Sama MushtaqProgram Manager
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RYGNecoAugust 2024 to present

Defined the operating model for an e-waste platform.

A field pilot exposed the real problem: the work crossed physical custody, device testing, data destruction, disposition, pricing, and client reporting, but no single system connected those steps.

Role
Co-Founder and Program Lead
Team
Co-founder, development vendor, two interns, and AWS adviser
Investment
Approximately $11,500 for the MVP
Scope
Field workflow, product requirements, vendor delivery, and reporting

The problem

An enterprise client could ask months later what arrived, which devices were tested, how data was handled, what value was recovered, and where each asset went. The pilot relied on separate records and people to answer those questions. Missing handoffs would create operating errors and weaken the client report.

My responsibility

I owned the operating-model and program direction. I used the pilot to identify requirements, decided what belonged in the first product release, aligned the contributors, and reviewed vendor work against the field workflow. External developers implemented the interface and software.

What I did

  • Mapped the asset lifecycle from pickup request through intake, testing, grading, disposition, and client reporting.
  • Defined four portal experiences for clients, operations, resellers, and administrators.
  • Converted field exceptions into functional requirements, milestone decisions, and acceptance criteria.
  • Built a cost model with more than 40 variables covering yield, cycle time, labor, materials, resale economics, and disposition tradeoffs.
  • Set review points for a co-founder, vendor, interns, and technical adviser so product decisions stayed connected to operating evidence.

Three decisions that shaped the program

Start with the physical handoffs

The field workflow became the source of truth. The platform followed how assets actually moved instead of forcing an abstract software process onto the warehouse.

Keep the first release narrow

Inventory, custody, disposition, data-destruction records, pricing inputs, and reporting came before marketplace and engagement features.

Separate operating facts from marketing claims

Reporting used traceable asset and disposition data. Unsupported certification, carbon, and impact claims were kept out.

Result

The pilot processed more than 400 devices, catalogued approximately 480, tested and verified 130, and recorded zero OSHA recordables. The work produced a four-portal product direction with clear roles, workflows, evidence requirements, and vendor acceptance standards.

More than 400
Devices processed
Approximately 480
Devices catalogued
130
Devices tested and verified
4
Portal experiences defined

Evidence and limits

RYGNeco administrator dashboard prototype using sample data
Vendor-built dashboard prototype using fictional sample data. I led operating discovery, workflow requirements, stakeholder roles, acceptance criteria, and delivery coordination.

Client records, device identifiers, vendor records, and unverified environmental figures are confidential and are not shown.