I’m Yoel Maarek, VP of Research at Yahoo, and This Is How I Work.
Yahoo may be an old company in the context of internet startups, but they are always working on new tricks. Yahoo Labs is their incubator for experimentation, where they work on projects like Yahoo Weather and their News Digest app . And at the head of Yahoo Labs is Yoel Marek .
Yoel is a research, academic and engineering veteran who previously worked with IBM and Google, is trilingual and a mother of three. If you’re wondering why the weather app requires tricky experimentation, it’s because the beautiful background photos are cleverly curated from thousands of publicly available Flickr photos, a process you can read about here .
We contacted Yoel to learn about her background, her Mediterranean-view office in Haifa and how she works.
Location: Right now, I’m at the Yahoo Labs office in Haifa’s MATAM Technology Park, Israel, sitting in our cafeteria with my laptop and enjoying the beautiful views of the Mediterranean coastline. Current position: I am Yahoo Vice President of Research and Head of Yahoo Labs in Israel. One word that best describes how you work: enthusiastic. Trending mobile device: iPhone 5, I’m looking forward to my iPhone 6 when it arrives in Israel in January. Current computer: 13-inch MacBook Air
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
I really like the WorldMate app, which tracks my frequent trips abroad. He is impeccable and I love that he warns me, for example, if he discovers that I am missing a night at the hotel. Another app that I use even more often is Waze . It was invented in Israel, so I was one of the first to master it, before it was acquired by Google . However, I am a frustrated and very critical user as it often leads me to the wrong place. (It’s funny how badly I tolerate such errors, even if I realize how technically difficult it is to develop the perfect navigation software.)
For fun, I played around with the Jawbone Up app and Garmin Connect on my iPhone, depending on which wearable I’m using. In terms of pure functionality, the Up bracelet is weaker than Garmin. For example, you need to connect it to your smartphone’s audio jack to see how many steps you’ve taken during the day, while the Garmin bracelet shows your steps in real time on a small screen. But I found myself enjoying this daily routine when I plug in my Up bracelet and try to guess how many steps I took. Garmin is functionally better, but I understand that emotionally it does not suit me; the fun is gone and I almost never sync it up. Oddly enough, I now prefer the weaker device because it gives me the right incentives and its iPhone app is clearly better. This shows once again how important non-technical considerations are in our internet world.
How is your workplace arranged?
A regular L-shaped table with my MacBook Air connected to my amazing Apple Cinema screen. My desk is a mess, but there is a French saying that an empty table is a sign of an empty mind. Silly excuse, but I love my mess and know where to find things.
What’s your best time-saver or life hack?
Online grocery shopping !!! Saves so much time. Better yet, the whole family (my husband and our three kids) maintains a shopping group on WhatsApp, and when the list gets long enough, my husband places an order.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
My iPhone Calendar. I cannot have a task without an appropriate time frame to complete it. My life is simply ruled by my calendar.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
I can’t live without a Kindle. I am an avid reader of novels (anything as long as fiction, from thrillers to science fiction and heroic fantasy). But since I grew up in France and work in English, I still don’t read Hebrew very well. (The last book I read in Hebrew was the first Harry Potter book after my eldest daughter, who was seven at the time, insisted that if she can read it, then I can.) S Kindle I can just buy any book online in English instead of waiting to travel overseas to fill my suitcase. I don’t have to read slower until I find a new book to read – this is pure luxury for me 🙂 In our Internet world, the blurring of physical boundaries still surprises me.
What are some of your best everyday activities?
Identifying typos, font errors, mismatches, etc. in the work of other people, be they colleagues, friends, or my kids. Oddly enough, I do not see them in my own written works.
What do you listen to while you work?
Silence … I only listen to music when I walk or run. I love music with meaningful lyrics (my latest hobby is Stromae , an incredibly talented Belgian singer) and I can’t really do the lyrics if I’m working on something that requires my undivided attention.
What are you reading now?
I am reading a novel, but not just a novel. My sister-in-law wrote her first novel, deeply inspired by her personal life. So I begged her to read it before she sent it to the publisher, and volunteered to proofread it (as I said, I’m good at finding typos in other people’s work). The novel is written in French and is called “La place du passager” (meaning “front passenger seat”) and carries a wonderful feminist message for girls who grew up in traditional families, where sons were always the first and rarely “ruled” their lives. … Not only do I love it, but for the first time in my life I am indirectly part of a novel (I recognized my character in it), and it miraculously placed me in the driver’s seat and not in the passenger seat. Very flattering.
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
An extrovert in general. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and hobbies with friends and colleagues, but I try not to fall into the trap of TMI. Not easy.
What is your sleep pattern?
I really love to sleep, and I probably sleep more than many others. The only thing I hated when our kids were young was waking up in the middle of the night – I couldn’t bear it. I need a book (yes, my Kindle) to fall asleep, and I usually wake up with an alarm clock or someone making noise at home.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
I would very much like Marie Curie, one of the most outstanding scientists of all time, to answer these same questions (if I could travel back in time).
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
When you tell someone that they are “too good,” try to think about what you are actually saying. Are they too nice to everyone (including you) or just others? I got this advice from my husband (28 years old!) When I told him that he was too good; did I mean too well towards the kids or me? And, of course, I meant the children; Of course, I had no problem with him being nice to me. It made me realize that there is no such thing as too good. If a coworker tells you that “you are too nice,” that does not mean that you are too nice to him or her, but to other people. His implicit message is that you must continue to behave well with him, but not with others. But it’s not – it’s a package deal. Really good people treat everyone well, and that’s why we appreciate them.
And yes, as naive as it sounds, good attitude is also critical in the workplace. Continue to behave well; it’s great and it makes sense for business.
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers or fans?
To my readers (I doubt that I have fans), I want to say that in the modern world, women can do anything. We can make a career, raise children and balance everything. With the right partner, simplifying homework, and explaining to kids early that when mom is on a conference call, they really need to be quiet for a while, anything is possible.