Ervin Fowlkes

About Ervin Fowlkes

Have you ever wondered why people behave the way they do, how that might impact yourbusiness, and the decisions you make for your business?I did. It changed my business and my life.I started my career as a small web developer based in a tiny office in Downtown Detroit,Michigan, where I learned all the lessons of small business the hard way: Trial by Fire! Over theyears, I grew my little company and met some great people. One day I realized that after so manyyears of the entrepreneurial life, I was ready for a change.I was chosen to be a Project Manager for a software development company in Troy, Michigan.The day I began, the company was the two principals… and me. Eventually, we grew the team toinclude 20 developers, and began to take on really big deals.It was great!Over time, we decided to change the business model, and I helped lead the transition. It was atthis time I felt the call to work for myself again. I went back into development with a largerskillset and built my own stellar team of developers.I was humming along pretty well, then one day Chris Spiek, one of the founders of thesoftware development firm where I had worked, asked me to help with web projects at a new firm he started called The Rewired Group. I met Chris\' partner Bob Moesta and they introduced me to Jobs to be Done, a product development framework that helps you understand why people behave the way they do.I was hooked.I became a consultant, and over time, I became one of the principals of the firm.I loved being a consultant, I traveled the world and worked with the largest brands in the world. We helped multiple start ups go from seed funding to billion dollar valuations. We helped organizations bring products to market and some revolutionize their business. When I became a father I knew I had to make a change, I wanted to be home for my new family and traveling constantly would have been hard on them. Chris tapped me again to join the Autobooks team as a Product Manager. Here I am able to use everything I\'d taught hundreds of product teams to do with my own product. I help tons of SMBs accept payments and grow their business.I\'ve learned that my super power is consumer empathy. I get excited when I can help people bring out their best. It\'s been a spectacular ride!

Experience

1. Senior Product Manager

   Autobooks

   Oct 2019 — Present · Detroit, MI, US

Education

• Harvard Business School Online

  Credential of Readiness, Business

• University of Michigan-Dearborn

  Computer Science

  1996 — 2000

Skills

• Market Research
• Marketing
• Web Design
• Social Media Marketing
• Internet Strategy
• Strategy
• E-Commerce
• Leadership
• Product Development
• Innovation
• Digital Marketing
• Ppc
• Social Media
• Online Marketing
• Conversion Optimization
• Google Analytics
• Dreamweaver
• Microsoft Office
• Email Marketing
• Ruby on Rails
• Wordpress
• Web Development
• SEO
• Web Analytics
• Start-Ups