My Journey Into Tech Leadership: An Interview with Anna Smolina

Today, we sit down with our Director of Data Analytics, Anna Smolina. She tells all about her incredibly varied journey before starting at GetYourGuide, her experiences and challenges as a woman in leadership, and her best advice for women starting careers in tech. Let’s dive in.

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1. How did you get into tech and analytics?

The journey was long and bumpy. I was inclined towards art and teaching as a child, and dreamt of becoming an interior designer. I chose to pursue higher education in management and commerce, as those opened the doors into the field of marketing, which I felt was one of the most creative business domains. My university had a strong focus on statistics, which (ironically) was one of my least favorite parts of the course. Imagine my surprise later on down the road!  

After collecting five years of experience in B2C and B2B marketing, I got the opportunity to be an analyst for one of the leading tech platforms in Europe. It was great to be working in this role, and I quickly realized that I was good at the job – mainly due to my statistics background and analytical mindset. I really enjoyed being able to partner with a business and work together to solve problems.

Moreso than in previous roles, I was driving conversations with evidence rather than instinct, which I loved. I quickly moved from a hands-on role to building that company's first product and marketing analytics team. We were responsible for working directly with the online marketing and product teams to assist with full-cycle decision-making. 

This was my entry point to actual tech and data. From there, I expanded my knowledge by taking various jobs in several marketplaces and startups. At the same time, I grew from purely analytical (more of a business enablement role) into more technical roles with engineering parts, like Business Intelligence. Now, I’m back to analytics, my favorite among all the data domains!

2. What’s your role in GetYourGuide?

I lead the data analytics department. We have several teams: product, marketing, and supply analytics. They all work closely with their business counterparts, with each analyst driving their mission team. Our investigations help with many topics, like learning how to measure the success of investigative experiments, for example. Some relevant questions might be, “What is a reasonable hypothesis for a particular test? What can we learn from the user journey, and how can we make it better for them?” The answers can then help every department improve according to our existing customer experience data.

3. What challenges did you face when entering the data / tech industry?

I’m lucky that my gender didn’t act as a barrier in my career. I had some privileges that helped me through my transitions, including my assertive communication style, so I didn’t struggle to be heard or seen. I was never hesitant to speak up, ensuring I leaned into my voice. This helped a lot in my career development. 

Of course, I faced many other hurdles. I was in a new country, speaking a different language, and even working in a new industry. It was a steep learning curve, and even though I had experience in analytics from my marketing days, the way I had previously learned to structure and work with data was very different. This is still a challenge, even with years of experience, because the industry changes and develops so fast!

I got a lot of help from the people around me, for which I’m forever grateful. When I saw opportunities to try new things, I took them. I could also ask for help when needed, which was one of the hardest things for me at first. Initially, I tried to prove my value by doing everything independently and delivering quickly. However, after making a few mistakes that could have been prevented just by talking to people around me, I realized I should reach out more often. Asking for help doesn’t make you incompetent - it shows strength and a necessary willingness to collaborate! 

Because of my business background, I also encountered challenges catching up with some of my colleagues who had studied technology or computer science for years. However, combining my business knowledge with data and tech experience turned out to be one of my biggest strengths, as I was able to build bridges between both worlds to improve our customer experience.

4. Have you faced any specific challenges at GetYourGuide, as it’s a different industry?

I wouldn’t say GetYourGuide is entirely different from what I worked on beforehand, as it is also a marketplace. This experience helped me understand how they function, their dynamics, and what to look for. Since working at GetYourGuide, I’ve learned about the specifics of the travel industry and the fact that it exhibits different customer behavior. That said, different industries have their specifics, and no universal recipe can be simply applied from one company to another.

Additionally, my role requires extensive collaboration with every department, which means diving deep into various topics. This broad scope of cross-departmental interaction presented a significant challenge initially, but it’s been a rewarding opportunity to learn and grow within the company. This breadth of scope is what I enjoy the most in my current role.

5. Do you have any role models or mentors that motivate you?

There weren’t many female role models in tech while I was growing up, and the ones I know now had to fight a long, hard battle to reach where they are. I get inspired by many people – I can’t say I have a single role model. As I navigate my job and life, I just strive to be a better version of myself while learning something new every day from the people around me. I am incredibly grateful to many of my colleagues. The way they combine their private interests and aspirations, family and work, while doing such a great job consistently inspires me. 

During university, I noticed more men than women in most technical subjects. When tackling equality in the tech industry, I don’t think it starts at the workplace. Inclusion needs to start from school (or even earlier). We must ensure that children and teens, irrespective of gender, understand the beauty of the tech sphere and are encouraged to develop an interest.

Some of my friends who studied tech subjects over fifteen years ago were the only women in the group. And it was hard—they sometimes felt overwhelmed by the skewed distribution and did not always feel like they belonged. Thankfully, I think education is moving in the right direction among all genders now. I believe everyone should be able to utilize the learning opportunities that call to them.

6. What is your leadership style, and what kind of response have you received from your team? 

I’m still learning every day. I read a lot to educate myself on leadership, but I also like to learn from people. I believe leadership is partially science and partially art. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. 

I have a set of tools, and I do my job best when I can choose which tool to use to encourage my team to perform at their best. When it works, it’s sustainable and tends to bring them joy in their work. 

I lean heavily on empathy and emotional intelligence, making a conscious effort to have honest and open conversations with my team and peers. In my opinion, understanding motivations, listening with an open mind, and staying authentic and transparent is vital to building strong relationships and teams.

7. What advice would you give to women starting careers in tech? Specifically, how can they navigate potential challenges, what platforms can they seek help from, and what qualities are crucial for success?

Here’s my advice for women transitioning into or starting tech careers.

1. Motivation and research: The first step is recognizing your desire to enter tech. Research what skills are in demand by looking at the job openings you like and find opportunities to learn them. You can join boot camps or use platforms like Udemy or Coursera for affordable learning.
2. Hands-on experience: Volunteer for projects to gain practical experience if you can. Don't be afraid to start at entry-level positions. Tech careers often have a fast learning curve and progression.
3. Continuous learning and mentorship: Engage in continuous learning through reading and participating in the tech community. Find mentors for support and guidance.
4. Facing challenges: Be proactive, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
5. Crucial skills: Develop curiosity, resilience, and assertiveness. Being able to learn from mistakes and continuously move forward is essential.
6. Building confidence: Confidence can be learned and developed. Practice public speaking, seek feedback, and focus on growth opportunities.
7. Support systems: Build a support network of people who care about you to help you when things get challenging.
8. Don’t give up: Doing something new is always a risk. Take it, and trust in yourself to succeed.

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