Data Driven Top100 Experience Reviews

Dina Simkina, Director of Analytics @ Avito

Data driven Top100 is without exaggeration the best event in the last few years. Interesting, inspired people, great non-formal program and, what’s most important, no reports at all. The format is very successful, everyone joins in the discussion, which is definitely helpful and creates a special warm environment. For me, the main indicator was that I caught myself thinking that I was ready to come here again and pay my own expenses. I hope this wonderful endeavort lives for a long time, I will definitely come again. Many thanks to the organizers.

Dina

Vitaly Cheremisinov, EXPF co-founder

The atmosphere.
It is very valuable to have an opportunity to be able to talk openly about hiring issues, processes and culture. The event itself is open to dialogue and creates a very productive environment. The participants work in different industries, companies of various sizes and with different processes - but regardless, you find like-minded people or those who look at things that are familiar to you quite differently - and this is very useful.

Informal activities.
The most valuable thing for me was the opportunity to communicate outside the official part. The density of useful networking is simply off the scale and allows you to take a fresh look at your work activities and the analytics market as a whole.

Away from home.
An event not in Moscow provides an opportunity to escape from the routine and be fully immersed . It would be cool to change the location from year to year.

Level of organization.
I am sure that something could go wrong in the process. Organizing such events takes a lot of work. But on participant's side, everything ran like a clock. Just one of those times when you feel care and attention in every detail from the organizers.

Vitaly

Alexander Anikin, CEO @ Yandex.Taxi (ex Head of Marketplace Efficiency)

The event brought back the faith that professional conferences can be useful. The participants own the material, no one is trying to sell something to you anything or just show off. The format of a live low-key discussion advantageously differs from the dull classic “speaker-slides-listeners”.

Sasha

Slava Busarov, Head of analytics @ Manychat

Without a doubt, the best professional event I've been to. A well-chosen team of participants in a good atmosphere - open and meaningful communication.

I am sure that the relations that started there will last for a long time, will help us and the community as a whole to develop.

You achieved something that even large ecosystems like Yandex and Sber can’t do.

And just everything is fun, a sincere pleasure, a boost of energy even with a minimum of sleep :)

Slava

Igor Yashkov, Head of Yandex Media Services Analytics

Zhenya and Nastya have gathered an awesome community of analytics managers - you can sit down with each person and discuss their experience endlessly, and the topics will never run dry.

The concentration of such people in one place is actually insanely inspiring and gives a lot of food for thought, which projects to start and where to develop your department. Both the event itself and all the informal activities were organized perfectly, and complemented each other perfectly.

Summertime in the Polyana Mountains is really something amazing.

In short, 11 sigmas out of 10. If you are invited, it’s an immediate yes!

Igor

Alexander Filatov, Senior Director (Data Science) @ Visa

I was skeptical at first that it is possible to make a useful meeting, I treated it more like a vacation and (probably) a useful network, like at any conference. As a result, it exceeded my expectations by 1460%. I was very pleased and have nothing to complain about.

Most of all, I liked, of course, communication at non-programmed dinners, hookah bars, swimming pool and sauna. So informal activities help, and are needed. I would havemore of those. For example, to start acquaintance with hiking for 4-5 hours, where you will have time to talk to new faces.

A lot of new thoughts about the current work, ‘‘Notes’’ is blowing up the number of notes. I continue to put them in order :)

The atmosphere is a top one, far from home is also at the top. The ticket price is a top (by the way, it is necessary to issue documents for a refund), backpacks are thumbs up.

Sasha

Fedor Lavrentiev, Head of Data Infrastructure @ Yandex.Go

For me, this is the most useful conference during recent years.

Fedya

Maxim Godzi, CEO & Founder @ Retentioneering

I’m writing chaotically, and extremely heavy workload, is right on top of it all, I am sure that in case of publication, the text needs a certain editing. But it comes from all my heart ;)

There were no big doubts before the conference. First of all, because of the great built trust towards the organizers, it was clear that the best of the best would gather, and this, under any circumstances and with any conference program, would give an opportunity to learn a lot of new things and get answers to questions of interest, at least just by talking with other participants of the conference. It is almost impossible to meet each one individually, since we all have a heavy workload. In fact, the program turned out that part of the questions of interest were clearly asked from the stage, and the participants honestly shared what’s going on in their kitchen and also important ideas. It turns out that participation in the conference from the point of view of game theory is a strictly dominant strategy - even competitors came and jointly searched for answers to difficult questions arising in practice. For analytics, this approach is very adequate, since you have to take a look at your projects from multiple viewpoints and angles, share information and methods, implement insights faster and take the next step.

