Wayfair is an international company with a presence in multiple countries: US, Canada, UK, and Germany. And where our UK customer might look to purchase a “heater”, our US customer might use the term “radiator” to describe the same thing. We want to ensure we’re able to understand that both customers are referring to the same item and interpret feedback left by customers in the form of product reviews correctly.

In the previous installment, we talked about testing smaller components first, expanding the scope gradually, and learning more about the platform of choice in the process.

In early August, the Data Science (DS) team put on their first DS-wide hackathon. The global hackathon event brought together Boston and Berlin based data scientists for one day of hacking and demos. The event challenged teams to think big about how algorithms can transform Wayfair’s business and help unveil unseen possibilities. Some successful tools and products on our site, like our Visual Search tool, started as hackathon projects! The hackathon is a fun challenge to try out new methods or algorithms, explore a different part of the business, and collaborate with team members across disciplines.

Have you ever wondered how engineering teams tackle the challenge of ensuring reliability and performance amid increasing site traffic? If so, I hope the information in this four-part series will be of interest to you.

In our home we strive to create an environment where all employees feel comfortable and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day. To help ensure this, Wayfair has employee-created and led Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), supported by our Culture & Inclusion team, with the aim to create safe, inclusive spaces for community building, networking, and professional development. This March our Women+ ERG celebrated Women’s History Month by organizing an internal fireside chat with Wayfair board member, Anke Schäferkordt. The event was moderated by Fiona Tan, Global Head of Customer and Supplier Technology. Throughout the hour-long chat Anke shared invaluable insights about the importance of challenging the status quo, male allyship, mentorship and much more.

This article is part of our series "Employee Spotlight," where we speak to and highlight some of the wonderful people who make up the exceptional teams at Wayfair.

From the first idea to that final touch, Wayfair’s creative team makes everything in-house. Our rockstar makers have skills that touch every creative discipline, from concepting ideas, writing and art direction to production, videography, editing, set designing, illustration, 3D imagery, animating, and so much more.

You can’t find couches made of frozen solid lake-harvested ice blocks on Wayfair.com, but on a cold winter day, look no further than co-founder Steve Conine’s backyard to find that kind of glacial decor. While the comfort and longevity of ice-based furniture might be up for debate, the lessons that creating it can teach are undeniable: “When you’re getting ready to hack off a chunk of slippery ice, the consequences of rushing to action without thinking ahead are obvious. It’s a strong reminder of the importance of managing risk and taking the right steps toward achieving your desired outcome,” said Steve. “With a chainsaw running, it’s a good idea to ask yourself, what am I OK with losing and what can I never get back if I make a mistake?”

Have you ever ordered fragile items from Wayfair and wondered how they get delivered seamlessly? As an e-commerce company, preparing products for a secure journey to our customers is a top priority. Our packaging innovation team consists of packing engineers who focus on creating and testing high-quality packaging that keeps products safe, while using as little material as possible in an effort to reduce our impact on the planet. The team also focuses on packaging for the future, including exploring the use of new and innovative materials, utilizing materials with a higher percentage of recycled content, and working to create packaging that is easily curbside recyclable.

“What interests me the most is problem solving — and I love the process of finding optimal solutions.”