Workspaces: Oleg Yakubenkov, Analyst and Go Practice Blog Author

Oleg Yakubenkov gave Lifehacker an exclusive look at his workspace at Meta* and explained his approach to time management.

Oleg Yakubenkov

An analyst, product manager, and author of a well-known blog focused on analytics and marketing for mobile apps and online services. His impressive career includes roles at API.AI, Zeptolab, and Yandex. Currently, he works at Meta*.

What does your job involve?

Throughout my career, I have worked as an analyst, manager, and product director, launching my own projects. Essentially, my core focus has always been leveraging data to create and grow innovative products.

At the moment, I am working on a new Meta* product called Workplace. I joined Meta* after they acquired MSQRD, where I contributed analytics support.

Previously, I was a product director at API.AI, a platform for building conversational interfaces, which was later acquired by Google. Before that, I developed games at Zeptolab, where my team launched King of Thieves. Even earlier, I led the analytics department at Yandex.Maps.

Additionally, I run the niche but popular blog Go Practice.

What is your professional background?

I am formally trained as a mathematician-programmer. I graduated from the specialized math class at School 654 and earned my degree in Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics from Moscow State University in 2012.

My brother played a significant role in my path. He graduated from the same faculty eight years earlier and introduced me to PHP courses when I was in ninth grade. He also brought clients for whom I created websites, making programming a natural next step.

I owe much to my brother. During school and university, he supported all my ambitious ideas: moving offices, selling metal plaques and American license plates, launching a chocolate-covered strawberry chain, and leading a web development studio staffed by students (including myself and a friend). I consider these experiences my best education.

I value academic education but don’t recommend spending too much time studying throughout the semester. Learning to grasp a subject from scratch three days before an exam is often more practical.

Nowadays, when I want to master something new, I create a small project around it. Recently, I dove deep into ASO (App Store Optimization) and launched two apps, one of which gained significant popularity with 400,000 downloads last month.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

My weaknesses include:

• Abandoning tasks halfway through when I lose faith or interest, though I’m actively working on this. I even set a Facebook* cover photo reminding me to finish what I start.
• Being not very good at selling.

My strengths:

• Responsibility — I strive not to let people down.
• A focus on the future rather than dwelling on the past.

What does your workspace look like?

At Meta*, workspaces are standardized. On my desk, I have a 13" MacBook Air, an iMac, two notebooks, headphones, a calculator (an old habit since calculating manually is faster than using a phone), and a case holding a table tennis paddle.

At home, I work on an older MacBook Air gifted by my parents upon university graduation.

My primary mobile device is an iPhone 6s.

I also have a Xiaomi phone for checking Android-specific tasks.

Notifications are enabled only for work-related apps and messengers.

I don’t use any unusual applications.

I use multiple messaging platforms: WhatsApp for family, Telegram for friends, Facebook* Messenger for colleagues, and Work Chat for professional correspondence.

I have several email accounts. My first was on Mail.Ru, then I switched to Yandex after spam issues, and about a year ago, I moved to Gmail, which has been reliable so far.

I regularly use Yandex.Translate and add vocabulary to Lingualeo, though I’m currently searching for alternatives.

Recently, I received an Amazon Echo and use Alexa mostly to check the weather before leaving home. Interestingly, London isn’t as rainy as commonly believed.

I track my daily steps with the Health app, averaging around 10,000 to 11,000 steps daily.

Do you use paper in your work?

I keep two notebooks: one for daily planning and another for notes and miscellaneous information.

What do you carry in your bag?

I always carry a backpack.

Inside it are:

• A wallet,
• Keys,
• Work badge,
• Headphones and an umbrella.

Everything has its designated place, and I return items immediately after use to avoid losing or forgetting them.

How do you organize your time?

I create plans for the month, week, and day.

Without planning, my productivity drops sharply.

I manage weekly and monthly plans in Evernote and daily plans in a paper notebook.

The main value is in the planning process itself since plans often change.

I’m not great at delegating and prefer to handle tasks myself.

What is your daily routine?

I wake up at 8:00 AM, do morning exercises, and tackle tasks requiring focus.

I arrive at the office around 10:00 AM for breakfast and work until 6:00 PM, with breaks for lunch and FIFA on PlayStation, my favorite game.

Evenings are usually spent with my beloved wife.

Before bed, I might work for another hour or so, going to sleep around midnight.

How do you pass time in traffic?

I use my phone to:

• Read on Kindle;
• Listen to podcasts to practice English;
• Play games, mostly for professional interest but occasionally for fun, like Clash Royale;
• Browse social media.

What are your hobbies?

I love reading, finishing 20–30 books annually—two-thirds nonfiction and one-third fiction.

My other interests change frequently; recently, I’ve been exploring screenwriting.

My wife drives our travel and cultural adventures, and we travel extensively.

I find happiness when my loved ones are well.

What role does sports play in your life?

I don’t engage in regular sports but sometimes walk to work (about 45 minutes each way) or ride a skateboard (around 25 minutes).

In school, I played table tennis, which turned out to be a valuable time investment—I beat everyone at work.

Lifehacks from Oleg Yakubenkov

Books

• "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb — teaches logical thinking.
• "Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration" by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace — a must-read about Pixar for innovators.
• "Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future" by Peter Thiel — resonates deeply with me.

Podcast

• Mixergy — engaging interviews with entrepreneurs.

I’m inspired by people who excel at what they do.

What is your life motto?

I relate closely to a quote by Michael Jordan.

I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed repeatedly. And that’s why I succeed.

*Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are banned in Russia.

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