Fabian Werkmeister

I help you to become fluent in Data and enable you to translate between business & tech ★ Data Scientist @FUNKE ★ 🐍Python 🤖Data Science 🛠️Data Engineering

Why do so many data projects fail to deliver real business value?
Because they often start with a technical discussion, not a business problem.
➡️ And you've likely felt the same frustration as so many others...

Investing in a complex data solution only to find it's over-engineered, over-budget, and doesn't actually solve your core challenge.
You're left with high costs, slow processes and no actionable outcome.

Imagine instead a data solution that is simple, powerful, and cost-effective. One that feels like it was designed exactly for your business and just works.
This is what I can build for you.

I started my career on the business side and switched to data along the way, where my deep passion for that field motivated me to self-taught all the skills I now have.
Sitting on both sides of the table allowed me to really understand and connect both worlds.

This is what you get, if you work with me:

Business-First Approach:
You get a business-minded partner, which listens to your challenges first to ensure the solution we build together is one you actually need. No confusing tech-speak, just pure focus on actionable results for you and your business.

Pragmatic & Cost-Effective Solutions:
You get a lean, powerful, and low-maintenance data analytics platform on Google Cloud Platform, which simply works.

Collaborative & Transparent Process:
You will be a partner in the process, not a spectator. Through regular check-ins and feedback, we ensure alignment at every stage to build something, which actually helps you.

➡️ If you're ready to finally get results from your data, connect or DM me and let’s chat!

Data Scientist

No Budget for Managed ETL? 💰
Here is a lean and cost-effective alternative 👇 

Managed ETL services can kill your budget
They are designed to punish you for your growth
They feel essential, but their pricing will spiral as your data volume increases

But you can also build something yourself
Use dltHub and serverless functions / containers to perform data ingestion:
✅ You only pay for execution time, aligning cost directly with usage
✅ You can focus on the actual problem, since dlt does the heavy lifting for you

What's the biggest headache dlt solved for you recently? ✌ 

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Hi, I'm Fabian👋

I write about building lean and cost-effective analytics platforms on GCP

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Lean & cost-efficient data systems on GCP for businesses to finally turn their data into decisions | 🛠️ Senior Data Engineer @ FUNKE

I don't have a linear career in data.
For a long time, I let that be a limiting belief.

I studied economics and worked in that field for some years
I learned what KPIs are and what really drives numbers and businesses
I did a lot of powerpoints and fought with excel, but this wasn’t a profession for me

So I took a data science bootcamp and switched to data
I still remember how everyone in the bootcamp was way better at coding than me
For years in data, I felt I was always playing catch-up to the people who grew up with this stuff

But with time and more seniority, this perception shifted
I notice that using tech and tools doesn’t generate value on its own
Value is created in knowing when to use which tool to drive a business action

With this in mind, I began to see my non-linear career path as my biggest asset.
Since I lived in both worlds, I also know very well how to connect them.
I start with the action, then build the absolute minimal system for that.

I may not be the best coder or technical expert out there
But I speak and understand business language
And this enables true solutions

If you’re also coming from a non-traditional path, stop trying to fit the mold.
Your diverse background isn't a weakness.
It can be your ultimate advantage.


What’s an unexpected asset your career path has given you?

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Hi, I'm Fabian👋
I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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The biggest lie in data
"We just need a new tool"


A new tool won't fix a broken process.
A new tool won't magically create a data-driven culture.
The most successful projects follow a business-first mantra.
👉 Tools are the last piece of the puzzle.

✅ Focus on Culture: Talk with the business teams.
✅ Focus on Processes: How are things done right now and how should they work in the future?
✅ Focus on the User: Identify the friction points between the data and the action or decision taken by an end user.

Remember:
Tools are just the vehicle - culture and process are the engine!

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Hi, I'm Fabian 👋

I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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Stop obsessing over the architecture diagram.
Obsess over the problem.

❌ Typical data project goes like this:

Month 1-2: Vendor selection
Month 3-4: Pipelines and modeling
Month 5: Dashboarding
Month 6: Show it to the business
(and find out it’s useless)


✅ The Value Path looks like this:

1. The "Why" Phase (40% of effort)
Deep stakeholder interviews.
Find out problems and decisions to be made.
Don't write a single line of SQL until you know that.

2. The "How" Phase (10% of effort):
Lean tech selection.
Most tools deliver the same output.
Choose what is convenient and available.
(if possible choose also what is cheap)

3. The "Build" Phase (50% of effort):
Minimalist implementation.
Automating only what is necessary.
Build the shortest bridge between data & decision.


You can build a "perfect" scalable platform in 6 months that nobody uses

Or you can build an "imperfect" targeted solution in 6 weeks that changes the business.

