Building our foundational data infrastructure as a Data Architect

It’s Time for Talent – with Martin Haagaard

Hi, I’m Martin. It’s a pleasure to introduce myself! 👋

I joined Tactile in September 2024 as a Data Architect on the Core Team. I help build the foundational infrastructure that powers all our games. My role involves designing and implementing an innovative data warehouse solution in Google BigQuery, which serves as the backbone for a comprehensive self-service BI platform used by game analysts, product teams, data scientists and others.

We process millions of game events daily, ensuring the system is optimized for cost-efficiency, performance, and scalability. By enabling data-driven decision-making across teams, we contribute to improving player experiences and driving the success of Tactile’s games.

🚀 Before Tactile

I actually started studying communication at university with an idea of working in marketing in the end, but quickly realized that it wasn’t for me – there was too much subjectivity and not enough facts. I pivoted and pursued a master’s degree that was more IT focused (yay – objectivity, facts, TRUE/FALSE 🎉).

Since then, I have worked six years in IT and data consultancies. I started out more on the business side but quickly transitioned to the technical side as I discovered my strengths and interests there. For the past couple of years I’ve had tech-lead roles on different large data projects, working mainly on architecture and design, but still having the chance to get my hands dirty coding as well.

💜 Joining Tactile

Moving from consultancy to a mobile gaming company as an internal resource has been a significant shift for me. As a consultant you work from project to project with different people, different clients in different countries, different goals and so on – which teaches you A LOT. But it also means that you don’t get ownership of any of the solutions that you implement and actually see it in action and how it evolves over time. You get that here at Tactile.

There’s not long from idea to action, since we work very agile and with a flat organizational structure. You also have the opportunity to deep dive and become an absolute expert on what you’re working on, which I really enjoy.
The move has been exactly what I wanted and needed!

💪 Having an impact

Our team is basically responsible for everything data in Tactile. We build our internal data platform, including all of the tools and services which are used by game and marketing teams to manage, improve and speed-up their daily operations.

The most motivating part of the job for me is that we are building something truly innovative. The challenges here aren’t things you can simply Google or ask ChatGPT about – or you can, but most of the time you won’t get a useful answer. You just have to sit down and turn on the big brain 🧠

Working with state of the art tools with highly skilled people to build something brand new is highly motivating and rewarding.

💫 What sets us apart

Working in a Danish company where you as a Dane are basically a minority is something that I don’t think you find in many other places 😅 We are 50+ nationalities here, so it’s a big melting pot of different cultures – which makes every conversation interesting, because you learn something new every day about the minor or major differences that we have in our everyday lives.

💡 Hot tips for joining the gaming industry

If you’re looking to get into the gaming industry or join Tactile, my advice is: don’t be afraid to show curiosity and ask questions. The industry moves fast, and every day brings new challenges, so being open to learning is key. And don’t be afraid to bring your unique perspective to the table. Diversity is one of the things that makes Tactile such an exciting place to work! And passion for games obviously helps a lot! 🤩