relocation-guide-why-i-left-nyc-for-berlin
Data Science
Jul 14, 2018

Relocation Guide: Why I Left NYC for Berlin

GetYourGuide
Careers Team

Can you please give us a brief summary of what your job entails?

Anna: We lead projects from end to end working in agile and cross-functional mission teams. First, I spot the most promising areas of development based on key business metrics and the current strategy. Then I come up with the whole concept of the project, collect the data, clean the data, analyze it (maybe making use of regression analysis or some other statistical methods), and I finish with a presentation to stakeholders. I derive lots of satisfaction from having such a broad scope of responsibility and being able to put different skills into practice.  

Anna Barnett, Data Analyst
Anna Barnett, Data Analyst

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What does an average day as a Data Analyst look like?

Marco: If I had to break it down, I would say:

  • 50% Data Analysis (data manipulation / exploration / Machine Learning)
  • 30% Data Sharing (dashboards, reports, communications)
  • 20% Meetings (alignment / personal development)

What is the role of a Data Analyst within a mission team?

Dima: The role of the Data Analyst is to enable the mission team to make data-driven decisions. With that said, the exact scope of tasks depends a lot on the specific team's mission (e. g. customer-facing products or backend). Typically, a Data Analyst works closely with the Product Manager to define the right success metrics and provide appropriate reporting. The Data Analyst also assists the larger mission team in preparing and interpreting experiments and builds the link between the mission team and the broader data organization (data engineers, data scientists).

Dima Vecheruk, Data Analyst
Dima Vecheruk, Data Analyst

What, if any, are the principles your mission team lives by?

Dima: Our principles are to iterate fast, learn from experiments, and never lose sight of the customer by using qualitative research and feedback from customer service.

Anna: Similar to Dima, my mission team also places a big emphasis on iterating fast. Our motto is “done is better than perfect”. I like this approach because ultimately it saves us time, so we are able to work on a wider range of topics.    

Marco: The principles of my team are very in-line with GetYourGuide’s core values. We provide clarity through honest feedback and healthy, frank conversations. We show positivity by celebrating success and focusing on solutions. And we demonstrate passion be enjoying the work we get to do together toward a common goal!

Marco Venè, Data Analyst
Marco Venè, Data Analyst

What is the most challenging aspect of your role?

Marco: The most challenging aspect is balancing the amount and depth of data and findings to share with business stakeholders to limit misunderstandings and drive action.    

Anna: I also struggle with the amount and depth of data we have to work with, but for me the challenge comes in the form of prioritization. It’s sometimes tempting to be creative and do things just for the sake of doing them (“let’s do some clustering!”). But, before I jump into bringing those ideas to life, I should always ask myself what value it brings to the business.

Liza: For me the challenge isn’t the amount of data, but rather having to think as a specialist in my field and like a customer: to take an abstract idea or feature we think can improve the customer journey and make it real, quantifiable, and justifiable.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?

Dima: I can directly see how teams implement new ideas based on the AB tests I helped design and evaluate.

Marco: For me the most rewarding aspect is the opportunity to learn the business at a level of depth only analysts can. I also get to solve complex problems through logical thinking and drive the decision-making process.

Liza: I completely agree with Marco. The most rewarding aspect of the role has been the learning opportunities. At GYG, my learning curve has never plateaued!

What advice would you have for someone who would like to work as a Data Analyst at GetYourGuide?

Marco: Build a vast data analytics toolbox focusing on breadth vs. depth. As Data Analysts, the range of projects we face is very large and hence it is very useful to have a mix of technical skills (statistics and machine learning techniques, data manipulation, data engineering, data warehousing, data visualization, reporting etc.) as well as communication and prioritization skills. It is not about being an expert in one field, but being strong in all steps of the data analytics funnel.  

Liza: In addition to the mix of technical and soft skills, you should be very product and customer-minded and know how to use analysis as a tool to improve the product. Given our fast-paced environment, you’ll also have a real chance to drive your own initiatives. Growth, ownership, and responsibility are big parts of being successful at GYG.

Liza Rotgauz, Data Analyst
Liza Rotgauz, Data Analyst

What is your favorite thing about working at GetYourGuide?

Dima: At GetYourGuide, we have great colleagues and atmosphere, but honestly the best thing for me is the tools - all data is instantly available for analysis, and the scalable Spark cluster that we use means I never have to wait too long for my queries to come back.

Anna: I have to agree with Dima, working with the newest technology and having the opportunity to learn those tools from experienced colleagues is pretty great. In addition to Spark we use Scala, Python, and Looker. There’s plenty of nuances which you might not be aware of but there’s surely someone who encountered your problem before. Everyone is very helpful and eager to share knowledge.

Marco: For me, the technology is cool, but I’d have to say the people here. Our diversity, our positive attitude and our shared passion for traveling.

Liza: Agreed! Everyone is proactive and challenges one another. Working with like-minded and open people motivates me to come to work in the morning full of energy.

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