Hey everyone! It’s Monday so that means it’s time for a new Resource of the week!  Today’s resource is a 101 on all things targeting preferences . Many of you will already be familiar with the concept the article covers, but it’s always good to have a solid foundation of the basics. Check it out and use this thread to share any questions you may have. Also let me know if you have any ideas for new topics you would like to see covered on Thumbtack Help . ... View more

Hi pro s, Recently, @MR asked if I “could shed some light on why change takes so long as I know there are lots of pros here who would be interested.” I thought this was a great question so I decided to crowdsource an answer for the Community, directly from Thumbtack employees, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the evaluation, deliberation, and prioritization that takes place.  Here’s what they had to say:   Q: Why does change take so long? TT Employee 1: “Despite our best efforts, implementing changes in the product often takes a bit longer than we'd like, and that's because even for the smallest change, it takes many people with very unique skills and coordination to make it happen.”  TT Employee 2: “Feedback is incredibly important to our teams here – however, we hear many suggestions and ideas, and our teams can’t work on everything at once. This is why we continuously review and consider your feedback to prioritize which updates to work on first.”  TT Employee 3: “We have to figure out what the majority of our users are having problems with, and develop priorities from there.” TT Employee 4: “ We identify the highest impact opportunities to help as many pros as possible find more customers.” TT Employee 5: “As soon as a change is agreed upon and committed to, an engineer can't just sit down and build it. “First, a product manager and analyst work to determine the estimated impact of the feature.” TT 4: “ What may seem like a trivial change ends up taking a lot of time because timelines need to match up internally, and we have dozens of engineers working together to build the best product possible in the best way possible.” TT 5: “Designers and copywriters then work to create the most user friendly way to build the feature.” TT 1: “ The change then goes through rigorous testing on all platforms to make sure nothing broke while making this change and our product is as dependable as it should be for pros to rely on it to grow their business.”  TT 5: “From there, the product marketing team helps figure out how to make sure pros find and use the new feature.” TT 2: “ Because we want to make sure we’re building the right feature, this process takes time and often, updates are more complex than anticipated.” TT 1: “ For example: pros use our product on their iPhone, Android, and on the web. A small visual change requires the coordination of a designer to make sure we create a consistent and intuitive experience, an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a web developer.”  TT 5: “Building a new feature takes time!” TT 1: “ We are constantly working on improving our processes to accelerate the pace at which we improve our product, and its quality.” TT 2: “ Please continue to share your feedback! We’re listening.”   I hope this gives you a sense of why new product updates take time to implement, and also why not all of the feedback we receive will result in a change being made. It’s a diligent process that is designed to create the best possible product, always with pros and customers in mind. If you have other questions you’d like us to dive into, please include them in the comments section and we will do our best to select one every month to take back to the Thumbtack team and report back on! In partnership, Drew ... View more

  I recently had a chance to chat with Carrie Grace , a motivational speaker whose client list ranges from Target to Jack Daniels. She has been featured in USA Today and Huffington Post, and has been a pro on Thumbtack for two years. She was kind enough to answer some questions specifically for the Thumbtack Community ranging from how she thinks about risk to the importance of community building for independent workers. Enjoy, and thanks again to @Carriegrace!     Q: You’re a motivational speaker… what inspired you to get into this line of work? Carrie: I have always been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. I used to tell made up jokes to my family growing up, so I had a side of me that was a bit of a performer. And, I love inspiring people and watching them grow as humans. I have a background in teaching, which I went into in order to impact lives. So, I still get to impact lives, I’m just no longer in a classroom.   Q: A lack of confidence can be difficult to overcome when just starting out as a business owner. How did you gain the confidence to start and what keeps you going when things aren’t going your way? Carrie: I always tell people to count their yeses. We get bogged down in all the things that didn’t go our way that we forget to celebrate the little wins. If you can start small and build up, you’ll get confidence along the way.  Example: ask for something you know will likely be a yes, and then work your way up to things that could possibly be no’s. If things aren’t going your way, keep your eyes on the end goal. Never lose sight of where you want to go, that’ll always keep you on the path there.   Q: Do you remember any early milestones that felt like exceptionally big wins to you?  Carrie: I’ve had a lot of wins along the way. I remember telling people that I was going to go into speaking full-time and I remember people telling me that it was about time! I was happy when I created my first website that was totally crappy, and thrilled when I got my first paid speaking gig. I try and celebrate every little win even to this day because you’ll always have setbacks along the way. I find as a business owner the more you can focus on the positive, the more room you leave open for more positive things to come your way.   Q: How do you think about risk? Carrie: I view the world as an experiment which makes risk way less hard to stomach. It’s either a success OR a lesson I learned. This way I’m able to take fear out of the equation and grow as a human. I think taking risks are fun because they lead you to places you’d never dream of going.   Q: You host events for local entrepreneurs in your area. Why is it important to you to maintain a sense of Community while working independently? Does it give you a competitive advantage? Carrie: I host two masterminds in my home for businesswomen to connect each month. I find that two heads are better than one. We all share tips, tricks, and ideas with one another. We also act as a support system for one another as we go through bumps along the way. I think it gives you a competitive advantage simply because you are tapping into a larger network, more resources, and supportive people.   Q: What is one thing you wish you would have known when you were just starting your business? Carrie: I wish someone would've told me that things never turn out the way you plan for them, but to keep running anyways. Owning a business is a lot like a marathon instead of a sprint. It’s easy to look on social media and watch other people get opportunities. So, I wish someone would've told me that it’s way harder than it looks, but way more rewarding than you could ever dream of. ... View more