—
Hi, I'm Fabian👋
I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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My data team was most often seen as a cost center.
Here is how we shifted this to become enablers 👇

I used to build the thing I was asked for.
I finished the tickets.
I delivered the code.

But that often left behind a black box solution that no one on the business side truly understood. 
A technical problem was solved without transferring the value of it to the business.
That's how data projects solely generate costs.

Do this instead
✅ Prioritizing the business problem over technical solutions.
✅ Designing the platform to deliver a single, clear business action.
✅ Measuring success by time or costs saved, not by processed data volume.
✅ Transferring knowledge so the business team can understand and act on the data without you.

That’s how you build trust.
That’s how you generate value tied to the costs.
That’s how your projects and your team are seen as an investment.

TL;DR
Any data project needs to directly and measurably impact the bottom-line of the business
➡️ if your project doesn’t deliver this, it will only be seen as a financial liability

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Hi, I'm Fabian 👋
I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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SQL is important for a data engineer
But the most valuable skill isn’t taught in tutorials

I’m not talking about Terraform, Python or BigQuery
These are merely tools and techniques to work with data
My most important skill is the ability to translate:

Business ➡️ Tech
Stakeholder: "I need real-time data for my weekly sales report"
Me: "We need a simple batch pipeline that updates data each morning"

Tech ➡️ Business
Tech: "We implemented incremental loading for big source tables"
Me: "Your Monday morning dashboard will now be ready at 8:00 AM instead of 10:30 AM."

When you bridge this gap with communication, you do two things:
👉 You protect the business from over-engineering (and over-spending)
👉 You work on things stakeholders actually care about (time and money)

Learn to speak and understand business language
That is how you move from a data engineer to a strategic business partner

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Hi, I'm Fabian👋

I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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The era of Big Data is over
The era of Big Action will finally unlock the value of data

For the past decade, billions were spent on data stacks
We now have 100+ tools to pipe, clean and visualize data
And yet, decision-making velocity hasn't improved

The systems we built were designed for observation, not operation
Your data system is worthless until that potential is converted into movement

Let's look at a simple example:
➡️ 100 customers haven't purchased in 3 months

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐲
- Discover this (most businesses don't even get to this point)
- Download CSV
- Format in Excel
- Upload to HubSpot
- Manually trigger "we miss you" email
- By the time you do this, 50% of them have already moved to a competitor

❌ 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺


𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘆
- Your system detects these automatically
- Your system pushes these to HubSpot
- An email workflow is triggered
- You get a ping to approve this
- Emails are sent

✅ 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻


Data systems need to pivot
From a reporting source to a trigger
From "what happened?" to action-oriented systems.


𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 "𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗰𝘀𝘃" 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱? 😉 

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Hi, I'm Fabian Werkmeister👋
I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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I used to be a data snob
And this attitude prevented valuable solutions

As a data engineer, I think in terms of outputs
I designed whole workflows with a clear result in mind
This was most often a nice dashboard or an automated report

When someone asked for an "Export to Excel" button, I rolled my eyes
I thought "Why do I build of all this if it just ends in a spreadsheet?"
I was missing the point completely!

❌ My job isn't to dictate how people work.
✅ My job is to enable them to work.


If a finance manager is faster in Excel, my fancy dashboard is actually a bottleneck.
If a sales rep needs a CSV to close a deal, my shiny report is blocking revenue.
My business users know way better how they can work efficiently than I do!

👎 I stopped being religious about the tools
👍 I started being religious about the outcome


Now, my philosophy is simple:
👉 Build the pipeline
👉 Ensure the data is available and trusted
👉 Let the user decide the last mile to be actionable

If that means an Excel export or a csv-file?
So be it.

The result at the end of the day is what counts.
Not the tool they used to get there.

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Hi, I'm Fabian Werkmeister 👋

I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP

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Does your data project have a six-figure price tag?
Bad news, you’ve already failed

A six-figure data stack is not an investment.
It’s a financial liability.
Start with something super simple👇

✅ Identify the Core Problem:
Stop looking at tables and talk to people.
👉 What specific business problem is causing pain?
➡️ "We are spending $50k/month on ads, but I can't tell, which campaigns are actually driving sales"

✅ Define the Actionable Outcome:
Don't start to build before you have a clear goal in mind.
👉 What is the simplest, clearest decision or action that needs to be enabled?
➡️ "I need to see CPA by campaign side-by-side so I can cut the losers, if they fall under value X"

✅ Select the Minimalist Tool:
Only now, start to build something!
👉 What is simplest, most cost-effective setup to deliver that specific action?
➡️ Get campaign data via ETL-tool or scripts, build a simple SQL-pipeline with a cron job, pump it into something consumable for your end user (Excel, BI tool, etc.)

