Growth at Every Stage of Her Product Delivery Journey

When Michelle joined DraftKings seven years ago, she wasn’t stepping into the business it is today, she was jumping into a tech company that was about to take off. 

“I came from a huge corporation where established processes were in place,” Michelle shared on a recent episode of the DraftKings Life Podcast. “Coming to DraftKings and just playing multiple roles was a huge shift for me—but it was so exciting.”

Michelle, now a Senior Manager on the Program Delivery team, has been part of DraftKings’ transformation from a startup to a global leader in sports entertainment. She’s one of a few teammates who has helped build our Engineering team from the beginning.   

From Product Owner to People Leader

Michelle’s interest in leadership sparked naturally as she started to see her impact on the team. “I told my manager I thought I wanted to get into management,” she said. “I didn’t have a lot of experience coaching people, but he said, ‘Let’s give it a try.’ He gave me folks to mentor, let me shadow hiring processes, and that’s how I got into it.”

Today, she’s managing a large team and has helped hire more than 20 people.

Delivering What’s Next

Michelle’s team drives some of the most complex, cross-functional initiatives across the company. “We deliver projects—whether it's a new vertical, product, or feature—on time and at the highest quality,” she explained. “We’re in the day-to-day with engineering, unblocking obstacles and keeping everything on track.”

The projects that stand out the most? Big launches and integrations.

Michelle says the Golden Nugget acquisition is one that’s been memorable. In 2022, DraftKings acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming Inc., adding a well-known casino brand and a database of more than 5 million customers to our product lineup and platform. “We learned how to integrate players from an existing platform into DraftKings,” she said. “That was a huge turning point.”

Why She Stays

So, what keeps Michelle here after all these years?

“The people,” she said without hesitation. “Folks at DraftKings are really good at what they do, and they’re passionate about it. There’s a real sense of team—we jump on a problem and work it out together.”

She also values how much she is still learning every day. “Whether it’s from colleagues or from the new technologies—we’re always pushing to get better.”

Advice for Candidates

If you’re interviewing at DraftKings, Michelle has some advice:

• Be authentic
• Ask a lot of questions
• Show curiosity

She values leadership and drive—traits necessary for cross-functional work—and is impressed with candidates who want to learn more than just their job.

“Interview us as much as we’re interviewing you,” she added. “Ask what our team is like, how we work, and how you can make an impact.”

As our Engineering and Product teams grow, Michelle’s team will grow with them. The work itself is only getting more innovative. Ready to own what’s next? Explore open roles on the DraftKings Careers Page.