Hey everyone, it’s Monday so that means it’s time for a new Resource of the week!  Today’s resource is a help article that walks you through the steps for reactivating your account. We’ve recently made the process easier than ever, so this link is your one-stop shop to get you back up and running on Thumbtack. ... View more

  Hi Pros,   We wanted to make sure you heard the news directly from us. Today, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve raised $150 million in additional funding!    While we appreciate the vote of confidence in our business, we’re most excited about what this means for our partnership with you. With this new influx of funding, we’re eager to double down on our work to be the partner you deserve, and we can’t wait to expand on our current efforts to find you new customers and more jobs.    As Marco said in our press release , “We’re focused on bringing more customers to the backbone of the American economy – small businesses. Today’s investment will allow us to accelerate our efforts to create the tools and infrastructure needed to empower small businesses to run and grow their businesses.”    At the end of the day, we know that our success is tied to your success. We can’t win unless you’re winning; we can’t grow unless you’re growing. Your business is our business. And now, with these additional resources, we’ll continue to make big strides on this journey together.     To stay up-to-date on what we’re working on - and to continue giving us feedback along the way - keep checking back here in the Community.  This board in particular is the best place to stay informed of all our product news and updates.     Thank you for all that you do, and for your commitment to building our businesses, together.  Check out the full press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190722005414/en/Thumbtack-Secures-150-Million-Growth-Led-Sequoia     ... View more

  It’s that time of the year again! We are so excited to announce our newest class of Top Pros : the Top Pro class of July 2019! Top Pros are among the most popular and highly rated pros on Thumbtack. Being named a Top Pro is a huge accomplishment. Less than 4% of all pros on Thumbtack currently qualify - quite an exclusive group! If you've just been named a Top Pro, please introduce yourself!  Reply to this thread with the name of your business and where you're based.  We’d also love to hear your #1 tip for becoming a Top Pro, so that other pros can learn from your success. You can include your tip in your introductory post below, or consider uploading a video of yourself just like this one. Congratulations again! We’re so proud of your hard work. And we hope you are, too.     ... View more

Hi all, My name is Drew and I’m proud to introduce myself as the new manager of the online Pro Community! I’m new to Thumbtack and beyond excited to join the amazing team of passionate individuals, dedicated to seeing you succeed. Before I turn my focus to the Community, I think it will be helpful for me to explain a bit about myself: I come to Thumbtack after working in workforce development for nonprofit organizations. “Workforce development” is a jargony phrase that means eliminating barriers to work and connecting jobseekers to the tools and resources needed to be successful. Most recently, my work was focused on educating low income communities on how to succeed as independent workers. I most enjoy working with individuals who are striving for continuous improvement, which brings me back to why I’m excited to work with all of you! This Community is unlike anything else that exists in terms of support, collaboration, and education. I love what is stands for and I’m blown away by the engagement it has generated in the last year-- its mere existence is evidence of how much Thumbtack cares about seeing Pros be successful. And I think there are opportunities for improvement. It doesn’t take long to recognize that some of you are frustrated. As we get to know each other, my ask is that we strive to keep our conversations encouraging and solutions-focused. Please continue to offer your constructive criticism, as well as your best practices. Please share your struggles, and also your wins. But taking a moment to reflect on the impact your words will have and the way you frame a post can make all the difference. (Take a look at our Community Guidelines for a refresher.) We are all a part of this Community and we all have a part to play. @Meckell, @Kameron and @DustiO do an incredible job of answering your questions, cheering on your successes, and championing your voices because at the end of the day we’re all on the same team. The Community can be the vehicle for you to reach your potential as a small business owner, and to help others do the same. It is proof that independent work doesn’t mean you’re alone. Now, let’s get to work. I can’t wait to see all we accomplish together. ... View more