Enterprise Data & Insights Team Operating Principles

GitLab Enterprise Data & Insights Team Operating Principles Handbook

Data Management Principles

**Decisions about our data are guided and aliged to 10 Enterprise Data Management Principles

Maximize the Value of Data

  • We treat data as a shared strategic asset with the same disciplines as other recognized (tangible and intangible) assets, including managing the risks associated with it.
  • Data belongs to the organization, not to teams or individuals.
  • We promote innovation through data insights, recommendations and solutions.

Data Protection & Privacy

  • We ensure that GitLab data is appropriately protected.
  • We manage our data products in a transparent manner.
  • We have data governance practices in place to clarify data roles, responsibilities, standards and policies.

Data Management

  • We manage the complete data journey from creation, through storage, transformation, and usage to archival and deletion.
  • Business functions own and are accountable for the quality of our data.
  • We ensure our data is discoverable, traceable, and classified.
  • We proactively design for and manage the quality of our data.

Data & Insights Operating Principles

We are proud, yet humbled to be the Center of Excellence for Data & Insights at one of the world’s most innovative companies.

There are three Data Team Operating Principles:

graph TD
  A[Data Team Operating Principles]
  A --> B[Build A Better Team]
  A --> C[Deliver Results That Matter]
  A --> D[Create Trusted & Scalable Data Solutions]

Build A Better Team

  • CREDIT
  • We treat everyone with respect
  • We assume best intent towards GitLab success
  • We are honest with ourselves and with each other
  • We have permission to disagree, but must drive to commitment
  • We don’t hide from difficult conversations
  • We’re in this together as a team
  • We tackle mistakes as a team and seek to get better

Deliver Results That Matter

  • Data-Driven First, Data-Informed Second, Principles & Stories Third
  • We believe in built to last, not built too fast
  • We operate with a growth mindset, continually raising the standard
  • We don’t confuse activity with progress
  • We know how our work aligns with strategic initiatives and how it will help our Business Partners deliver impactful results
  • We go the extra mile to provide Context, Facts, and Insights
  • We define expectations up front: Scope, Time, and Success Criteria
  • We proactively engage with our Business Partners to ensure regular progress for important initiatives

Create Trusted & Scalable Data Solutions

  • We all have a responsibility for Data Security and Data Quality
  • We lead with well-tested and accurate Data Solutions
  • We operate and maintain the production solutions we create
  • We design for GitLab +2 years, while delivering for GitLab today
  • We maximize the capabilities and services of our vendor-partners
  • We believe the best way to align on a complex outcome is to picture it
  • Automated tests are the best tests and we implement tests at every step of the data delivery process

Additional beliefs held by the Data Team include

  • Everything can and should be defined in code and version controlled
  • Data implementations should integrate best practices from DevOps into their workflow
  • Partner with each Business function while having a high-quality, maintainable code base
  • Open source our code, keeping data security and data sensitivity in mind
  • There is a single source of truth for every analytic question within a company, and it is also important to represent multiple perspectives to provide the most thorough data insights
  • Glue work is important for the health of the team and is recognized individually for the value it provides. We expect everyone to contribute.
  • Focus our limited resources where data will have the greatest impact
  • All business users should be able to learn how to interpret and calculate simple statistics