Meet Daniela Velasco, Lead Data Analyst at Reelgood

Reelgood is cutting edge in a very complicated space – metadata and streaming – and we attribute our success to our top-notch data team. 

We recently chatted with Daniela Velasco, Reelgood’s Lead Data Analyst, to find out how data drives everything we do, how her passion for data-driven solutions keeps Reelgood on the cutting edge, and what you’ll find her streaming when she’s not leading our data team.

Dani, when did you join the Reelgood team?

I joined the Reelgood team in March 2020 as a Marketing Data Analyst responsible for our PR efforts around data, just as the Covid-19 pandemic took off and exactly the same week that quarantine started in Ecuador. I’m now our Lead Data Analyst. 

What can you tell us about your role as Lead Data Analyst at Reelgood?

As Lead Data Analyst I manage the Data Analysis team and work with every team at Reelgood to support their data needs. 

For the Commercial team, my team delivers data exports and creates and maintains our Insights products. We’re also responsible for marketplace reporting and technical customer support.

For the Marketing team, we pull weekly top lists and deliver interesting data around current trends for PR purposes. Finally, for the Product team, we spec, test, and analyze all telemetry data.

What are some challenges that you face as our Lead Data Analyst and how do you solve them?

On the technical side, the data team always faces challenges when we do a new analysis and have to figure out how to answer a certain question. When faced with technical challenges, we work as a team and brainstorm solutions to determine the best way to solve a problem. We also do a peer code review to ensure the quality of our work. 

On the managing side, one of the main challenges is attending to and prioritizing all of the requests that we get from the different teams while also working on other projects that might not be urgent but provide important insights for the product and business. The way we tackle this challenge is by establishing our objectives – on an individual and team level – every quarter so we know what to focus on and what brings the most value.

Dani, you have a super impressive background – a double major in Mathematics and French from Bates College, a Master’s Degree in Statistics from Yale, and during the pandemic, you received your MBA from Quantic School for Business and Technology. 

Can you tell us about how your background helped your career trajectory? 

After graduating from Bates College, I worked in performance marketing and that’s when I discovered that I had a passion for applying data-driven solutions to business problems. With that in mind, I pursued a Master’s degree in Statistics at Yale. The new degree allowed me to get into data roles in tech companies and that’s how I ended up at Reelgood. I decided to pursue my MBA with the goal to acquire a higher level of knowledge of business including finance, accounting, and operations. My MBA helped me understand the funding side for Reelgood which I had no previous knowledge of. It’s exposed me to leadership theories that I currently apply as a manager.

Data is a huge part of Reelgood’s B2B product. How does your role play a part in it?

Data is the backbone of Reelgood’s B2C and B2B products. As opposed to Meta, for example, where content is generated by users, Reelgood’s content –  metadata and availability data – is built by the data team. 

At Reelgood, the Data Analysis team plays two key parts in our B2B product. First, we manage the editorial team in charge of identifying and correcting data quality issues. Then, we pull, package, and deliver streaming data – metadata and availability –  to our clients.

Reelgood is known for being nimble, quick, and innovative in the metadata and streaming space. Can you share your thoughts on why this is and how you contribute to Reelgood’s continued success?

I think our edge is data quality. From data ingestion to data analysis, we focus on quality and on building processes that are sustainable.

When it comes to tech talent, Reelgood is a cut above the rest – why do you think that’s the case?

Expectations at Reelgood are high. Talent is expected to produce and build valuable products on a constant basis. I believe this mindset of setting the bar high pushes talent to do their best. In my particular case, I also attribute good performance to the data team leadership.

What do you like best about working for Reelgood?

I love the ownership and flexibility that Reelgood offers.

What inspires you in your personal life? In your professional life?

In my personal life, I am inspired by nature and travel. In my professional life, I am inspired by working alongside very smart people and by the constant learning provided by interesting data challenges.

Finally, what are some movies or series that you have recently enjoyed streaming?

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