Every unique and talented Avantee is a co-creator of the Avant culture we love. We hope the @Avant series helps you get to know who we are, how we do what we do, and what it looks like to build your career at Avant.
Tyler Palin
VP of Product for the Servicing Product Team
Joined Avant in 2013
What’s it like to work @Avant? We asked Tyler for his take on our culture, and here’s what he said:
1. How would you describe Avant’s culture?
So, I played sports growing up, and I view Avant’s culture a lot like a championship sports team. People here are driven, they’re collaborative, they’re always pushing to be better. Avantees always want to win, and not just win for themselves, but for the team and organization and our customers. It’s a place where you’re challenged, and you get out what you put in. The best part is the teammates you’re surrounded by, who you get to work hard with, have fun with, and learn from every day.
2. Why are you happy/successful here?
I’ve been here for almost 11 years. I think the primary reason I’m happy and successful here is because I’m surrounded by people who are just as passionate and committed as I am. I love to learn and I love to be challenged, and I’m provided that on a daily basis here—I get to become more intelligent simply through osmosis, being around such super smart people. There’s always something new and lots of opportunities for folks that work hard and show they care. I’ve worn a number of different hats in my 11 years here, and every single one of them has been fun to be a part of.
3. What’s something Avant is really good at? What’s something you’d like to see us get better at?
Avant is really good at adapting to change and staying agile in a fast-paced environment. Whether it’s responding to market changes, potential regulatory changes, or evolving customer needs, we’re always ready to make the necessary adjustments to keep moving forward. If I think about sports, that’s kind of like being on a team that knows how to adjust its gameplan mid-game to keep ahead of the opposition. We’re really good at that, and we have a great leadership team that’s willing to make those changes when necessary.
I think one area that I’d like to see us get better at, and that we’re already working on, is empowering everyone to dig in and fully understand the data behind our business. From the beginning, data has been in our DNA, and we’ve always used it to make decisions. Different teams are focused on data relevant to their responsibilities, and we’re very good at that. I’d like to see us take it to the next level and empower folks even more to understand the full picture and how it impacts the financial statements, for example.
Another sports analogy: As I thought about this, it’s kind of like watching game film. The more you can break down and analyze the plays (the data) to see what worked and what didn’t, the better prepared you are for the next matchup or product feature, whatever it is. So I think we have a foundation, but if we can take it a little bit further, it’ll give us insights into what’s needed to continue to drive innovation, optimize our product offerings, and deliver even greater value to our customers.
4. If you were to describe who you are and not mention your work at all, what would you say?
I am the middle child of five, and father of three crazy kids. I value loyalty, commitment, and grit. I’ve been playing sports pretty much my whole life, including football in college where I met my wife. I pretend to still be an athlete as frequently as I can, playing basically any sport I can. I’m currently obsessed with paddle tennis and love it. Wisconsin sports teams mean more to me than they should. I’m a podcast nerd, and I love to mix it up between self-improvement and fiction books. Those are my go-tos if I have free time, which seems less and less frequent nowadays with a five-, three-, and one-year-old. I do love what I’m currently reading. It’s called the Throne of Glass series and I’m 70% of the way through the final book. It’s so good. I’ve made my way through some of the romantic fiction fantasy books recently, and those have all been super fun.
7. What’s a superpower that you get to apply at your job?
Resilience is my superpower. I’ve never been the most intelligent. I’ve never been the fastest or best at anything. But I always keep working. I think it’s all about staying focused, pushing forward, never giving up, overcoming any challenges that are thrown at you. In my role, I think I’ve been able to maintain a steady hand during challenging times, like a complex project or unexpected roadblocks or tight timelines.
Even prior to my career, I could see that setbacks are just a part of the game, and what matters most is how you respond to them. I approach every challenge as an opportunity to grow stronger, to learn, and to come back even better prepared for the next one. It’s a mindset I’ve been able to take from my sports background into my career, and I’ve tried to do that as much as possible here at Avant.
8. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL from pretty early. Sports clearly have played a pretty significant role in my life! As the middle child of five, I was able to play with my older siblings, my younger siblings, throughout my childhood. We love to compete with each other and help each other. I always watched the Packers growing up and wanted to be on that field. I knew pretty early on that it wasn’t in the cards for me, but I always loved dreaming about it and wanted to do that growing up.