Reflecting Back
We started Iteration Group back in March of 2011 with our first client, ChowNow. I was “in between gigs,” kicking around ideas for my next startup, when I met the ChowNow founders. They were two non-technical guys, extremely bright, and a bit over their heads building an online ordering system for restaurants, from scratch. It just so happened that I knew the online ordering space very well – months earlier I had explored a way to scale online ordering to the tens-of-thousands of restaurants in the U.S. and beyond. Well, we hit it off, Iteration Group helped ChowNow for many months until they gained a solid footing, raised additional capital, hired a terrific technology team, and were on their way.
Like that, Iteration Group kind of happened by “accident.” Over time, several more startup founders and company executives came to us asking if we could help them nail their product vision and distill their rough product ideas into concrete product designs.
Since that time, I’ve been looking for a counterpart here at Iteration Group that could run the shop “day to day.” I needed someone who, like me, has a deep passion and interest in software design, human-computer interaction, usability engineering, and all things user-experience. Also, this person needed to have a wide range of experience – managing multiple teams of folks, working on startups, working on large enterprise projects, and more.
Welcome Yossi!
I’m really proud to announce that Yossi Langer has joined Iteration Group as Principal. Yossi will be directing all of the work we do for our clients (in fact, he’s already started).
complementing my almost complete startup focus). We’ve opened up a new office in Santa Monica to be closer to our clients and prospective team members.
Yossi is a world-class expert and leader in the field. He’s held various product-development related roles at Viacom, Fotolog, AOL, and American Express. He will be cultivating our staff, work
ing shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients, and ensuring that our research, wireframing, designing, building, and other activities are of the highest possible quality.
I met Yossi almost one year ago at a UX Happy Hour event, put on by my friend (and longtime designer) Kai Gradert. We immediately hit it off, stayed in touch, and started collaborating on a few side projects. Right away, it was clear that Yossi had the perspective, experience, passion, and attention-to-detail that we were looking for.
Looking Ahead
Today we enter a new phase. We’ve tremendously increased the breadth and depth of our capabilities. We’ve already, for example, started doing more extensive research than we’ve ever done (user interviews, task analysis, etc) under Yossi’s direction. We’ve got more big-company, big-data, and enterprise experience (complementing my almost complete startup focus). We’ve opened up a new office in Santa Monica to be closer to our clients and prospective team members.
We’re extremely excited about the road ahead and we have big plans to further integrate ourselves within the LA Tech Community (and beyond) to help folks build great products.
The Press Release
Expands Management Team to Build on Leadership Position
SANTA MONICA, CA – March 26, 2013 – Iteration Group today announced seasoned media and technology executive Yossi Langer as Principal, expanding its management in support of the company’s growth. Langer brings an extensive career of product design, product development, and user interface design experience to his role, where he will oversee mobile, web, and other interactive software projects for Iteration Group customers.
Previously, Yossi was at Viacom Media Networks, where he was responsible for search, content recommendations, and machine learning initiatives for over 100 digital properties. While there he founded the ground-breaking Lean Testing Lab.
Yarone Goren, Founder and CEO, Iteration Group, said: “Yossi is a world-class expert and leader in user experience design, usability, and human factors. He will work side-by-side with our customers to conceive, design, and develop innovative mobile and web products.”
Yossi has led product development at early-stage companies and established enterprises including AOL and America Express. He was Co-President and Chief Product Officer of Fotolog, an online social network with 30 million members worldwide, where he managed day-to-day operations, long term strategy and increased membership by 33%.
At AOL, Yossi ran mobile content strategy for AOL’s Europe, Canada, and Latin America offices. At American Express he led product development and editorial strategy as Online Editor of Travel + Leisure magazine.
Yossi Langer said: “I am thrilled to join the talented and innovative Iteration Group team. There is a tremendous need for expert product development services in southern California. This need is evidenced by the growing investment in technology projects, the proliferation of software into all industries, and the increase in non-technical startup founders and business leaders. Iteration Group fills this gap, enabling its customers to design, build, and deliver beautiful and functional products.”
More information:
ABOUT ITERATION GROUP
Iteration Group is a boutique product-development consulting firm with offices in with offices in Los Angeles and New York City. The company works side-by-side with startup founders and business leaders to help them nail their product vision, distill their rough product ideas into concrete product designs, create wireframes, create final designs, build prototypes, and more.
Iteration Group is privately held and is headed by Yarone Goren, a passionate expert in software product design and co-founder of multiple venture-backed startups, including Academy123 (acquired by Discovery Communications) and Zumbox. Longtime technology and media executive Yossi Langer directs all work as Principal.
Since its launch in 2011, Iteration Group has designed mobile, web-based, and desktop software products for social networking, productivity, online ordering, online marketing, ecommerce, and other applications.
For more information, please email info@iterationgroup.com or visit www.iterationgroup.com.
Media contact: Ashley Moje +1 818 851 1080 Skype: almoje42 ashley@iterationgroup.com