Content Demand Measurement 

Parrot Analytics

_From 'the land of coffee' to studying and now working in what he describes as the 'magical land', Esteban Garcia, Senior UI/UX Designer at [Parrot Analytics](https://www.parrotanalytics.com/) has found a home working in New Zealand that he seems pretty stoked about._

_We caught up with Esteban to learn more about his career journey into UX Design, as well as some of the misconceptions about what UX Designers actually do. Thanks for sharing your story, Esteban._

> “.since we are a truly global team and most of our clients are overseas (in different time zones), it takes a lot of meetings (and a lot of coffee).” 

**Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?**

Remember how you love to watch videos on Youtube?

Well, I help to create an app like Youtube, but for people that make those videos.

They use our app to learn about what people love to watch so they can make the best videos ever!

**And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?**

It really depends on the priorities, in a startup they change a lot. However, on a good day, it would be a 50/50 split between meetings (workshops) and hands on design (low-fi, hi-fi, prototypes).  

If you didn’t know, we have a lot of meetings. Why? Because we need to understand, evaluate and dissect either an existing issue or a new feature/product before doing any design or ideation work.

Also, since we are a truly global team and most of our clients are overseas (in different time zones), it takes a lot of meetings (and a lot of coffee).

> “A lot of people think of our work as mainly visual, “you make apps look pretty right?” – However, a lot of our work is about relationships.” 

**What are some of the common misconceptions about working as UI/UX Designer?**

A lot of people think of our work as mainly visual, “you make apps look pretty right?” – However a lot of our work is about relationships. 

We need to fully understand and empathise with our client’s needs and struggles in order to craft the best experience possible, it can be beautiful aesthetically but if the product doesn’t generate value to our customers it won’t work. Building Relationships is the key.

Oftentimes people also think that once the product is released, the job is done. But for us it’s a never ending task, once we deliver, the cycle starts all over again. #kaizen

**Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, if not what was?**

It was, however as a kid I was always thinking about computers mainly not design, I was fascinated with computers and video games.

I thought I was going to follow the IT path but then I discovered CorelDraw & Photoshop at school and it was over. Design became my thing.

> “... I came here to study and ultimately fell in love with this magical land and decided to stay here.” 

**Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Parrot Analytics?** 

I’m from “the land of coffee” - Colombia. I came to Aotearoa when I was 16 years old after finishing high school.

NZ has been a powerhouse of creative design for years, so I came here to study and ultimately fell in love with this magical land and decided to stay here.

I graduated from AUT’s School of Design and was lucky enough to land an internship at Orion Health. I spent three and half years there and my experience there changed everything for me.

I joined as a Graphic Designer but I got to spend a lot of time with their UX team, where I first learned about UX and the ins-and-outs of product design. I was hooked.

I then join a small startup called vWork where I learned a lot of new useful skills around the motion design space but also about the dynamics of working on a startup.

After two years, I decided to try out the agency world so I joined Amplifier as a Lead of Digital. 

There I learned a lot not only on the creative/brand side but in terms of how to deal with pressure. Working on multiple projects for different clients/industries (all at the same time in a very short timeframe) was new for me but incredibly useful for my career.

After a couple of years on the agency, the opportunity to work at Parrot Analytics came up. It was my dream job, not only due to the nature of their products but also the industry and their position in the market. I joined as a Senior UI/UX Designer.

One thing I didn’t expect was to encounter such a wonderful work culture. 

A place full of amazing, talented people who love what they do and want to be the best in the world! – I really consider myself extremely lucky, not only because every day I do what I love the most, but because I’m changing the world surrounded by great friends.

> “... find your true passion and picture it as your life, not just work.” 

**Do you have any advice for people considering tech as a career path and how they might get there quicker?**

Make sure that you are not considering tech because it is the new hot path to success and money. Be honest with yourself, there are many roles in tech so find your true passion and picture it as your life, not just work.

I think getting familiar with the culture of the tech world will definitely help too. One of the key differentiators is the way tech companies work/function. Learning and understanding can help you make a decision and also prepare yourself for the journey.

**Lastly, Parrot Analytics is set to start growing quickly. What kind of candidates do you think Parrot Analytics is looking for in terms of experience, attitude, and character?**

We are looking for people that truly love what they do. I feel that attitude and character are more valuable to us than experience.