I can say that as a result of the conference, expectations were fully met, there are no regrets about the time, money and efforts to reorganize work processes and things to do for the sake of focused participation at the conference. In fact, the conference even exceeded expectations. The only point is that it seems that it turned out not a typical conference format with glossy panel presentations, but something more privateand custom-made, with a special atmosphere and an open discussion of the insides of the participants' kitchenwithout gloss, so I would not compare this conference with others, but perceived it as a separate isolated case that deserves special criteria of usefulness.

I have a lot of valuable contacts, a lot of thoughts, a lot of notes, a lot of materials and a lot of impressions. The venue was especially well chosen - coffee breaks with beautiful views of the mountains , a very comfortable hotel, relaxed and at the same time expert management of the conference by the organizers created together a fairly relaxed and focused atmosphere, allowing you to somehow escape from the corporate routine and the rhythm of the big city. In such conditions, it is easier to reflect on important topics and share something meaningful, and not just solve marketing tasks, as usually happens at conferences.

The ticket price is fair, but I would remove some expensive activities like the regatta, and replace them with an additional day with the content. Especially after the intense format of the conference, one more day in the same mode was not enough, without an early rise with check out and a trip for the sake of several hours of activity in teams of three or four people. This did not spoil this conference in any way, on the contrary, it was very new and vivid impressions, but in terms of repetition, I would definitely not repeat this part in the same format, but would add content.

The lecture about DWH was especially cool, where there were a lot of prepared materials and even examples of scripts, that's really a full immersion in important details. Such training was not enough for the section about hiring. I really enjoyed Sasha Anikin's frank story about Saturday rest on the couch - this is exactly what you won’t hear anywhere else and this is a very supportive confession, more respect for the stage on which this can be said.

This conference will definitely lose its charm if the number of participants exceeds 100 or suddenly becomes more systematically and rigidly organized.

As often happens when you are loaded over the head with work, I went with mixed feelings, as I had to free up time and clear the schedule, rebuild some familiar processes in order to take the time for the conference. Considering all of the above and taking into account the ticket price, which, being one of the owners of the company, I paid out of my own pocket, I went with the attitude - "this conference needs to try to meet my expectations!". I was sure that it was necessary to go, but the mood was exactly like that. So the conference managed to exceed these expectations on a large scale, I am 200% satisfied and I will really hope that circumstances will allow me to become a participant again next time.

P.S. And yes, in fact it's DDTOP60, and it's much cooler than DDTOP100 or DDTOP200, and it's not about prestige or privacy, but it's about the ease of finding a common language, common problems, common stories, common views and common plans with those who, by the will of fate, were among the participants.

Max

Denis Zenkovich, Business Intelligence VP @ AliExpress Russia

There will be no long read. Just once again I want to say thank you to the guys who organized the largest event in the field of financial analytics in Russia. Zhenya and Nastya were able to find more than 60 people who are as close to each other as possible in their energy, culture of thought, and of course work problems and tasks, while focusing not on trivial speech presentations, but building the official part in the format of a talk show, where absolutely anyone in the conference room could share the experience, ask a question and just be heard.

Many of the guys were not familiar with each other before the conference, so non-formal events and communication on the sidelines helped me a lot personally to set up the Network for which I came. In addition to networking, the most important thing that I got was the opportunity to hear speakers completely unfamiliar to you with the same problems. And this obviously makes you realize that you are not alone and sooner or later, at different stages of analytics development in companies, you face a certain set of obstacles, once overcoming those you have no doubt about what you do right and what you do wrong.

There was not a single doubt whether to go or not, and I will be happy to come to the 2.0, 3.0, and so on versions of Data Driven Top100! Zhenya, Nastya, thank you again!

Denis

Vasily Sabirov, Head of analytics @ Easybrain

This is a very cool and, as it turned out, an important event.

First of all, it gives you an opportunity to raise topics, that in reality it is difficult to find someone to share those topics with: there are no subjects for the analysts, only for the executives of the analytics.

Secondly, the atmosphere of the event focuses you on the communication, and you realize that not only you have all the pains, problems, tasks and challenges. And third of all, this event allows both figuratively and literally (Krasnaya Polyana Mountains) rise above your daily tasks and see the situation from above.

Vasya

Nikita Shurpa, Head of analytics @ Ozon Rocket

— The conference program initially sounded interesting, and my expectations were met 100%. It was very useful and informative.

