✨ Yannick ✨

Hi Yannick! You were nominated for this Spotlight as “data wizard and in-house comedian”. Can you give us a short intro in who are you and what you do at HelloBetter?

Sure! I’m Yannick, a Senior Data Analyst at HelloBetter. Since this can mean many different things at many different companies, I should probably elaborate a bit! At HelloBetter, we see ourselves as a data-informed company. Being a digital therapeutics company, we also just naturally generate lots of data from different sources like our own platform, the different online marketing campaigns we run, the CRM tool that is used by our Sales team and lots more. So it comes as no surprise that our different teams have lots of different questions about our data, from basic reporting to automation of processes and complex forecasts of future trends. I act as the bridge between these questions and the possibilities within our data. This mostly means first clarifying requests together with the teams to define what’s really needed. Once aligned, I transform our raw data into usable Data products, often working together with our Data Engineer. I also lead our Data Culture initiative, promoting data adoption through knowledge exchanges and training, empowering everyone to explore data independently. In short, Data Analytics at HelloBetter covers a wide range of topics, ensuring there’s always something new to learn! 👩🏻‍💻

How did you join HelloBetter?

I joined in Spring 2022 when the Data team was still pretty new. This was shortly after quitting my previous job for a personal time-out. I did lots of journaling, meditation, and went on some pretty long walks – I really wanted to take the time to get to know myself better and figure out how I want to spend my work week. On the very first day that I started searching for jobs again, I found HelloBetter’s posting for a Data Analyst. It seemed like a perfect fit—my background being in Psychology, I had lots of experience working with data, and the company’s mission really aligned with what I was looking for. The only problem were the technical requirements. I had never even heard about some of the things listed there. I applied anyway and quickly had some great conversations. At the end of the process, the only person I hadn’t met was the Hiring Manager, our CTO Amit, who was out sick. When we finally talked as the final “check”, he asked me all the technical questions I avoided until then – I feel like couldn’t really answer most of them, but I guess he decided to trust his colleagues' judgment and gave me a chance. It seems like that was the right call, as here we are today! (And I did eventually catch up on all the technical stuff.)

As you've become more data-tech-savvy, has your role evolved in other ways since you joined HelloBetter?

When I joined, HelloBetter’s Data team had really just gotten started. So I figured out a lot of groundwork together with a colleague and an external consultant, learned a lot of Data Engineering and set up our tech stack. Our CTO gave us lots of freedom and time to learn, explore, make mistakes and then build things the right way. After the foundation was built and we felt like we (more or less) knew what we were doing, we tackled the most urgent reporting needs team-by-team, defining and documenting as we went. This time was mainly building, building, building. It also meant that I got to learn about the work we do in all the different teams, and the different concepts and tools they use. Interest in data grew exponentially, with teams generating more ideas for cool and insightful projects. Especially the Sales team had a lot of topics, and we embarked on a “Data x Sales” sprint that then turned into a marathon (and ultimately its own Analyst role).

Realising the Data team was becoming a bottleneck, we started our Data Culture initiative about a year into the journey. I gathered Data Champions from each team, conducted training on data concepts and tools, and we brainstormed more ideas. It has been really impressive to see what the teams have come up with over time, what new processes they implemented and how our data culture has organically grown!

Over the last year, we’ve focused on deep-diving into more complex topics, building up things like a company-wide KPI glossary with fully automated reporting. New ideas of course keep coming in—more cross-team collaboration, new products, new markets, new technologies like the rise of LLMs and so on. The Data team has also been growing steadily to meet these demands.

Sounds like a lot is going on in the Data Team! Is there something that you’re particularly proud of?

Honestly, there’s lots of things. I often look at all the projects we’ve worked on in the past 2.5 years and looking back, I can’t really fathom how they all came to be. I absolutely don’t want to attribute this to my own work alone, but I rather think it’s a result of having such an amazing team of talented people who developed their own way of working together. I think we still have lots to learn in the future, and I can’t wait to get started 🚀

If you could switch roles with anyone for a day, who would it be?

100% a Sales Manager! Working in Data, sometimes our patients and prescribers can start to feel like numbers in a graph to me. Luckily I get reminded every day that they are not (for example through our #user_feedback channel). I’d be super interesting in going one step further and really talking to some healthcare providers like doctors to hear how HelloBetter and other DiGAs impact their daily work and their patients, what they like and don’t like and so on.

What’s your favourite aspect of working at HelloBetter?

The people! Literally everyone around me is amazing at what they do, and you can feel that the team really believes in HelloBetter and its mission. There’s usually so much happening in the company that sometimes, it’s hard to keep up with all of it. I feel like I can constantly get to learn from others, both in my own and in other teams. I have a whole folder with screenshots of online meetings from the past 2.5 years – some moments that made me proud, some where I wanted to capture the work of all the amazing and talented people that I get to spend my day with, or some that were just plain funny.

How do you manage your day with so many amazing and talented people around you?

I think everyone who has worked with me will tell you that I’m big note taker, so I keep lists and notes for almost everything. We have regular check-in meetings with the team, so I use those as opportunities to figure out what tasks or tickets I’m working on next, who I need to check in with, what I want to deliver by when and so on.