That's it.
That's how you build a fast MVP, which costs almost nothing.
And with this foundation you can iterate and scale up always later on.


What’s one business problem you solved recently where you intentionally chose a simple tool over a complex one? 👇 

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Hi, I'm Fabian👋
I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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Some people meditate.
I build pipelines.

There is a meditative quality to Data Engineering that I haven't found anywhere else.
It satisfies my deep need for organization.
Taking something messy and shaping it into a logical, reliable structure.

It’s like solving a massive puzzle.
Every piece has a place.
Every transformation has a reason (hopefully 😉).

Building pipelines also leads to another passion of mine: serving others.
I use my love for structure to make life easier for the people around me.
I take the complexity onto my plate so they don't have to deal with it.

It's the perfect synergy. 
Solving someone else's problem while satisfying my inner needs.
And that’s why I love what I’m doing each and every day! 


There's nothing quite like that feeling when your pipelines wrap up with a satisfying green checkmark, is there? 😉

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Hi, I'm Fabian👋
I write about building lean and cost-effective data systems on GCP
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MAN.Digital

- I transitioned from CRO to Customer Delivery Manager in 2023, focusing more on managing and delivering account based marketing and revenue operations projects to our clients.
- Hired revops consultants and shifted focus to revenue operations and ABM only.
- Worked closely with CEO, who took over the CRO role.

##Key Responsibilities & Achievements:

- Managed customer delivery operations, ensuring client satisfaction and long-term business growth.
- Led the implementation of revenue operations and ABM strategies, instrumental in driving revenue and expanding our client base.
- Worked with a diverse range of clients in software development, finance, and B2B SaaS, including Cloudflight, Amsterdam Standard, The Software House, Coface, Pixyle.ai, Data Feed Watch, and Arrow.
- Ensured the delivery of high-quality services, leading to improved client retention and success rates.

##Case Studies & Results:

- Amsterdam Standard: Held a 2-day account-based programs strategy workshop, developed a new process inspired by the Winning By Design SaaS model, and facilitated successful outbound GTMs, including their first webinar which generated an impressive number of leads.

- Pixyle.ai: Implemented a new operational approach, covering revenue operations and sales ops best-case practices, leading to a clear playbook for managing deals and improved analytics tracking with comprehensive reports and dashboards.

- The Software House: Facilitated a comprehensive mapping of TSH's processes, spanning marketing, sales, sales engineering, and customer success. Developed a new process, inspired by the Winning By Design SaaS model, and introduced a fresh outbound playbook.

- Data Feed Watch: Conducted a thorough audit of their HubSpot CRM and technology stack, focusing on the outbound process. Mapped out all the process steps, identifying skill, tech, and process gaps. Leveraged the SPICED framework inspired by Winning By Design to map out a future state process.

Founder & Customer Delivery Manager

How I Wrote My Way to the Top of the Revenue Ladder

A tale of grit, learning, and marketing mastery that led to business success.

## Career Journey & Self-learning
- Transitioned from corporate BDR to marketing enthusiast
- Started as an Affiliate Marketer in 2015, exploring SEO, PPC, Digital Ads, Conversion Rate Optimization, and Analytics for B2C and B2B.
- Found passion in B2B marketing, ABM, and Hubspot, aligning with my previous experience and love for Learning and Development and BD.

## Founding MAN Digital
- Founded MAN Digital, quickly realizing the need for a CEO to help scale the agency.
- Brought Przemek into the team, who has been instrumental in its growth and development.
- Responsibilities extended beyond strategizing client campaigns to bringing in the right partners and employees.

## Key Responsibilities & Achievements
- Managed all pivotal business operations, including sales, marketing, communications, and partnerships.
- Led numerous agency Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and B2B Marketing initiatives, instrumental in revenue generation and expanding our client base.
- Strengthened client relationships, securing long-term business growth.
- Led a team towards shared objectives, with accomplishments reflecting effective team collaboration.

## Some of our Case Studies 2018-2022:

- XPLUS: Resulting in over 1500 leads 
- Postis: Implemented a custom Revenue Ops Tech Stack,
- Neoteric: Increased sales pipeline value by €500K,
- Divante: Implemented an ABM strategy, closing 30% more deals.
- itCraft: Achieved a 600% increase in organic traffic and tripled their leads, transforming their marketing strategy for maximum impact.
- SmartDreamers: Increased their qualified leads rate by 80% 
- Skyrise.tech: Generated 58 high-value B2B leads in just 3 months using Account-Based Marketing.
- FintechOS: Optimized their HubSpot usage, 

Running weekly and monthly webinars on B2B Marketing, Branding, Account-Based Programs, and More. Learn more 👇

Chief Revenue Officer

adplist.org

Mentor

Pavilion

Pavilion is a community of commercial executives at growth-focused companies.

