Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Kathleen Hayes, a data leader with an impressive career. She’s served as the Head of Data Engineering for Instagram's growth team and the Head of Data for Google’s Search Analytics & Business Data Science department.
Currently, she teaches data engineering and analytics at the NYU School of Professional Studies and Baruch College, while continuing to help companies build out their data teams and infrastructure.
When you see someone with a career spanning large tech organizations like Google and Instagram, alongside leading data efforts at companies like Blue Bottle, it naturally sparks curiosity. How does someone grow into a director role and successfully drive teams at such high-profile organizations?
What skills did Kathleen either develop or possess that helped her stand out in the competitive tech world?
In this article, I want to explore three key skills Kathleen shared during our conversation (which you can listen to as part of this article).
Recognize and Solve Problems Before They’re Assigned
Often, other teams won’t explicitly tell you what they need. You have to actively listen and pick up on their pain points, even when they’re not spelled out. For example, Kathleen shared a story about one of the projects that helped her stand out at Google. Interestingly, it all started as a joke. Her stakeholder said:
“Oh, this was great. Too bad you can’t clone yourself and do this over and over and over again.”
Her response:
“I am going to figure out how to do this.”
At least internally. Externally, she asked more questions.
That's how her project, “QBR-in-a-box,” was born. No one assigned it to her—she listened, identified the need, and defined the project herself.
From what I’ve observed, engineers and directors who grow quickly often share a few key attributes:
Actively Listening: People rarely tell you how your skills can improve their workflows. You have to actively listen, pick up on the subtext, and ask thoughtful questions to dig deeper into the real issues.
Proactivity: I’ve mentioned this in a previous article, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t wait for someone to tell you, “Here’s a project to work on.” Kathleen heard her stakeholders starting to frame a problem, and she took the initiative to crystallize it and create a solution. The truth is that people on the business side don’t realize certain solutions are even possible. This is why I lean toward data teams becoming more business-savvy rather than expecting the business side to adapt to us.
Seeking Out Overlooked Problems: Whether you’re trying to build out your resume or contribute internally, start with the common projects to get familiar with the basics. But once you’ve got that foundation, look for areas that others might have overlooked. By identifying and solving problems that aren’t on anyone else’s radar, you can drive significant value and stand out in your role.
Lean Into Being Uncomfortable
Growth doesn’t happen if you keep taking on the same types of projects or relying on the same skills. One of the standout points from my conversation with Kathleen was her willingness to tackle projects that pushed her beyond her comfort zone.
For example, when she took on the automation project, she was still an analyst who was relatively new to SQL and programming. Despite that, she figured it out.
The same thing happened earlier in her career when, as a financial analyst at YouTube, she had to start learning SQL.
The willingness to step into the unknown isn’t just about technical skills. It also applies to things like presenting in front of a large audience or making high-stakes decisions about which projects your team should prioritize. Maybe you’ve never done those things before, but that’s how you grow.
Many of us are so focused on appearing perfect that we’re afraid to fail. Take a step back and reflect on how you’ve learned in the past.
You started as a beginner. You were willing to be bad at something before you got better.
So, embrace the discomfort. Take on projects that stretch your abilities—ones that might feel larger in scope than you’re used to or require a completely new skill set.
Then, iterate, improve, and keep growing.
Building Trust, Credibility, and Influence Through Relationships
When you’re trying to grow in your career, it’s tempting to go it alone. You might focus on projects you can tackle by yourself, thinking it will help you move faster.
And sure, there’s some truth to the saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone.”
But that’s only half the saying. Skipping out on building genuine relationships is one of the quickest ways to limit your career growth.
Want to take on a larger project within your organization? You’ll need to:
Convince others that it’s the right project.
Build credibility internally so that management buys in.
Inspire the people who will work alongside you.
Resolve blockers with individuals who might initially disagree.
All of these mean more than just talking to people—they require building a strong relationship with them.
And the importance of relationships doesn’t stop there. When you’re ready to move to your next role—or if you’re a consultant looking for your next client—people tend to choose those they already know and trust.
Yes, building relationships takes time away from learning another programming language or refining your technical skills. But at the end of the day, relationships are how things get done.
Some Practical Exercises
During our conversation, I asked Kathleen about practical ways to grow as a data analytics professional. Here are a few actionable takeaways you can try today:
If you’re not confident in your decision-making, try this reflective exercise:
Pause and ask yourself: If my manager or director isn’t available, how would I solve the problem in front of me?
Identify:
What decisions need to be made?
What risks am I taking on, and what assumptions am I making?
How can I justify this decision if questioned later?
Acting as though you’re already the decision-maker can help you build confidence and clarify your thinking.
If you’re struggling to come up with proactive project ideas, use structured brainstorming:
Set a timer for 30 minutes and jot down:
What workflows in your organization seem inefficient or manual?
What recurring frustrations or "wishes" have other teams mentioned?
What would you build if there were no constraints?
Once your time is up, narrow your list to one or two ideas that feel impactful and feasible.
If you're looking to strengthen relationships with colleagues, take small, consistent actions:
Schedule regular 15-minute coffee chats with colleagues to understand their priorities and challenges.
Offer to help with a small but meaningful task for another team, like automating a report or providing a quick analysis. Obviously you can’t say yes to every ad-hoc task. But when time allows it can be a great way to build credibility and trust.
Reflect: When was the last time I genuinely thanked someone for their collaboration or support? If it’s been a while, take five minutes to send a message of appreciation.
Practice active listening during meetings:
After someone shares a problem or concern, summarize what you heard back to them. For example: "It sounds like the manual process for reporting is causing delays. Is that right?"
Ask clarifying questions like:
What would success look like in this scenario?
Are there any constraints or resources we should consider?
If you’re avoiding growth opportunities because they feel uncomfortable, reframe your mindset:
Write down a skill you’ve been avoiding because it feels too hard or outside your comfort zone.
Break it into manageable steps. For instance: If I find learning Python intimidating, I’ll begin with a single beginner tutorial this week.
Remind yourself: What’s the worst that could happen if I fail? Then, ask: What’s the best that could happen if I succeed?
Closing Thoughts
Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate enough to speak with dozens of data leaders and high-level ICs. Some were clients, while others joined me on live sessions on my YouTube channel. Each of them brought unique experiences, but common threads emerged.
Most of them had to be proactive and start thinking about business outcomes—not just ways to pad their resumes with new technologies. Don’t get me wrong—understanding the tools and how they solve problems is critical. However, the ability to apply those tools to real business challenges is often one of the many missing pieces.
Much of this starts with us, the technical professionals, learning to pause, listen, and embrace new challenges. As we look ahead to 2025, prioritize opportunities that stretch you—not only to grow technically but also to enhance your soft skills.
As always, thanks for reading.
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And stories still play a central role in our lives today. Ask yourself:
How much do you remember from the last slide deck you saw at work? Probably not much
But how much do you remember from The Lord of the Rings or The Office [or whatever book / movie you like]? Chances are, you can quote entire scenes
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I’ve had the privilege of working at a mix of companies—big tech, start-ups, enterprises, and nonprofits. Each has given me a unique perspective on how different environments approach data: the infrastructure they build to manage it and how they ultimately use it.
I’m writing this because, while tinkering on a small side project, I was hit with a vivid reminder of just how frustrating it can be to work with data from certain industries. In fact, when I made a humorous post about it, someone called out the poor data model in the raw file I was using.
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End Of Day 160
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