If you are brave, passionate, determined, and love a challenge? Hit us up!

Esteban Garcia, Senior UX/UI Designer at Parrot Analytics

_Having dreamed of getting into computer programming at a kid, Minh Vu, Senior Software Developer at Parrot Analytics is not only living out his dream, he is doing it with a company he loves._

_We caught up with Minh to learn more about the journey that led him to New Zealand and ultimately into software development. Minh shares some common misconceptions about his role and some sage advice for anyone considering tech as a career path that would translate well to any industry. Thanks for sharing your story, Minh._

> “... what I do is to watch lots and lots of TV shows and movies then pick popular ones among them ” 

**Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?**

I would tell my son that what I do is to watch lots and lots of TV shows and movies then pick popular ones among them. He is only two years old, too young to understand it, but he also likes watching Kids' TV shows too.

**And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?**

My day-to-day routine is to capture demands and onboard metadata of trending TV shows, movies, and talents (aka celebrities) into our big data system.

We also provide a world-class SaaS portal for customers where they can analyse TV shows, movies and talents demands and ranking.

**What are some of the common misconceptions about working as Software Engineering Team Lead Role in Parrots?**

\- Working for a Big Data company like Parrot, I can do very cool Artificial Intelligence (AI) cutting edge tech stacks every day: 

Even though AI algorithm is applied to produce our Demand for TV Shows, Movies, Talents, 90% of the time of our Big Data Engineering team is spent on marshaling, normalizing, cleaning up then productionising data.

This is because big volume data comes in all sorts of forms and abnormalities.

\- Being Team Lead means I work on my own to create the new entire system:

It is a very common misunderstanding(even for some senior roles). I always work '_with'_ our Engineering teams here to create building blocks for Parrot's big data system. It is my preferable way so that we (as a team) can go very far.

> “I thought I was settling down in Wellington after four years of having a fantastic time, making a lot of friends, buying my first home in the Capital.” 

**Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, if not what was?**

I like programming and have dreamed of working as a Software Developer since I was a kid. 

18 years ago, when I first studied in New Zealand, my sole purpose of studying overseas was to become a Software Engineer and work in cutting-edge companies like Parrot.

**Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Parrot Analytics?** 

I came to New Zealand as an international student 18 years ago. I studied at Auckland University, majoring in Software Engineering. I landed my first job as a Java developer in a startup called Harmonic Analytics, then Regen Ltd in Wellington. 

I thought I was settling down in Wellington after four years of having a fantastic time, making a lot of friends, buying my first home in the Capital. 

However, my wife and I decided to move to the much warmer city Auckland, where I started to work for WEX Inc as a permanent Senior Developer.

I started to explore my career path as a contractor/freelancer that is where I adapted myself to learn new fields of expertise on each company I have contracted with: WEX Inc, Aviat Network, Freedom Internet. Harmonic. 

One of the benefits of being a contractor is I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge from different business domains. I do not limit myself to being solely a developer who only works with Java technology. 

I am kind of the developer who hit-the-ground-running, quickly picks up new tech stacks such as Javascript/NodeJS, Angular/Typescript, Python, Scala, Docker/Kubernetes, Amazon Web Service (AWS), etc.

I initially got an offer from Parrot Analytics as a 6-month contract Angular Frontend Developer. 

The six months period passed quickly as I have moved from Frontend to Backend, Fullstack to DevOps then System Design and Architecting. 

I have contributed and learnt much more than I bargained for at Parrot. I realised that Parrot is the company that keeps me challenged and growing. Then I was extremely excited to be offered a permanent role.

> “Success will follow where your heart goes” 

**What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?**

One of my English school teachers has given me wisdom for my career: “Success will follow where your heart goes”. I cannot say I am successful in my career but I truly have found happiness in my career.

**Do you have any advice for people considering tech as a career path and how they might get there quicker?**

As I mentioned above, my advice to people is to have passion for what they are doing in their tech career. Sooner or later, success will find them.

**Lastly, Parrot Analytics is set to start growing quickly. What kind of candidates do you think Parrot Analytics is looking for in terms of experience, attitude and character?**

We are looking for rockstars in their field of expertise. Someone who also has a positive attitude as well as a passion for lots and lots of TV shows and movies.

