ESG Data Feed
Data feed of environmental, social, and governance data collected by Glass Lewis for investors.
Summary
Shortly after designing the new Glass Lewis ESG (environmental, social, governance) Profile Page, it became apparent that a market existed for the data underlying that profile page. As an MVP we offered a flat file extract to certain key clients, which I was able to procure from our databases using SQL. Today's clients include BlackRock among several other major financial institutions.
Project Date
Started: Aug 2021
Launch: May 2022
Customer/User
Institutional Investors (Stewardship Teams)
Problems to Solve / Jobs to be Done
As a portfolio manager at an insitutional investment firm I want as much data as possible regarding a company's environmental, social, and governance practices so that I can make trading decisions that provide the greatest returns.
Link to Product Web Page
Product Discovery
Discovery Summary
The bulk of the discovery and delivery of this product was completed through my work on the Glass Lewis ESG Profile Page. The potentiality for this product was unlocked through the new ESG data collection that was introduced through the launch of the ESG Profile Page.
Immediately following the launch of the ESG Profile Page I conducted several client feedback sessions to solicit feedback and identify any issues or potential improvements for the product. It quickly became clear that the addition of the ESG Profile Page to our core research product, Proxy Paper, was indeed valuable for making proxy voting decisions, but that clients had other use-cases that would similarly benefit from access to this data set outsideof the Proxy Paper. I spent time gathering details from clients regarding their underlying use-cases for this data, and thus the most efficient and beneficial ways for them to consume and access this data.
I brought an engineering lead into these discussions once it became clear that we were starting to hone in on potential solutions. I then coordinated some internal discussions around a potential MVP that would be valuable to clients, feasible to build, and potentially shippable within the necessary timeframe. After considering the trade-offs and value of some of the long-term and short-term solutions, I decided the best starting point would be a low-cost, manual data delivery solution that would test the demand for the data product.
Discovery Gallery
Product Delivery & Success
Delivery Summary
With the customer needs and value props clearly identified, and after discussions with our development team, I started the development effort of our MVP solution; a monthly .CSV flat file delivery that would be generated from a custom report, paired with manual SFTP file drops.
I built and tested a new SQL query that would allow our client services team to input the desired date range as a variable to produce a .CSV file containing all data points from the ESG Profile Page. I fully documented the process for the client services team including the necessary steps for onboarding new clients, and for ongoing product delivery to those subscribing clients.
While developing the necessary SQL, SFTP connections, and documentation, I also worked with our legal and research teams to ensure that all necessary legal considerations, disclaimers, and new contracts would be ready for the launch of this data feed.
The most labor-intensive portion of this product was surprisingly not the technical solution, but rather the documentation of a data dictionary for all data points, including the format, potential values, collection start date, scope of coverage, file format, syntax, etc. I also shared this documentation with existing clients to gather feedback on its usability and value before finalizing.
Once I had an accurate idea of the estimated completion date of all documentation and development, I worked with our marketing, sales, legal, and research teams to plan and conduct the formal launch of the product.
Delivery Gallery
Measurement & Success
Acquired several key clients in Y1
New revenue exceeding $200k in Y1
Strong profit margin due to low-cost technological solution