Meet David
David Molofsky,
Product Manager
Introducing…. David Molofsky, our Product Manager at IRIS.
Get to know David as he shares insights into his background, his life at IRIS and what he enjoys getting up to in his spare time…
What do you do, and how long have you worked at IRIS?
‘‘I have been with IRIS since September 2021. As Product Manager, I oversee the entire Product Department. I am the project lead on all new features and manage the roadmap and product priorities for our development team.’’
What’s your background?
‘‘I first started dabbling in product during my time at the BBC, where I was working on one of their blogs. From there, I started my own web company while also working in hospitality. Eventually, the success of my website led to a job as a Product Developer at the RICS, where I spent 6 years before joining IRIS. In addition to product management, I also have experience in SEO and social media marketing.’’
What is one of the most interesting tasks/projects you’ve worked on at IRIS?
‘‘The Open Tab feature has been my favourite project so far. It was extremely complex, so I got plenty of chances to flex my product manager problem-solving skills.’’
What sets IRIS apart from other companies?
‘‘Before IRIS, I had only worked for large corporations and companies, where it was all too easy to get lost in the shuffle. I love that IRIS is a place where achievements are always celebrated, big or small, regardless of department. It makes a huge impact on morale when each employee feels like their contributions are valued by the higher-ups rather than being a faceless cog in the machine.’’
What is your most significant achievement to date – personal or professional?
‘‘I am incredibly proud of what I’ve done with A Place To Hang Your Cape, the comic book review site I launched in 2010. When I started it, it was just me in a coffee shop with a laptop – I didn’t even have Wi-Fi in my flat! Now we have dozens of content creators working across the blog, YouTube channel, podcast, merch store, and mentorship program. It’s led me to opportunities I never would have had otherwise, from leading panels at comic cons to walking the red carpet with A-list celebrities. It’s been quite a ride!’’
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
‘‘More often than not, my toddler – sometimes literally!’’
What did you want to do when you were growing up?
‘‘I wanted to be a screenwriter for a long time. I have both a BA and MA in Screenwriting. Before moving to the UK, I worked for several production companies, including the BBC. Ultimately, I decided to leave the film industry to pursue my love of digital product development.’’
What inspires you about working in hospitality?
‘‘I love the idea of making people’s holidays even more relaxing. Guests deserve to make the most of their stay, and I like that we contribute to that in our own way.’’
What is your favourite hobby?
‘‘I’m an avid comic book fan. Any genre, any publisher, I love it all. It’s also the reason why I created A Place To Hang Your Cape.”
What is your guilty pleasure?
‘‘Podcasts. I am a full-blown addict.’’
What puts a smile on your face/makes you happy?
‘‘I always love seeing a new feature finally get released to the world. It’s a great feeling to see our developers breathe life into something that started as an idea in my head.’’
What do you love about working at IRIS?
‘‘Being able to bring my creativity to projects and experiment on solutions is very important to me. I love that at IRIS, I have the freedom to take risks and guide the product as I see fit. Previously, I’ve had to deal with a lot of internal red tape, so it’s been refreshing to have more direct control.’’
My hotel heroes…
No idea, probably somewhere in Orlando when I was a baby!
First hotel [you visited/stayed at]
Marriott, Springfield Massachusetts
Last hotel
Best hotel
Sofitel Bangkok – I loved the attention to detail in the rooms, which were all themed on the four elements.
