollywood studios, and of course, brands and agencies. Our data enables folks to know how their content is driving consumer engagement in the minutes after it airs. As a result, we’re able to measure how effective a program or ad is at moving the consumer from merely being aware of a brand to actively seeking out more information and taking action because of it.
Wellth: What's your call to action for leaders to ensure they plan for the year ahead?
Josh: In one word: Focus. There’s so much noise out there. Put in the work, find great people to do it with, stay true to your company’s mission, and the rest will take care of itself.
