Data Products

In the midst of exploring diverse career opportunities in the realms of freelancing, e-commerce, marketplace analytics, on-chain analytics and crypto consulting an intriguing prospect came my way. It was an exceptional challenge and a rare opportunity – a chance to be the first data team member of a promising fintech product.

Having spent the past five years as a freelancer, where I had always been part of larger data teams as the 10th, 15th, or 25th member, this new venture fascinated me. It meant departing from my freelancing journey and committing myself to a single company full-time, a decision that carried significant weight.

Initially, I began working part-time for three weeks, allowing me to ease into the role, gather essential context, and set up the foundations. However, I was well aware that a colossal workload awaited me, necessitating a swift transition into a full-time engagement and implementing the famous modern data stack that was essential for moving faster.

During my early conversations with the founders, I made it a priority to deeply understand the business, the product, and the current state of affairs. I delved into their vision of the ideal next states and desired outcomes, absorbing the journey they were embarking on.

The company had successfully traversed the crucial 0-1 stage and discovered product-market fit. Now, we stood at the threshold of scaling from 1 to 10, preparing to expand teams and elevate the organization to new heights. As employee number 33, I joined a team of around 40-50 individuals, and by December ’21, our ranks had swelled to over 100, a testament to our rapid growth and collective ambition.

In this blog series, I will share the captivating tale of building a scalable data stack for startups. From the challenges faced to the strategies employed, this is a comprehensive account of how we transformed from zero to becoming a data powerhouse, poised to propel our company’s success.

Stay tuned for insights, lessons learned, and a roadmap to building an agile and effective data infrastructure that can empower startups on their own path from 1 to 10.