Brad Wason came back to Wilmington for a gig at Capital One

Brad Wason didn’t expect to find himself back in Wilmington so soon but he was lured back home by a senior creative director role at Capital One.
“Though I wasn’t looking for a job change at the time, the position sounded fascinating, so I applied,” he wrote to us. “Two months, and a few interviews later I had an offer.”
Wason spent a year and a half as a visual design manager at Zappos in Las Vegas. In an email interview, Wason talked to us about his experience with different management styles, the similarities between the two tech scenes and the Delaware developments he’s excited about.

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What prompted your move back? Was it a hard decision to make?
Moving back was very bittersweet. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Las Vegas. While there I made a long lists of new friends, explored the west, took photos of every neon sign possible and even climbed a few mountains. I had no plans to move back to Delaware so soon, but the universe clearly had a different idea — so here I am.
Since returning, I’ve continued to do a bit of soul searching and am energized by the community initiative I’ve started work on, hopefully launching this summer.
What was it like working for Zappos?
Zappos was absolutely fascinating. Their willingness to challenge the status quo and innovate at considerably high risks is admirable. I participated and witnessed the transition from waterfall management to Holacracy, the introduction of teal principles, a complete reboot of the compensation structure and a lot of hard thinking about what made Zappos, well, Zappos. I worked alongside true leaders in the industry, and perhaps more important was their unwavering dedication to each other and the customer.

It’s difficult trying to summarize the experience in a paragraph. There’s so many unique details, and experiences that I’ll always carry with me. The move to Holacracy was intensely challenging — it forced me to reboot how I thought about my entire skill set and career. Though at times difficult, I’m ultimately thankful for the push to separate what I do from my job title and management rank.
The next time you find yourself in Las Vegas, stop by and take a tour of the offices. It’s just like a brewery tour … without the free beer though.
What was the Las Vegas tech scene like? How was it different from Delaware’s?
To me they actually felt more similar than different — geographical and affinity for neon lights aside. In Vegas, the tech, art and music scene are sewn into the fabric of the vibrant downtown community (DTLV) that is being built and championed by current and past leaders at Zappos.
The noticeable difference was of course scale. Having Zappos embedded in the center of the scene meant more than just sponsorship dollars, it created a highly energized base of advocates that sought to bring a diversified network of events to the city. For example, last year Virgin held a day-long Disruptors event on the Zappos campus. It was awesome.
Delaware Innovation Week and {OpenBracket are great examples for how Delaware is expanding their scene and has continued to evolve their footprint.
What are you up to now and how’d you find your current job?
For my full-time gig: I am the senior creative director for consumer & retail bank at Capital One. My team and I support partners in marketing, product and research to execute a wide variety of print, digital, social and mass media campaigns.
The job was posted on AIGA, a national design organization. Though I wasn’t looking for a job change at the time, the position sounded fascinating, so I applied. Two months, and a few interviews later I had an offer.
I’ve been extremely fortunate to land at another company that is full of talented, passionate, and extraordinarily savvy individuals. Their drive for being mission driven and dedication to our customers is what makes the job incredibly enjoyable.
What have you noticed (if anything) about how Delaware’s tech scene has changed since you’ve been gone?
Admittedly, I haven’t immersed myself back in the tech community much since returning. From the few events I have attended and folks I’ve chatted with though, it’s clear there has been substantial growth, and a greater sense of interconnectedness. It’s fascinating to be an outsider now and look at all the new folks leading the charge, the incredible coworking and innovation spaces that have opened shop, open data movements, a code school and new startups.
The fact that we can confidently say there is a scene – is a testament to the work pioneered by coIN loft founders Steve Roettger and Wes Garnett. They, and a few others were the catalyst for what has truly become a diverse tech community. One, that I look forward to joining again.