Our teams at Jam City consist of some of the most talented, creative, and passionate people in the industry. Jam Citizens are truly the magic behind our games. We’re excited to spotlight those who make Jam City such a special place and showcase some of the most important teams in our studios.
“Focus on the magic and the measured” is one of our defining principles here at Jam City. In everything we do, we establish ways of defining success. We evaluate various data sets, both qualitative and quantitative, to guide the iteration of our games and the development of the worlds we create for players. Our Data Analysts at Jam City are integral partners to our Product Managers, Game Designers, and marketing teams. Whether it be translating data for non technical users through innovative visualization methods or providing product recommendations backed by insights, our Product Analysts are the subject matter experts of player behavior and data. At Jam City, our teams include Data Analysts, Data Scientists, and Data Engineers. Let’s hear from one of our Senior Analysts in this month’s spotlight.
Let’s get to know you! What is your name and how long have you been a part of Jam City?
My name is Xiaoyan and I’ve been with Jam City for a year and a half.
What is your role at Jam City? What do you work on?
I’m the Senior Data Analyst on the Burbank studio product team. As a Product Analyst, I define data needs and analyze game data to understand player behaviors and game performance. I support product managers, designers, and other stakeholders in their product decisions using quantitative data to inform the next steps.
That’s so impressive! What keeps you inspired outside of work?
My family and friends!
What is your favorite part of your role?
I love it when my analysis guides the direction of product decisions. There are many times where data analysis revealed players’ unexpected behaviors, and we adjust our product strategies based on these new findings to better engage players.
What inspires you in your role?
A passionate team where everyone loves what they do.
In a role such as a Data (Product) Analyst, how do you stay creative/motivated?
I absolutely love chatting with different data folks across Jam City: data scientists, central data analysts, product analysts on other game teams…they are constantly developing new processes, new tools, and new analysis methodologies, which always inspire me to think about how I could do things differently on my team.
What is the best career lesson you’ve learned so far?
The value of teamwork. I work with product managers, game designers, engineers…when these different minds come together for the same purpose of building a great product, it’s amazing what can be done.
How did your career in the gaming industry begin? What made you want to work in mobile games?
I did not expect to work in the gaming industry at all. When I realized it, I already had many friends working in this industry and they had so many good things to say. I especially appreciate that the gaming industry is consumer-facing and fast-paced.
What advice do you have for those interested in getting into your field of work? Any specific tools, literature, or coursework you would advise?
Talk to as many data professionals as you can. We are able to learn technical skills on DataCamp, Udemy, etc., but only through talking to professionals, can you understand how fast each product iterates, how data supports decisions, how companies do A/B testing, how machine learning models are used.
What’s your secret talent?
I did swing dancing when I was in college. Since dancing is a “use it” or “lose it” skill, I’m not sure if it’s a secret talent I still possess, haha.
__
Thank you to Xiaoyan for taking the time to chat with us! If you’re interested in learning more about open roles on our Data and Products teams or other teams here at Jam City, be sure to check our careers page and follow us on LinkedIn for the most up-to-date recruiting news.
