a 2 i m

Featured Executive: Evan James Martin, Operations Engineering Team Lead at Beatdapp

Beatdapp logo, purple, pink, white

What do you do at Beatdapp?
I lead the Ops Engineering team at Beatdapp. Or, in buzzword terms, we’re the DevSecOps team. Our primary responsibilities include ensuring the continuous operation and security of our systems, automating processes, and providing daily support to our Data Engineering and Data Science teams.

How do you hold yourself accountable?
I ensure my goals are specific and measurable, and I make it a point to be vocal about my shortcomings. This means there’s nowhere to hide if I don’t reach my goals! That gives me the extra push to stay true to my word.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in this role since you started?
I’ve had to wear many hats at Beatdapp, and sometimes motivation doesn’t come naturally. In those cases, I break down my goals into smaller tasks, each with a checkbox. Completing a few small items in quick succession—and the satisfying feeling of physically checking them off—helps me regain momentum.

What life experiences have shaped your career?
Attending a startup accelerator with Beatdapp in San Francisco for a summer was a transformative experience. Being among thirty other startups in the program, witnessing their hustle, and immersing myself in the entrepreneurial spirit of the city greatly influenced my career.

What is the proudest moment in your career so far? 
My proudest moment has been growing Beatdapp. We’ve hired an incredibly diverse and talented team, and it’s gratifying to see friendships form as new team members join.

What is your connection to the music industry? 
My connection to the music industry is straightforward—I’ve held the title of top listener on Spotify Wrapped within our company for several years. However, with our expanding team, maintaining that title has become quite the endeavor.

What advice would you give to aspiring industry professionals?
Never let past failures deter you from pursuing a career path. Everyone learns at different rates. Stick with it!

Keep up with Beatdapp!

About A2IM:
A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of more than 700 Independently-owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of America’s creative class that represents America’s diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine identified the Independent music label sector as 37.32 percent of the music industry’s U.S. recorded music sales market in 2016 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry sector.

Learn more about A2IM here.
For information about how to join our community, see here.