— In general, the whole organization was at a high level. Separately, I can single out the average level of participants. It is very rare to find such a large concentration of intelligent and ambitious people in one place.

— There was plenty of new knowledge and experience. Moreover, both in the management part (about hiring and developing analysts) and in the hard part (organization of DWH)

— Non-formal events are a must of 100%. Coupled with a cool location, they create a sense of vacation, relax and allow you to get to know each other even more and build better relationships with colleagues.

— The atmosphere was less formal than at a regular conference. This encourages dialogue, open discussion and exchange of opinions. Very cool.

— My advice to newbies is to be less shy and get to know and communicate with cool guys more!

Nikita

Igor Polyansky, Global Director of Analytics @ Gett

I used to go to conferences a lot before and I perceived this event simply as a way to get to know and communicate with relevant people. I did put much hope into reports and thought to spend all the time on the sidelines. But in the end, I sat and listened attentively to everything that was happening in the hall and wrote it all down in detail (I left with 4 pages of shootouts that I needed to implement at home).

I think that the secret of success is that people did not come to show off their cool projects. Most had specific similar challenges and tasks. Everyone was interested in how others solve them. This format of discussion goes much better than speakers with slides. And the topics were chosen accordingly to satisfy everyone: hiring, data-driven, the role of an analyst, infra.

It ended up being a great dialogue turned, and on the sidelines everyone already knew who the most relevant people to meet were. And non-formal events only contributed to this. The format with the field trip helps to break the ice and disconnect for 2 days from the operating system, and the mountain air stimulates the brains:)

I advise it all the top analysts. To make the most of the time, it is better to choose a list of people to meet beforehand. And also a list of tasks that you want to solve - most of them have long been familiar to many of the attendees.

Thanks to the organizers and hosts for an unusual and useful event! See you next year.

Igor

Andrew Kharlashkin, Head of Analytics @ Zeptolab

The best conference I've been able to attend in the last few years. Due to the excellent organization and private format of the conference, there was a unique mix of participants. And the conditions were maximally favorable to networking and open exchange of experience. As a result, there is a very high level of discussion on any topic that concerns the head of analytics. I left with a lot of insights, ideas for implementation and acquaintances with the best professionals. There was no doubt whether it was worth going, but the result exceeded all expectations. I'm waiting for the second season)

Andrew

Tatiana Nemova, Head of Product Analysts @ QIWI

Guys, thank you so much for the conference! To be honest, at first I was skeptical that it would be possible to gather people in Sochi :) And this is the case when I am infinitely glad that I was wrong. Organization and format – a real boom! And now let’s take it all step-by-step:

— The field trip format in itself already adjusts to the right way, here it turns out to focus more and not be distracted by everyday affairs. I got the impression that Zhenya and Nastya thought through our event to the smallest detail, starting with the fact that check-in at the hotel was a day earlier than the start of the main program, so that we had time to relax. I have to say that there was enough time to catch up with everyone, and informal events helped a lot.

— I really liked the format of the conference. Zhenya managed to organize a dialogue between all the participants, and there were about 60 of them for a moment. There were only 3 reports with presentations, in the classical sense, the rest of the time we shared our experience and it was a concentrate of expertise. The topics are all right to the point, relevant for the industry and for me in particular. You realize that you are not the only one facing problems, drawing inspiration, digging out insights and practical solutions.

— Participants are a golden fund, a concentrate of experts, smart and charged people. New acquaintances and the opportunity to draw experience and inspiration are simply priceless.

Tanya

Kristina Makhyanova, Head of Analytics @ Yandex.Plus

When Zhenya sent me a message and invited to participate in the conference, of course, I didn't doubt for a second. It's hard to imagine any other circumstances when so many cool, close-minded people would gather in one place. The topics we discussed were really useful and the notes on the phone are full of new insights. Literally everything was on the high level: mountains, people, conversations, evening gatherings. Thank you, Zhenya and Nastya for such a cool experience, I'm looking forward for the next time 🤍

Kristina

Irina Alexandrova, Head of Analytics @ Belka Games

First of all, organization is at the highest level. There were no failures. It was a great place, program, good people and timing. Thanks to Zhenya and Nastya for such a good work.

The field trip format is surely justified. The focus of the participants was directed in one river.

It was not quite a classic kind of conference with reports and session of questions. In fact, it was networking, gathered top analysts from different fields (Telecom, Taxi, Delivery, Marketplaces, Media Services, Game Dev, Analytics outsourcing companies, etc.). Well, the conference itself gathered on networking - participants received a link — and it was an invitation to the event.

