For George Shannon, balancing life between the paddock and the office has become second nature.
Since joining AuctionsPlus four years ago as a market operator, Mr Shannon has worn a few different hats within the company.
Today, he splits his time between working part-time as a Product Owner for AuctionsPlus and working on his family’s farm outside of Bookham, in the NSW South West Slopes.
"I've had a number of jobs since I started at AuctionsPlus four years ago as a market operator, and I'm currently working three days a week as a product owner," Mr Shannon said.
"The other four days a week I work for dad on the family farm here in Bookham."
In his current role, Mr Shannon plays a critical part in bridging the gap between AuctionsPlus' users and its product development team.
"My role as a product owner is to work with the website developers, the wider AuctionsPlus business, as well as our network of agents, producers and buyers, and give context for their problems," he explained.
"I then work with our user experience team and help design solutions that solve these problems."
Living and working on farm gives Mr Shannon a unique perspective on what users need from the platform. It’s a balancing act, but one that pays dividends.
“Understanding the needs and profit drivers of a farming business helps put things into context, and talking to farmers, agents and service providers really gives an insight into the challenges that our ag industry faces," Mr Shannon said.
AuctionsPlus' Product Manager, Steven Jaffrey, believes Mr Shannon's role at AuctionsPlus is to devise solutions that add real-value to our customers, producers, agents, and bidders.
"The days of the week that George devotes to his own livestock operation provide him a real-life, real-time perspective that is invaluable in advocating for these customers," Mr Jaffrey said.
"His experience and contribution as a grazier is on display in the new generation of AuctionsPlus tools and features.
"Even on George's farm days will he send a message from the shed or paddock, identifying opportunities for improvements, new ideas, or potential issues," he added.
Mr Shannon’s first-hand experience on the farm has been instrumental in shaping product developments, such as the recent sort and filter upgrade.
"One example of how my on-farm experience has helped shape product development is our recent sort and filter upgrade — the ability to jump into a catalogue and quickly see what matches my saved filters," he said.
"At the conclusion of the sale, I can also jump in and apply the same filters quickly to see how these lots sold or apply other filters to value my own stock."
Another major improvement has been the refresh of the AuctionsPlus mobile app.
Originally released five years ago, the app had been left behind due to platform upgrades during Covid. Thanks to feedback gathered directly from users, Mr Shannon and the team were able to rebuild it with producers and agents front of mind.
"The first thing we did was speak to our users. They gave us a range of feedback about what they liked, what they didn't like, and, more importantly, what they'd like to see in the future."
For Mr Shannon, the most rewarding part of his dual career is hearing the impact of his work first-hand.
"One bit that I find most rewarding about working between AuctionsPlus and the farm is when I'm talking to people outside of AuctionsPlus and they happen to mention a feature that I contributed towards," he said.
"I also like being able to take feedback from growers or producers and provide the real-world context to the AuctionsPlus business. I also like when I have new ideas or find solutions to a problem while I'm spraying thistles or following sheep down a laneway."
Mr Shannon is helping shape a better, more practical AuctionsPlus platform — one that works for those on the ground, because it was built by someone who is there too.