Scaling product operations at Coinbase when hype is high and regulations are mounting.
Coinbase is the leading digital currency platform where users can transact with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. In 2021 alone, they IPO’d and grew rapidly from 1,700 to 4,000 staff with the emergence of crypto as a recognized asset class. They needed a way to scale their operations while maintaining compliance with mounting governmental regulations.
Challenge
- Needing tools that were powerful and structured yet flexible enough to operate in an agile industry: previously using hundreds of decentralized Google Sheets to run launches, roadmap, planning, and requests.
- Specifically needed a product launch hub and internal ticketing system to centralize initiatives and optimize synchronicity between departments.
- Out-of-the-box software solutions were inadequately flexible for their massive growth, unique workflows, and ever-changing regulatory complexity.
Solution
- Architected and launched a flexible request tracker as an internal ticketing hub, which increased synchronicity between teams: https://coda.io/@solutions/request-stream. Now, when requests are made between organizations, they’re prioritized, tracked, and collaborated on.
- Co-created a Product Operating System (ProductOS) (with Coda Solutions Architects & Coinbase’s Product Ops teams): Product LaunchCal, Rolling Intake, and Executive Dashboards. Now, product launches help to structure actions and increase regulatory compliance across cross-functional teams.
- Reduced redundancies caused by disconnected management tools through synchronous dashboards (from Strategic Programs dashboard to the CEO dashboard)
Impact
Coda became a key part of Coinbase’s operations, helping them scale during a period of hyper-growth.