About the format. The topic was set; representatives of different companies – small and huge were called to the couch and asked questions on the topic. Everyone from the audience could speak and ask some questions. It was such a cozy and warm event.

The topics were relevant for all participants. The analyst's role: where are the boundaries? How do they change at different stages of the company's development? There was a very cool case from Lamoda when analytics grows into an independent RnD product and offers products that are based initially on analytics. Also topics about hiring, outsourcing, analytics structure, data warehouses, what's next?

The main message of the event is networking, which was very relevant for me. Recently, I’ve moved to the position of Head of analytics and the feeling of an impostor sometimes rolls over. It was useful to talk, discuss the tasks and the direction that you set for the team, get confirmation that you are setting the right vector. Thanks for bringing together the top representatives of the GameDev industry.

Ira

Vlad Ismagilov, Head of Yandex.Market Analytics

I believe this conference is the best event for analytics managers!

Maximally focused networking, live chatting, exchange of experience and discussion of really useful and applied topics. Moreover, if some topic of interest to you was not covered by the conference program, you always have the opportunity to get acquainted and discuss your question in the non-formal part of the program with some experienced colleague from another company.

The duration and format of the event means that almost all participants are maximally involved in the process and open to communication. Particularly, I will note the level of culture and immersion in the general context - almost all participants perfectly understand what good analytics in a company is, immediately grasp the essence of any issue or problem being discussed.

Thanks to the authors of the conference for the real round table talk and not memorized reports and an opportunity to speak to all participants.

To summarize it all, I highly recommend participating in DD Top100 - a great combination of benefits and relaxation!

Vlad

Daniil Potapov, Head of DS & Analytics @ MTS

It was definitely the best conference in my experience. There were some doubts at the start, after all, the format is new and large-scale, it was easy to imagine that something would go wrong. But everything went more than cool, thanks to Zhenya, Nastya and everyone involved. It seems to me that non-formal activities allowed this event to become a mixture on fire for work and recreation. This allowed both to relax and to get new ideas and inspiration for yourself. The opportunity to discuss work issues in such a relaxing atmosphere is cool, but to do it in the company of smartguys is even cooler. This justifies both the place and the cost of the conference. I will look forward to the next one :)

Daniil

Roman Khalkechev, CDO @ Yandex.Eda

«As you develop and grow, you usually get the information you need from books, articles, people and co-workers around you. However, at some point, this information becomes insufficient, the problems you face become more complicated and non-standard, and it is really difficult to find someone who would give you advice and share their experience with you.

Data-Driven Top 100 — offers an elegant solution. The conference gathers the community with similar goals, ideas, problems and projects, introduces them to each other and encourages them to communicate on relevant topics for participants. The organizers create the conditions, and the conference participants create the content independently, making it highly relevant and valuable to everyone.

I believe that Data Driven Top 100 is one of the best ways to boost your skills, meet cool people and get inspired by new ideas!»

Roma

Anton Petrov, Head of Product Analytics @ Odnoklassniki

What can I say: don't even doubt whether to go or not) You just have to go — this is absolutely the best event where top management is gathered. The atmosphere was open to chatting informally on topics of interest. What made me very happy was that there were almost no prepared slides and reports. And the unofficial program is a real bomb! There have never been so many acquaintances and so much communication in such an environment)

Anton

Olesya Mironova, Head of Business Analytics @ Emerging Travel Group (Ostrovok.ru, Ratehawk.com, etc)

It's so great that an event has appeared that brought together analytics managers from different fields, where you can openly and honestly discuss ideas and problems, talk about big mistakes and share experiences! And all this in a super-concentrated format, when everyone was involved in the discussion and could share their point of view. Going back to Moscow I have a bunch of new ideas with me, inspiration to continue developing the analytical culture and team, and a large number of contacts of experts to whom you can turn for advice after the conference :)

Zhenya, Nastya, thank you very much for the organization and the invitation!

Olesya

Gorbatiy Alexey, Head of analytics @ Joom

The event turned out to be as "light" as possible – this manifested itself in everything: organizational issues, a minimum of participation was required here, a program that initially seemed very exemplary, but in reality turned out to be rich and useful, and of course the venue. I liked the format of the speeches, which essentially set the topic of the discussion and then involved the entire audience, moderation was soft, but at the same time, it allowed to keep the topic and comply with the rules. And of course communication, I had high hopes for it, and they were fully justified – there was a lot of it.

Zhenya, Nastya, thank you very much, it was very cool!

Alex