With over a decade of experience in the technology industry, Caitlin Lacey is currently responsible for overseeing product marketing at Niantic, where she leads a team dedicated to merging digital experiences with the physical world through app and web-based AR. Her responsibilities include developing GTM strategies, managing marketing budgets, and assisting global marketing and community teams. Being recognized for her work in Women of the Future, Women of Web3 podcast, Voices of VR, AdWeek, The Drum, and AdAge has been a wonderful experience.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Caitlin Lacey:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
A loyal friend, partner, and mom to two amazing daughters, I’m a silly person at my core. While I spend most days with my head in the digital cloud focused on educating industry leaders on technology like AR, I truly find my rhythm mentoring and coaching people around me. I often overextend myself with my passion projects, including advising a small business, being part of my daughter’s elementary school Parent-Teacher Association, and finding ways to be involved in my community’s social activities. I like to think I have a positive impact on those I encounter, and I am most proud of the network of colleagues and friends I have made over the years across incredible companies like Facebook, Twitter, and now Niantic. I still identify with the younger version of myself who tended bars in Seattle and San Francisco and spent days teaching and studying English Literature. My dream is to one day open a bookshop and rescue senior dogs.
Describe your background and what did you do before you joined the Niantic?
Before Niantic, I spent 7 years at Meta, where I led a number of different programs across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. My work spanned go-to-market strategy for never-before-seen products, experiential marketing, and storytelling. I gathered feedback from businesses big and small on our products, shared their perspectives back with leaders, and became a passionate advocate for the future of the internet, leading early strategies for how businesses can enter the next wave of computing (the Metaverse). Prior to those roles, I spent a year at Twitter standing up their Vertical Marketing team and four additional years at Facebook across operations, product, and sales strategy.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
Niantic Labs traces its roots to the company Keyhole, Inc., which was founded by John Hanke in 2001. Keyhole specialized in geospatial data visualization and was responsible for developing a product called “EarthViewer 3D.” This software allowed users to explore a detailed 3D model of the Earth using satellite imagery. In 2004, Keyhole’s EarthViewer 3D caught the attention of Google, which acquired the company.
Under Google, the Keyhole team continued to develop their technology, and in 2005, Google released the acquired technology as “Google Earth.” This software allowed users to virtually navigate the globe using satellite and aerial imagery, and it quickly became popular for its impressive visualization capabilities.
John Hanke, who played a significant role in Keyhole’s success, continued to lead the team within Google. As the team’s focus shifted more toward location-based and augmented reality experiences, the concept of combining real-world locations with gaming eventually led to the creation of Niantic Labs in 2010. It later emerged as an independent entity in 2015.
The company’s early focus on combining gaming with real-world locations led to the creation of Ingress in 2012, a groundbreaking location-based game. However, it was the launch of Pokémon GO in 2016, an augmented reality sensation that allowed players to capture virtual creatures in real-world settings, that truly propelled Niantic into the spotlight.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
Curiosity—about people, things, and processes. I genuinely care about the people I work with, and do my best to get to know them and all of their strengths outside of how we work together. I think that has built trust and credibility across my professional career, and allowed me to meet some truly incredible people. I love to tell stories – to find the “why does this matter?”, and share that with others. I value phrases like, “If you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen” (Conan O’Brien). I love learning about new technologies that can improve systems like education, medicine, and human connection. I value community, especially when it has a creative foundation.
Which are the major services of the company and how does the company get ahead of the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
Niantic serves several different audiences, from consumers to developers to businesses. We have three distinct areas of operations: our Publishing pillar, our Technology pillar, and our business pillar. We build mobile app games with augmented reality components, as well as provide the technology to build those games to developers globally through our Lightship platform and 8th Wall Web-AR platform. In addition, we are building the 3D map of the world, the future of understanding the digital layer of the physical world as spatial computing advances. Beyond that, we recently launched Rewarded AR Ads, offering a new format for media buyers to connect with their customers in places where they spend their time (our games).
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
Our products encourage exploration, exercise, and social in-person interactions in the real world, all of which benefit people’s physical and mental health. In addition to the mission to inspire people to explore the world, together, we have several values that we hold each other accountable to on a daily basis, including my favorites: start with a worthy goal, speak the truth to serve the mission, and see it through. In my team, we work side by side to deliver best-in-class marketing to help educate developers and brands on what’s possible with AR. Along the way, we need goal posts to drive toward, to have hard conversations about what can and will be delivered, and to see every project through, even when it doesn’t always go the way we planned. Being transparent, and leading with genuine empathy and compassion for who everyone is inside and outside of work helps build trust and credibility with my teams and partners.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
We’re a technology company! Innovation is top of mind every day, and we’re always playing with the latest and greatest, learning from our peers in our space, and sharing our own findings with the world.
Give us your opinion on whether organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes.
I think the best corporations allow their employees to deliver processes that lift all ships. The best leaders are the ones that stand out, not for ego or isolated heroics – but for inviting all ideas that lead to people working together to complete a vision.
What are your responsibilities as a senior director of Product Marketing (AR Platforms) at the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
I get to manage an incredible team of marketers—truly exceptional people and spending time with them is my favorite part of every day. I especially love when we have an impromptu creative session, figuring out how we take complex technology and break it down so even my 6-year-old can understand it! I also love when a partner develops a new experience with our tech and shows it off; seeing how your tools can positively impact someone’s life with income, notoriety, and purpose is so rewarding.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Spend time listening. Spend more time listening than talking. Your time to shine and share ideas based on those learnings will come, but for the first little while, just listen. It will help you down the road when you want others to listen to you.
