Mike Cohen

Data Engineer at Substack

Mike Cohen is currently the Head of Data at Substack, a prominent subscription-based content publishing platform. He has been with Substack for over three years, contributing significantly to the company's data infrastructure and analytics capabilities as it scaled from a small team to a larger organization.1 2

Background and Career Path

Mike's career began in economic consulting, where he worked for about four years before transitioning to the tech industry. He attended business school to explore new opportunities and subsequently interned at Venmo during its early growth phase in 2013. Following his internship, he returned to Venmo in a full-time role focused on Strategic Business Operations, but he soon sought more hands-on experience with data.1 2

After his time at Venmo, Mike worked at Affirm, where he was involved in machine learning projects related to credit modeling. His diverse experiences led him to various roles in data engineering before joining Substack, where he has focused on building robust data infrastructure and analytics systems.1 2

Contributions at Substack

At Substack, Mike has played a pivotal role in establishing the company's data infrastructure. He was instrumental in selecting Snowflake as their data warehouse solution and has implemented data pipelines to facilitate efficient analytics. His efforts have significantly improved real-time data replication and overall decision-making processes within the company.3

Mike emphasizes the importance of self-service analytics for non-technical users, aiming to democratize access to data across teams. He manages a balance between hiring new talent and supporting various functions within the organization.2 3

Current Role and Responsibilities

As the Head of Data, Mike oversees all aspects of data engineering and analytics at Substack. His responsibilities include:

Building and maintaining the data infrastructure.
Implementing tools for real-time data processing.
Ensuring data integrity and accessibility for different teams.
Leading initiatives to enhance self-service capabilities for users without technical expertise.1 3

Mike Cohen's journey reflects a blend of traditional economic insights and modern data engineering practices, making him a key figure in Substack's growth and success in the competitive tech landscape.