Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Building a world-class data org | Jessica Lachs (VP of Analytics and Data Science at DoorDash)

Jul 14, 2024

Jessica Lachs, VP of Analytics and Data Science at DoorDash, has been pivotal in creating a leading data organization. She discusses how to effectively structure analytics teams to drive business impact, arguing for a centralized model. Lachs highlights the importance of collaboration between central and embedded teams, the necessity of clear metrics for decision-making, and fostering a culture of ownership. She also shares insights on integrating AI to enhance productivity and emphasizes the value of empathy in a data-driven culture.

01:19:55

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Jessica Lachs

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Quick takeaways

Focus on short-term metrics driving long-term outcomes for business impact.

Establish centralized data teams for effective decision-making and scalability of solutions.

Encourage extreme ownership and proactive problem-solving to foster innovation and holistic understanding in the team.

Deep dives

Picking Effective Metrics for Business Impact

To drive business impact effectively, finding short-term metrics that lead to long-term outcomes is crucial. Retention, though a common metric, can be challenging to influence in the short term. Choosing measurable short-term inputs that drive long-term results through experimentation is key. Keeping metrics simple and ensuring they are easily understood across the company helps in driving tangible outcomes.

Finding Short-Term Metrics for Long-Term Output

00:40

Two Important Things for Structuring Data Teams

01:37

Communicate Trade-offs and Reevaluate Prioritization

01:25

Have a set of Simple Metrics and Prioritize Impactful Ones for Growth

01:25

Intro

2min

Building Effective Data Teams in Complex Environments

5min

Collaborative Analytics: Bridging Teams for Success

22min

From Art to Analytics: A DoorDash Journey

9min

Cultivating Empathy and Ownership in a Data-Driven Culture

4min

Experimenting with Metrics for Effective Decision-Making

20min

AI Empowerment at DoorDash

9min

The Power of Sleep and Effective Skincare

2min

Empowering Influences and Career Milestones

5min

10.

Engaging with Insights and the Importance of Truth

2min

Jessica Lachs is the global head of analytics and data science at DoorDash, where she’s built one of the largest and most respected data organizations in tech. In her more than 10 years at DoorDash, she has served as the first general manager, responsible for launching new markets; the head of business ops and analytics; and the VP of analytics and data science. Previously, Jessica founded GiftSimple, a social gifting startup, and started her career at Lehman Brothers as an investment banking analyst. In our conversation, she shares:

• How to structure and scale a high-impact analytics organization

• Centralized vs. decentralized data teams

• How to pick the right metric and aligning incentives

• Advice for data people on how and when to push back

• Lessons learned from building a global data team

• How to foster a culture of extreme ownership

• The role of AI in improving analytics team productivity

• Advice for aspiring data leaders without formal training

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