I’ve been asked many times about what we do at Ataccama and what I enjoy about it. When most people hear the words “data governance” they think it must be super boring — something technical for geeks, an application that has to be ugly as hell because that’s what enterprise software is supposed to look like, right?
But is it really? Let me refute this myth and shine some light on the reality of what building enterprise data governance software can actually be like.
Self-service solution for business users
“You’ll be constantly looking for solutions to make a fairly complex task very straightforward, pushing the boundaries of what users can do in a self-service interface.”
Thanks to rapid innovations in technology, things that were unimaginable even a few years ago are now just a few clicks/taps away. Anything from buying a car online and getting it delivered to your house within days, to having constant access to any song in the world for just a couple of bucks, or even joining a remote yoga session in your living room during lockdown are now a normal part of our lives.
People are so used to this kind of technological progress that makes their lives easier, they expect the same progress and innovation at work. And I completely agree with them. Why should getting access to quality customer data be more complicated than ordering groceries or buying s̶t̶o̶n̶k̶s̶ stocks?
Users need to be able to achieve what they need immediately, without having to reach out to their more technologically advanced colleagues, or learning how to write complex SQL queries. Technology allows us to now pass those dependencies we had on people onto a product, using it to our benefit and allowing users to be more independent.
What does this mean for us at Ataccama? We need to make the things that were once available only to technical users accessible for business users who are much more demanding, and at the same time have less or even no technical knowledge. You’ll be constantly looking for solutions to make a fairly complex task very straightforward, pushing the boundaries of what users can do in a self-service interface.
Customers
Now, this is the part I love the most. We’re not just selling packaged software — we’ve built an incredibly customizable platform that each customer uses differently. The key to success is to work closely with the customers, understand their use cases and motivation, and design a reusable solution that all our customers will benefit from. This means we spend a lot of time with our customers learning about their unique problems and showing them how to use Ataccama ONE to its full potential. We also share our industry know-how and the domain expertise we gained over time, so it’s a close cooperation which leads to a long-lasting relationship.
All of our teammates from PMs to designers and engineers are encouraged to meet customers in-person to see exactly how the product is being used, and what problems the customers are dealing with. We can hop on a plane to Seattle to see what the Data Quality team at T-Mobile US is working on and how Ataccama ONE is helping them achieve it. Or we can head to Amsterdam to meet the Data Integration team at Heineken. Sometimes you don’t even need a plane, like in the case of the Data Governance team at Avast.
No matter where you go I can assure you that you’ll love your time there, you’ll meet amazing people, and learn a lot about how exactly our product can be used when placed in the hands of smart people. Even today, they always find a way to surprise us.
Making an impact
Sure, we all want to work at SpaceX building rockets that will take people to Mars. Or maybe at some major pharma company who’s finding a cure for cancer, or working towards saving the world from global warming. We all want to change the world for the better and work on the next big thing.
“While we’re not finding a cure for cancer at Ataccama, we are literally helping our customers to do so.”
What I’ve learned at Ataccama is that I can do my part to make the world a better place doing what we do here, by helping our customers solve data governance problems. While we’re not finding a cure for cancer at Ataccama, we are literally helping our customers to do so. For example, our customer Daichii Sankyo needs to ensure all the data they submit to the FDA during the approval process is good and they can successfully roll out the drug. Our product is what they rely on to do this.
And this is just one example of so many other amazing things our customers do. We’re helping airlines, banks, telcos, retailers, manufactures, and other major industries reach their goals and do big things. They’re making products all of us use, products that were created while using Ataccama ONE behind the scenes to solve their data problems.
Joining SpaceX or Ocean Cleanup isn’t the only way to make a difference. There are many things happening in the background that you might not notice at first glance, but are equally important. Like data governance.
Want to learn more about how you could help our customers by building the best Data Governance platform? David is hiring!
We’re looking for Software Engineers, Designers, Product Managers, and much more! Take a look at our open positions and see how you can make a difference on our team.
While you’re here, get to know us a little better! Read our next blog Catch Up With Our Head of Product to meet Tomas and get his take on working at Ataccama.