Coworking: Rian Buckley Goodwin helps you find the fix

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

Anytime you interact with a company online or within an app, you are using a product a digital team built. Everything—from the buttons you click and the pages you see to how you pay for things and your end-to-end experience—was carefully thought through to make it the most pleasing customer experience possible.

My job is to think of all the things a customer needs to be successful and then build, launch, and iterate on that product based on what we learn from our customers. Product is the bridge between business and technology, and what we do directly impacts our customer, so it’s a very rewarding space to be in.

What’s the most compelling tech project you’ve worked on, and why?

We launched Frontdoor in the spring of 2023, and the ability to instantly video chat with an experienced and vetted home repair expert is paramount to our product. It’s like Uber for all your home repair needs—open the app, chat with an expert about your issue, and fix it while on the call with them; or, if that’s not possible, we will refer you to a vetted pro to perform the necessary repairs. I believe this instant connection to an industry that has been notoriously hard to work with is a game-changer, and look forward to enabling all homeowners to get handy and check things off their to-do list.

What technologies are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

I am biased, of course, but I love the multitude of use cases we have found for video chat. From a quick video call with your doctor via telehealth to fixing your refrigerator with Frontdoor, this connection with experts from the comfort of your home makes me excited. As for the least, I would say I am wary about AI and social media—there is a lot of good that will come from AI in terms of productivity, the healthcare industry, etc., but with it comes the huge responsibility to monitor how AI is impacting information, social media, and truth.

What’s the best tech-related media you read/watch/listen to?

I am a big Wired reader, and, as a Seattle native, I love GeekWire.

What’s something about you we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?

I spent 10 years as an international fashion model and have a passion for all things related to ocean conservation and climate change’s impact on our natural environment.

Oddly enough, modeling was my catalyst into the tech world. My behind-the-scenes experiences at photo shoots for major e-commerce companies highlighted an issue with shopping online—customers had no idea what size to buy. After a lot of research and many conversations, I founded a tech startup to address this issue that went on to be named by Vogue as one of the fashion industry’s most innovative companies. You never know when inspiration will strike!

What do you think about when you’re not thinking about tech?

How am I going to burn off all this energy from my 1-year-old and 4-year-old sons?