We will start a new series of articles both here and on our blog, in which we will present our team. This type of article will be in the form of an interview, with each colleague answering a series of questions in the field in which DataDiggers operates, as well as offering readers some practical advice about life, business, etc.
Today's person is definitely the one who deserves to take the floor, as Daniel Dunose is not only the CEO, but also the one from whom we have the most to learn.
What does working in the market research industry mean to you?
It’s an interesting field, constantly evolving and embracing new technology, which I like very much. And it’s attracting smart people, who wouldn’t want to be around them?
From who in the market research industry have you learned most in your career?
I did learn a lot from Ciprian Sava, former head of IIS, in the early stages of my career. I liked his hands-on style, but at the same time both his knowledge and orientation to results. He was demanding to the extreme sometimes, but fair, and I felt that was the right way to go to stay competitive. I still do. I remember to this day the job interview we had at 9 AM on a Saturday, set late in the evening of the previous day, when he candidly asked me “I hope it’s not too early for you?”
If you were able to bring someone in our DataDiggers team, who would that person be and why do you think they'd be great for our company?
If he’d ever be interested in such a cooperation, definitely Richard Branson. Of course, as an advisor, or as a mentor. The amount of positivity and resilience he has, as well as his whole life experience, would likely take motivation to the stratosphere. And that can only mean good things.
What was the most important challenge you had to go through in your career?
Getting from theoretical to practical was a great challenge. Theories and guidelines are great on paper until you actually have to apply what’s in there. The real experience starts right then and there.
Thinking about your career, what is the achievement you are most proud of?
Being able to build something out of nothing and overcome all challenges so far.
What's the biggest mistake you've ever made in your career?
I wouldn’t list it as biggest mistake, but I kind of wasted a lot of time on nonsense and impractical stuff. And listened to way too many “specialists” in everything, which only made things worse.
What does success mean to you?
Being able to leave a positive footprint in the society and bring meaningful impact to those who are trying to find an answer to the following question: “Am I good at anything?”
What do you do to move forward in the profession you have chosen?
Carry on this path I have chosen and diversify, i.e. put eggs in several baskets.
How would you describe the market research industry in Romania?
It has a good yet unexploited potential. There are too few firms, especially on the online side, and a tiny part of them actually export what they do. Romanian economy cannot provide that much volume of work currently, which hopefully it will improve in the future, so the only way to ensure solid growth is by exporting.
Is there something new that you have learned in the last 2-3 years, in your career, or in your daily life, which you find is important?
If I am to refer to the latest 8 months (of 2020): try to plan ahead, be realistic, prepare for worst and remain positive.
If you were able to meet yourself, at the moment when you first got hired, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Yes. Ignore unrequested advice – 95%+ of the cases those who give unrequested advice don’t have any clue about what they are talking about. Especially in business.
If you were to give advice to one of your former managers, what would that be?
Ensure you foster and collect feedback from everyone in your team regularly, not only when your superiors ask you to do that. Also, when there’s something escalated, before getting into details with clients make sure you know what you are talking about, otherwise let your people have the initiative. For sure they know better than you what is going on and they probably have the solution too. And, stop micromanaging – have some trust in your people, give them some autonomy to decide the way to go.
What do you think is the most important thing in life?
By far, live in the moment, as much as possible. And try to do some good to someone else, any way you think it makes sense.
What are you planning to do in your next vacation?
Eat, relax, catch up on movies. Just enjoy tranquility.
What is making you get up from bed even when you have a bad day?
The thought that bad days are part of the scenery, same as failure, for instance. There’s nothing you can do about it, nothing you can control. It just happens, so it’s best not to make a case out of it.
What are your dearest memories, some that you always think of with joy?
The somewhat overcast late spring days of my childhood, along with the smell of freshly cut grass. And chasing flying bugs.
If you could change something from the past, make a different decision, what would it be and why?
Go into business much, much earlier. Ideally when I was in university. But, hey, I had to listen to some unwanted advice.
If you could go anywhere in the world, at any time in the past, what would that be and why?
Oh, that’s a tough one, because I’d want to see many places in the past. One of my top picks is to be able to see Paris of 1920s, I find that period of time so special, very effervescent, both economically and culturally.
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