Employee Spotlight: Meet Zeplin’s Data Crew
Life at Zeplin
Recruiting Crew
Apr 2023
As Zeplin continues to grow, so do the outstanding new hires on our crew! In 2022 we formed our first Data and Product Analytics crew, globally dispersed across the U.S., U.K., and Turkey. 🌍
This year’s product goals at Zeplin are fresh and exciting thanks to this amazing new crew. We sat down with Gregory Rader, Manager of Data Analytics, and Stefano Solimito, Manager of Data Engineering, to learn what drives their motivation and excitement for the year to come.
Like all modern SaaS companies, data is foundational to how we evolve our product — but so is privacy and security. We have always been highly user-centric here at Zeplin, and with this growing crew we are not only leveraging this to help build the most impactful solutions in product for our users, but also continue investing in doing it securely and keep ahead of the best practices and industry standards in doing it with the least amount of private information as possible. These teams help us define and realize our vision for trustworthy data across the company.
Greg and Stefano come with a passion for building scalable, secure, data foundations — and with their help we hope to scale the impact data has for our users and do it with best practices and ahead of industry standards across security and privacy.
What led you to join Zeplin?
Gregory: Zeplin was the right combination of factors. The product intrigued me and I was able to immediately identify with it from my experience working with product teams. I like products that solve real problems for their users and Zeplin hit the target.
It was also a great opportunity to build a crew from the ground up and help establish a healthy data-informed culture. I really enjoy going from zero to one, as well as identifying and solving issues that assist businesses in wrangling the chaos at an early stage. The decision was easy after I was able to meet the crew and learn about all the exciting things that are happening here at Zeplin.
Stefano: I was very excited about the product in general because I haven’t worked with a digital product before. Interviewing at Zeplin was a comfortable introduction to the SaaS environment.
I was very interested in joining a company where the data practice is newly built out because the possibilities are endless for what we can build. When I spoke with the crew during my interview process, everyone was positive and authentic about the work they were doing and I knew I wanted to be part of that.
What projects are you most excited to be working on this year?
Gregory: Gaining a better understanding of our users and how they’re using the product. A lot of my attention during my first 6 months was directed toward scaling up the team and identifying the gaps we need to address going forward. In 2023, I’m excited to hit the ground running and really focus on understanding our users, identifying opportunities to improve user experience, and delivering value.
Stefano: In my short time at Zeplin, I’ve been able to immediately see the excitement around setting up the operation of the data crew and how I can be a key player. Not only do I get to manage these tasks moving forward, but seeing the crew deliver more value to the business and help Zeplin be more data-driven makes me excited for what’s to come.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about a career in data?
Gregory: Always ask yourself whether the data makes sense. The people I’ve seen most successful as analysts are not due to their technical skills alone. They are driven to develop a complete picture of what is going on with the business, and they are constantly trying to disprove their own assumptions and explore problems from different angles. Ask yourself: Is this fully answering the question you set out to answer? Are there inconsistencies or loose ends in the data? What if you kept pulling on them?
Stefano: I would advise people to hone in on their problem-solving skills and always keep in mind who will be using the data and what purpose it will serve. Our jobs aren’t just about delivering data, it’s about asking questions and using your soft skills to collaborate well with your crew.
Lightning Questions
Now that we've gotten to know your crew and plans for this year, let’s have some fun!
If you could have an unlimited supply of something, what would it be and why?
Gregory: Summer — In my ideal world, I’d spend half the year in the Southern Hemisphere and never have to deal with a day of winter.
Stefano: Time — With enough time you can do almost anything!
What trend do you hope makes a comeback?
Gregory: Grunge music
Stefano: Bell bottoms
Do you like cilantro?
Gregory: Yes
Stefano: No
A true Zeplin divide!
Meet the Data Crew
In true Zeplin fashion, we had to ask the rest of the Data Crew about cilantro too! 🌿
Do you like cilantro?
Daniele (he/him), Sr. Data Engineer: I don't mind its taste, but only if I'm aware that I'm eating cilantro and not parsley.
Hande (she/her), Data Analyst: I don’t like cilantro.
Mert (he/him), Data Engineer: I'm fine with cilantro, but I hate parsley.
Merve, Data Analyst (she/her): Merve is on maternity leave, so we’re going to guess she LOOOOOVES cilantro.
Onur C. (he/him), Data Analyst: I do not like cilantro at all, and neither should anyone.
Onur T. (he/him), Data Engineer: I guess I wouldn’t say I like it…
Tomas (he/him), Sr. Data Analyst: Yes!
Join the Crew
Are you interested in joining the Zeplin Crew? Check out our open roles, or learn more about what it’s like to work at Zeplin. We are excited to meet you! 👋
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