Minh Vu, Senior Software Developer at Parrot Analytics

_From dreaming of becoming an archeologist to predicting the favourite cartoons of children all over the world for a very impressive an under the radar New Zealand tech company. We caught up with Johan Chan, Data Scientist at Parrot Analytics to learn more about his journey into tech._

_Johan has a passion for new media, and how its ever-growing influence changes our social behaviour. His role at Parrot allows him to spend my days analyzing, mining, and modeling the behaviour of online users from across the world._ 

_Johan shares some great insight into some misconceptions about data science as well as some very helpful advice for others considering tech as a career path. Thanks for sharing your story, Johan._

> “What if you could guess your best friend’s favourite cartoons?” 

**Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?**

What if you could guess your best friend’s favourite cartoons? What if you could guess all your friends’ favourite cartoons?

Now, let’s say you can guess the favourite cartoons of children not only in New Zealand, but in Japan, Brazil, France, Australia, children all across the world? Well, that’s my superpower! 

**And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?**

As a Data Scientist at Parrot Analytics, my time is split between developing data products and assisting our clients on diverse consulting project:

Our mission is to bring the entertainment industry in the age of big data and AI. I do this by first identifying the technology gaps and needs of our clients.

Then I address those gaps by engineering machine-learning solutions from mining the internet footprint of hundreds of millions of online users.

Finally, I work alongside our clients to provide actionable insight that enables them to make data-driven decisions. Leverage our products by integrating them into existing client workflows, and educate on the required data literacy.

Remember that an educated client will always feel more empowered to use your services.

**What are some of the common misconceptions about working as Data Scientist?**

“Data science is about mastering machine-learning”. Actually smart data science is not just about maximising your model accuracy, but more importantly, your ability to harvest your creativity to build meaningful products with machine learning.

This comes hand in hand with sufficient industry knowledge and a good awareness of who your end-user is.

> “I always wanted to be an archeologist, unraveling the mystery of the ancient world is what excited me the most.” 

**Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, if not what was?**

I come from a creative family: my mother is a painter and my sister is a teacher in applied art. So science & tech in general, wasn’t my first choice. If anything, I always wanted to be an archeologist, unraveling the mystery of the ancient world is what excited me the most. 

However, what few years in R&D taught me is that it all comes down to your ability to think outside the box. From building the vision behind a new data product to crafting the corresponding data-pipelines, creativity is omnipresent.

**Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Parrot Analytics?** 

I have always been passionate about the new media, and how its ever-growing influence changes our social behaviour. 

For example, one of my theses at university was focusing on understanding the mechanisms that led French teenagers to leave their home and join ISIS forces in Syria after being targeted on social media by extremist propaganda. 

Paired with my background in bioinformatics (the science of modelling the living), joining Parrot Analytics was an obvious choice. There, I get to spend my days analyzing, mining, and modeling the behaviour of online users from across the world.

> “Take your time to find the right product and team” 

**What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?**

“Leadership is earned not given”. Your leadership in a company should not be inherited from your title or position, but be the product of the example you display at work.

Leadership should not be about authority or power, but about empowering your colleagues to be the best at what they do. It is not about demanding results, but about facilitating the work of your peers.

**Do you have any advice for people considering tech as a career path and how they might get there quicker?**

Take your time. Take your time to find the right product and team. Job interviews are a 2-way conversation. So seize the opportunity to find out more about the team and the company’s culture. Make sure that you embark on the right tech-journey for yourself!

Lastly, Parrot Analytics is set to start growing quickly. What kind of candidates do you think Parrot Analytics is looking for in terms of experience, attitude, and character?

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about entertainment, data, and technology. Candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset and exhibit the propensity to take on challenges with a go-to attitude.

The majority of the projects we work on, do not have a playbook, so your critical thinking and thought process is what will differentiate you.

Parrot Analytics

Content Demand Measurement

Company stories

Esteban Garcia, Senior UX/UI Designer at Parrot Analytics

Minh Vu, Senior Software Developer at Parrot Analytics

Johan Chan, Data Scientist at Parrot Analytics

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