Member

HYPCCCYCL

HYPCCCYCL is an invite-only, professional community where top B2B revenue leaders cross-train their GTM skills with VCs.

HubSpot

As a Hubspot Partner, I am the only representative from the CEE region in the EMEA Partner Advisory Council. The role of PAC is to discuss the future of Hubspot products and plans with the Director of Product Management.

PAC consists of representatives from the top 15 partner agencies in the EMEA region. We are fully integrated into the product roadmap process, covering solution engineering, marketing operations, and client success.

The PAC meeting is monthly but together with our sponsors we organize webinars every week to share knowledge on best practices for using Hubspot tools.

HubSpot Partner Advisory Council (PAC) EMEA

Google Developers

Giving back to the community I was involved in mentoring startups part of the Google LaunchPad acceleration programs in the CEE region.

During this time I mentored companies, which we're moving towards a global scale and better market access. Before I started with the program, I had a one-on-one meeting with each mentor candidate, where we went through their goals and expectations.

Google Launchpad Mentor

Omniconvert

Developing sales strategies for Europe and US with CEO
Actively managing performance of sales professionals.
Implementing sales pipeline management system to optimize sales activities
Collaborating with account managers, client managers, and other cross-functional groups to strengthen the client relationship. Profiling key client figures using data profiling techniques.
Implemented new marketing tech stack and coordinating with developers and COO operational implementations of new integrations.
Coordinating revenue dashboards with CFO to identify growth opportunities
Developed new messaging and value proposition for marketing and sales communication. 
Responsible for global outreach to key thought leaders and public relations, especially in the social media space to help maintain Omniconver's positive brand image.

Interim Chief Revenue Officer

hub:raum

Hubraum Krakow, part of Tmobile developed an acceleration program where I was a startup mentor for several years providing help and insight in B2B Marketing and Business Modeling.

After finishing the program I am still involved with Hubraum and some of its startups as an expert and advisor.

Startup Mentor

Farnell element14

As Business Development Specialist, I coordinated account management and partnership, performed competitor analysis, kept up to date on market development.

I used research abilities in my job every day, I was researching about new technologies/products, potential customers/partners.

I coordinated Re-sellers account management and partnership development

My responsibilities were also coordinating with key partners (Distributors) and monitoring performance through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators - e.g. Sales, NPS), performing competitor analysis, keeping up to date on market development, identifying new opportunities and projects.

I was actively outreaching and building business proposals, quotes, and negotiating deals with technology companies.

Some of my achievements during this time were 25% year-to-year sales growth, Star Performer Q3 2013 for Customer Service, Top Performer Q1 2014, sales targets overachieved by 30 % for Q1 2014.

I was also involved in several pan-European projects to expand the distribution network of new products.

Business Development Specialist

Electrolux

Identifying training needs and developing training strategies 

Seeking and Negotiation with 3rd party learning partners.

Advise managers on talent, learning, and development processes

Delivery model processes and procedures for Talent and Learning

Support organization-wide talent planning, moves, secondments, and promotions

Support managers to resolve performance and talent-related disputes, 

Managing talent inquiries as escalated from the HR Shared Service Contact team Providing timely resolution in line with policy.

Supporting in SAP Learning Solutions implementation for Electrolux Europe

Learning and Development Specialist Europe

I help B2B companies /w Revenue Operations & ABM using HubSpot // Executive MBA // HubSpot Certified Trainer // Big fan of sales-free zones.

My obsession is enabling B2B companies to grow with revenue operations.

I love saying that I'm in the body of a marketer, but my heart is really in connecting and building business relationships with people - 10+ years of experience doing both! 

Organizations like AIESEC, DHL, and Electrolux, helped me develop my organizational development expertise. With this combination, I can see what's best for companies from a bird's eye view. 

In a quest to find an agency that prioritizes revenue growth?

At MAN Digital, we help businesses grow revenues through account-based programs and demand-generation campaigns. Our agency is focused on facilitating revenue acceleration programs for B2B technology organizations. In other words, we do sales engagements, marketing, and operations to boost revenue, not vanity metrics.

We know that growing revenue is hard work. 

It requires time, energy, and talent - all of which are in short supply for most companies today. But what if there was a way to help you do it more effectively? What if you could find an agency that would give your sales team the tools and intelligence they need to succeed without breaking the bank? Well, guess what? There is! And we can help.

The company I founded in 2016 , MAN Digital is a Growth Revenue Agency specialising in RevOps and account-based marketing programs explicitly designed for B2B technology organizations. 

Our approach allows us to deliver measurable results on both sides of the equation - with increased leads and conversions! That means more opportunities for your sales reps AND higher revenues for your company overall! Let's get started, and we can talk. 

DM for resources on RevOps and ABM

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