I researched, executed a proof-of-concept, and proposed a multi-year technical strategy for evolving a data platform. One driving aspect was that this needed to address a critical data store (Cassandra) reaching end-of-life. In addition, we wanted to unify disparate aspects of the platform and reduce engineering overhead.

I worked with engineering and product leaders to understand constraints on the business and propose an iterative plan that could deliver an immediate resolution to the concerns around Cassandra reaching end-of-life and build the vision on top of this. I ran a 2-day proof-of-concept that greatly reduced the risk of upgrading the Cassandra cluster by testing data backup and restore operations.

A challenge was balancing the needs of the engineering team with leadership: we needed a solution that balanced the vision without blowing up the scope. I found the appropriate compromise points and created an iterative plan to address both.