Feelingstream is feeling very excited! We are happy to announce that Risto Hinno has joined our team. Finally! We have been waiting for you, Risto!
Risto is an analyst, developer, and programmer whose job is to work with all our applications and products. His devotion, attitude, and knowledge are exactly what we need to keep moving forward. With Risto’s help, we are going to get data analysis to a new level – especially in the field of applying new methods for text analysis.
Now we let him speak for himself.
Risto, why did you decide to join Feelingstream?
I have been always fascinated by computers and numbers. There is something magical when you take some numbers and read something out of them. It is exciting when you discover topics from thousands of emails or when you develop a model which is 95% accurate.
Give us a bit of your background
My working life has always been related to numbers, I got my first degree from Academy of Security Sciences as a Tax and Customs officer. In my bachelor’s thesis, I analyzed how changes in VAT rate could change prices of goods. In my master’s thesis, while studying Financial Management at the University of Tartu, I analyzed how effective are measures used to motivate companies to submit tax returns on time.
Why data analysis? What’s in it for you?
Data analysis has always been the thing I like to do. A very important part of the analysis (and motivation to do it) has been the idea that results should be usable – somebody could use them to make a decision. Just crunching numbers for it’s own sake is not very motivative. Also data analysis is something which is a mix of art, science and everyday business processes. It will never get boring!
But you and IT? What led you to programming?
I really got into data analysis after one training. I remember it very clearly – it was a moment that changed my life! I understood that I could learn to code and goodbye SPSS and Excel! I took online courses, bought books, attended a bootcamp and summer university to get better in data analysis. Final drop to change my career came when I started studying Conversion Master in IT at the University of Tartu. I understood that IT is important to create something meaningful in data analysis. I also have understood that I need a certain level of focused work (which programming is) to feel satisfied. If I would have to sit only in meetings all day I would feel dissatisfied very soon.
How did you find Feelingstream?
In my first semester at Tartu University, I was looking for ways to practice my data analytics skills and newly learnt IT skills. Then I found Feelingstream. They were willing to give me some tasks so that we could see if I like them and they like me. It was a really busy time because the second semester was starting and I had my day job too. But it was fun and scary at the same time. Before Feelingstream, I had mostly been working with service design and service governance. Now I was offered a challenge that combined two areas that I love – IT and analytics. A few months later I was made a proposal to join the team in full time. My only answer to the question was a big ‘yes’.
What are your first impressions at Feelingstream?
Feelingstream is a startup company which means things are dynamic and happen fast. Less formalities compared to public sector. You have an idea in the morning and first prototype in the evening. No big documentation before work can start (that doesn’t mean that all documentation is unnecessary).
Work is intense, it is not very unusual to work in the evenings and during weekends. I try to manage time so that I could do research or study new skills after working hours.
