+ Hi, Pablo here +
+ ++
If I started a Data team again
++ When starting a data team at a startup, there are several key considerations that can make or break the + team's success. One crucial aspect is the existing reporting and dashboard setup. If there are any + issues with the current system, it is essential to address them immediately. In my experience, leaving + existing problems unattended can lead to significant headaches down the line. For instance, when I + joined SuperHawk, the company already had a few reports in Power BI, which had been developed by the + development team. However, I was not satisfied with the way these reports were built, as they exhibited + bad patterns, were not scalable, and were too closely tied to the application. Despite my reservations, + I chose to focus on other tasks, leaving the Power BI reports as they were. This decision ultimately + proved to be a mistake, as we continued to build upon the existing system, making it much more + challenging to transition to a new platform later on. + + Another critical factor in the success of a data team is hiring. I joined SuperHawk in November, and it + took approximately seven months to bring our first data analyst on board. Although we had aligned with + the C-level team on the need for additional personnel within the first few weeks, I prioritized other + tasks, such as infrastructure setup, team planning, and getting to know the company. In hindsight, I + realize that I should have focused more on hiring, as having the right people on board would have + significantly improved our efficiency and speed. With the budget and resources available, it would have + been feasible to hire talented individuals earlier, potentially within two or three months. + + Involving people from other teams in the data analysis process is also vital. Our setup is fairly + standard, with the data team owning a data warehouse and providing reports to other departments. + However, there is often a need for additional analysis, which can be time-consuming for the data team. + To mitigate this, I would have benefited from identifying and training "domain analysts" or "satellite + analysts" within other teams. These individuals would have been capable of working with data, providing + insights to their own teams, and potentially even owning certain aspects of data analysis. By empowering + these employees, we could have delivered more value and avoided becoming a bottleneck. + + In retrospect, there are three key things I would have done differently. Firstly, I would have addressed + any issues with the existing reporting and dashboard setup immediately. Secondly, I would have + prioritized hiring and focused on bringing the right people on board as early as possible. Thirdly, I + would have involved people from other teams in the data analysis process earlier, by identifying and + training domain analysts or satellite analysts. +
++ +