From JADS to Techonomy: ‘This is where I gained the data skills that shaped my career!’

We had a conversation with JADS alumnus Daan Luttik (left in the picture), Chief Technology Officer at Techonomy. In our interview, we not only explore his role within the company and his perspective on technological advancement but also take a glimpse into his personal journey. From his early interest in coding to his decision to pursue a master’s degree at Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS). Together, we delve into Daan’s experiences at Techonomy and how his studies at JADS shaped his career.

Tell us something about your background.

“I’ve been involved in programming since my youth. It all started with a friend who shared my interest in coding. We enjoyed solving problems together with code, which eventually led me to pursue a degree in Software Engineering at TU/e in Eindhoven. Early on, I realized there was a significant shortage of people who could truly build with computers. In my first year, I started my own company, primarily assisting startups in app development.”

That sounds like a valuable experience. How did it lead to your current work?

“I learned a lot from the experienced individuals within those startups. During my studies, I became increasingly interested in data and its future implications. I decided that a combination of programming skills, data analysis, and business acumen would be crucial for my future career. That’s how I ended up at JADS, where I further delved into data while working part-time at Techonomy.”

How did your experience at JADS and the master’s program shape you personally, and what value did it add to your work at Techonomy?

“My master’s program at JADS provided me with two invaluable things: robust data skills that enable me to engage at a high level within an organization and practical abilities to work directly with clients and deliver value. This combination helped me not only to be technically proficient but also to create solutions that genuinely benefit an organization.”

Tell us more about Techonomy and what you do.

“Techonomy was founded in 2016 with the belief that the entire marketing industry would be revolutionized by technology. This would bring about an extreme degree of automation and personalization. Additionally, it would make marketing performance truly measurable for the first time, allowing performance to be effectively managed. We achieve this by implementing the right marketing systems and ensuring effective use of the data. Our data team is constantly working to better integrate these systems and do more with the available data than is possible with just those systems. This can involve automation, dashboarding, AI, and machine learning.”

Can you provide an example of a concrete project?

“Certainly! As a former JADSer, startups and completely new revenue models based on data (intrapreneurship) still have my heart. One of the startups we are currently collaborating with is Campercontact, a platform for camper enthusiasts. When we started working together, they were still in the process of developing their app, giving us the opportunity to deeply integrate the data and marketing processes. This provided us with great opportunities to achieve extreme performance on the marketing side. Additionally, we were able to provide them with the right insights and tools to optimize their product roadmap and strategy based on the available data. This data and these insights were also a crucial means to attract investors.”

What do you specifically do with the data you collect?

“We provide marketing and sales teams with the right data and automate just about anything. Additionally, it remains very important to gather insights and help organizations make the right choices. This can range from strategic management insights to operational improvements. A very practical example is a project where we analyzed advertisements for a client across different platforms. On the very first day, we discovered that Pinterest was consistently costing more than it was bringing in. Simply by adjusting the budgets, we were able to turn it around and make the advertising campaign profitable. That single intervention alone yielded more than the entire project had cost.”

What, in your opinion, makes JADS unique?

“What truly sets JADS apart is the combination of high-quality academic knowledge and practical skills that are directly applicable in the industry. The focus on data science combined with entrepreneurship is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape.”

Inspiring interview

It’s clear that Daan’s journey from JADS to becoming the CTO at Techonomy is both inspiring and impactful. One of the unique aspects of JADS alumni is their continued connection and collaboration with JADS, even after moving into their new roles. For those interested in learning more about how data science can transform your business, or if you’re looking to collaborate with Techonomy, visit their website or connect with them on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for more success stories and insights from industry leaders.