My day-to-day depends on whether I'm working remotely or from the office (I usually do 2 days each). At home (/ on the train / in my dad’s garden / …), I focus on projects needing uninterrupted focus, using my saved commute time for meditation or yoga. When I’m at the office in Mitte, I try to prioritise socialising, getting a nice lunch and meeting people face-to-face! (Although sometimes I also end up in the corner cursing at my dbt code for 3 hours straight).

I use my calendar to communicate availability, where I’m working from, and when I need focus time. I also schedule social time with colleagues, like an afternoon coffee walk when my concentration is down anyway.

HelloBetter in 3 words? smart, compassionate, purpose-driven

You bring up the team a lot. ❤️

When I started and got to know the first people, I joked that it seems like half the company has a Psychology degree. I’m not sure if that’s true, but it definitely feels that way from how people communicate. I think the company’s mission attracts a certain type of person, and being surrounded by CBT-based courses all day certainly rubs off. While we are all different in lots of ways, everyone here is genuinely nice and easy to talk to. People speak considerately, are open to new ideas, and value feedback and criticism. When conflicts come up, we don’t just bury them but work them out constructively. I can’t imagine anyone intentionally speaking badly about someone else.

When I look at other companies, I’m often not a fan of the superimposed “we’re all a family” vibe that they’re trying to create. However, when I look at HelloBetter and all the social activities going on, I feel like lots of colleagues have just genuinely become friends because they really like to hang out with each other. I love seeing that because I think it’s so important to be intentional about who you spend most of your week with! And last but not least, people can take a joke and don’t take themselves too seriously. That’s crucial for me, as I’m known for joking about serious things and making ironic comments all the time. ✌🏻

All-Hands meetings are much funnier with your comments, I think everyone at HelloBetter agrees on that. Have you ever had a moment where you thought, 'Uh-oh, I may have gone too far'?

In general, I think that professionalism at work can definitely go together with making jokes. It’s all a matter of context and an understanding of mutual respect and consideration. Of course there are lots of jokes that shouldn’t have a place anywhere in society, and I think anything that is funny at someone else’s expense is not OK. But other than that, if we are all on board with how we communicate with each other, then why not have a bit of fun from time to time? That being said, have I ever made a joke and then thought “Oof, that may have been a bit much to blurt out into a round of 80 people?” – Definitely! (Any further details are available through my lawyer.)

What is your favourite Slack channel?

I’ve been told I’m known for my lightning-quick meme reactions, so I can’t really say anything but #hello_memes. 🚴🏼‍♀️ I also feel like everyone has started dividing their work days at the office into before, during and after getting a Banh Mi, so #hello_lunchbreak plays a pretty integral part of my Slack experience as well.

But jokes and social channels aside, I think I prefer all the different #data channels we have, and especially #data_snacks. This is where anyone can share short “insight snacks” that they found in our data, which often leads to interesting follow-up conversations. 🍪

What do you think HelloBetter can still learn and improve on?

I think that with HelloBetter’s unique journey from academic research to start-up learning from pharma, it’s sometimes hard to know where to position ourselves and who to compare to. For instance, compared to a traditional pharma and healthtech company, our data insights and processes may seem pioneering, but against a hyper-growth AI start-up, they might appear outdated. Add in German healthcare regulations, and then try explaining all of that to a potential investor … you get what I mean. This sometimes makes it hard to know how well we’re doing, and I think it sometimes keeps us from celebrating all the victories we’ve already had. We’re doing well in navigating this, but there’s still a long way to go!

What would you tell someone considering a career in your team?

As HelloBetter evolves, so do the ideas and concepts that we work with. Usually, there are at least 3 different ways to do something, and 7 more that we have not even thought of yet. We often see applicants with impressive technical skills, which is great! But what’s more important to me is the ability to break down a question, understand what we’re trying to achieve, figure out what “done” means and the best way to get there. You then need to identify what you can handle yourself, where you need help and who you have to ask how to get that help most effectively. I think this is also nicely reflected in the 4 competencies we look to develop in Data Analytics at HelloBetter: Technical Skills, Domain Knowledge, Communication and Problem Solving. (Along with the 5 general competencies at HelloBetter: Driving Results, Ownership, Collaboration, Adaptability and Integrity.)

What’s something that you just can’t do without?

Good food and good music! I think I’m known to have too many hobbies that I care about deeply, which is why unfortunately don’t join the many HelloBetter social events nearly as often as I would like. But if there’s one thing I can always squeeze into my schedule, it’s putting on a banger set and getting in the kitchen to whip up a meal!

Our current office kitchen unfortunately doesn’t really have the space for it, but I would really love to host a HelloBetter lunch club, where we take an extended lunch break and rotate cooking a small meal (or just making a massive salad) every few weeks. Spoiler: I make some pretty banging hummus variations 🥗 And would love to see what others bring to the table!

(… come to think of it: There’s already a group working on the future of our office and how we want to use it, I might just pitch the idea to them!)

Your hummus and cinnamon knots from Kaja, I’m totally in! Last question: who should I interview next?

Hard to pick, but I’d say Tanja or Jade! They both just seem so naturally good at what they do in the Product team that I can’t imagine HelloBetter without them.

Thank you, Yannick!

I think Yannick has covered a lot of how our Data Analytics team functions. If their work resonates with you, take a look at our open positions!

Open Positions Engineering

• Senior Backend Developer (m/f/x) - Node.js