At Upside, business development isn’t just about making sales, it’s about uncovering the unique challenges each customer faces and collaborating cross-functionally to solve them. For Dave Jurich, a Senior Strategic Account Manager with three years at Upside under his belt, that’s what makes the job so rewarding. 

Q: When you joined Upside three and a half years ago, what excited you about the company and the role?

Dave Jurich: What really attracted me to Upside was the clear transparency, starting with the interview process, around what the company is trying to achieve and the mission that drives us forward. It’s rare to be able to work on a product that delivers value to all parties: the consumer, the retailer, and Upside as a company. 

That internal and external transparency combined with our business model makes Upside an attractive place to grow and build. 

Q: Let’s talk about your career progression. How did you get into business development?

Dave: Originally, I was on track to head into the field of sports marketing, but with the economic downturn in 2008-2009, I was advised by a mentor to pivot into business development. From there, I joined a healthcare startup directly after graduation, where I was responsible for not only business development, but account management, recruitment, and overall P&L, which led me to opening up a new office within my first year. 

After that, I was able to migrate into tech sales as I moved from Los Angeles to NYC, learning the industry through IT Tech Recruitment, then I joined Indeed, which allowed me to greatly enhance my ability to serve as a partner to clients — not just sales.

Fun fact: I actually interviewed originally to be in account management at Indeed as I thought sales wasn’t for me, only to be told at the end of the process that I wasn’t initially hired because they thought I was too sales focused! I was able to take that feedback and immediately interview for a sales position the next week. 

Q: What’s the most important skill for success in your role?

Dave: Listening. The key to business development is being able to understand that every business faces its own unique challenges, and that you need to know exactly how the product can solve the pain they are feeling. 

It can be so easy to just do the same pitch every time, but through asking questions and listening, you can really tailor your product’s expertise to solve the exact problem they are facing. That not only accelerates your deal cycle, but also builds faster advocacy and relationships with your clients. 

Q: What makes you unique as a team member?

Dave: Business development is not just about sales, it’s about providing solutions. Here at Upside, I’ve had the privilege of learning directly from our customers about what they want, and then working across multiple departments internally to ensure we can provide that solution. 

Through this, I’ve partnered with Merchant Analytics, Product, Finance, Legal, Marketing, and more, in building out a solution-based sale for our client. They benefit and build trust with us, and we continue to grow our business daily. 

Q: What are your interests outside of the office?

Dave: Food and travel. Living in NYC, my wife and I have tried to make a point not to “repeat” at restaurants in an effort to try all sorts of cuisine and the different takes you can get from different regions. 

With that, and being in a travel hub, we’ve made a point of making travel a big part of our lives, heading to Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia over the past few years to experience new culture and cuisine.

I’m also a sports fan: Growing up I was so obsessed with sports, I convinced my parents that letting me watch at a young age was actually teaching me how to do math. Born in Chicago, I grew up in the Jordan era and am an avid Cubs and Blackhawks fan. 

But my real love was soccer — both playing and watching. With sports marketing in college, I thought (and still believe) soccer was the final frontier from a live TV perspective for America to really get into, which has come to fruition over the past years with the huge influence of the Premier League, World Cup, and Champions League. 

Proud to say I've been an Arsenal FC fan for the past 20 years and am eagerly awaiting our rise back to the top of the league in 2026. 

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