More signal, less noise: Leon Tranter on successful delivery management and the power of knowing your customer

Leon recently took to the stage at the ‘Signal Not Noise’ conference in Sydney, a cross-disciplinary tech and product conference focusing on real-world practitioner insights. Leon’s presentation, ‘Who is your customer really?’, tackles a challenge that many software development teams encounter: correctly identifying who they are building for. 

A 20-year journey from banking to broadcasting

After building a rock-solid foundation in financial services and honing his expertise as an agile coach, Leon made the leap to Stan. His trajectory at Nine quickly gained momentum, expanding his delivery scope across Stan and recently adding 9Now to his portfolio. Swapping banking algorithms for prime-time broadcasting, unlocked a dynamic, fast-paced world where every project his teams deliver directly shapes the entertainment experience for millions of Australians every single day. 

The day-to-day reality of delivery management

For those unfamiliar with delivery management, Leon describes the role as the engine room that keeps complex, cross-functional product and technology teams running smoothly.

“I work with some amazing people in Product and Tech across Streaming. I look after a large team of developers, testers and product managers, and we are continually building new features into the Stan and 9Now platforms. My job is to make sure our teams are focused and effective in delivering the highest quality and priority items.”

In a world where digital platforms operate around the clock, a typical day is both structured and highly collaborative. Leon spends his time reviewing inflight work, identifying risks and removing blockers, all while engaging in meetings with other teams and stakeholders to identify and understand upcoming technical priorities.

Who is your customer really? Distinguishing customers from consumers

The inspiration behind Leon’s presentation stems from years of observing tech teams fall into the trap of misaligned priorities. In a fast-moving market where new competitors can launch in weeks, knowing exactly who you are building for is critical to success.

“It’s a topic that’s been buzzing around in my head for a few years, but really crystallised recently. Correctly identifying and prioritising your customer is enormously important. Businesses that don’t prioritise their real customers will get left behind.”

A common pitfall for product and engineering teams is confusing internal stakeholders with real end users.

“There is a weird cultural phenomenon known as the internal customer, where teams focus solely on pleasing the stakeholder paying for the build. They are an important stakeholder, but any solution you build won’t add value if it doesn’t help your real customers, and especially the consumers actually using the software.”

Leon highlights a crucial distinction: the customer pays for the product in market, while the consumer actually uses it. “Sometimes they’re the same person, sometimes not. For example, parents buy a Stan subscription so their kids can watch Paw Patrol. Businesses get into trouble when they miss this distinction.”

At Nine, this user-centric philosophy directly shapes how streaming platforms are built. For Leon, hitting project milestones means nothing if the end product fails the audience.

“When we’re building things, we prioritise the customer and consumer experience over just ticking boxes. Delivering a project on time and budget that delivers a bad customer experience isn’t helping anyone.”

An engineering culture built on collaboration and voice

 According to Leon, what truly sets Nine apart for technology professionals, is its distinctive and empowering workplace environment. In a massive media and technology company, maintaining a culture where technical teams feel genuine ownership over their work is essential.

“There is definitely an engineering culture here, which is very important. Engineers are not just order takers or cogs in a machine, but have a powerful voice in directing how we work, the sorts of teams we build and our approach to technology.”

This empowerment is paired with a streamlined, collaborative approach to problem-solving. “There is also a great hands-on culture. There are hardly any architects or business analysts acting as intermediaries. Product people work super closely with technology and engineering to get the right things built the right way.”

An ecosystem that supports growth

Leon’s stepping onto the conference stage reflects Nine’s deep commitment to supporting internal career progression and investing in professional development.

“Nine have immensely supported my career. I received approval and funding to get my Project Management Professional certification, which gave me useful knowledge and increased my confidence to speak at events like this.”

For those eager to build their professional profile, Leon’s advice is straightforward: ask for what you need and put yourself forward.

“I recommend talking to your manager about what learning opportunities are available and relevant to you. Also don’t be afraid to apply to talk at conferences. Everyone has something unique to share, and smaller conferences are often looking for speakers.”

For delivery managers, product leaders and engineers considering their next career move, Leon believes there has never been a better time to join Nine. As digital streaming and technical innovation continue to shape the future of Australian media, tech professionals at Nine have a genuine seat at the table to build platforms that entertain millions every day.

“Nine are doing a lot of great things in the product and tech space and are clear leaders in this market. There’s a lot going on, and our product and tech teams are highly respected voices here.”