Raphael Cailloux Finds Inspiration and Beauty in Data Science

“I like the useful beauty of mathematical reasoning,” says Raphael Cailloux, Audible’s Head of Product and Marketing Analytics and Data Science. “It is a language that helps reduce the complexity of the world to actionable cause-and-effect relationships.”

Cailloux, who was born in Paris, is drawn to the Zen way of thinking about things, even numbers. When he first joined Audible, in 2015 at our Berlin hub, he was managing data science for our service in the EU, with a team of one data scientist. Now he oversees a worldwide team of about 75 employees who are helping our business make strong, data-driven choices in order to continuously evolve Audible’s offering and surpass our customer’s expectations.

Cailloux practices daily meditation, is an avid basketball fan, and enjoys taking advantage of Berlin’s vibrant life with his family, as well as the peaceful lakes and forests that surround them. Below, he shares some of the strengths of introverted leaders, what he loves about data science at Audible, and which big mystery he hopes to understand in his lifetime.

How would you describe your approach to or philosophy of leadership?

Leadership is a fascinating topic for me. People might not think of me as a natural-born leader. Some of my personality traits are not typical of leadership, like introversion and vulnerability. On the other hand, those traits also mean that, as a leader, I strive for self-reflection, curiosity, integrity and deep-diving. A metaphor I use when thinking about leadership is from basketball: I mostly play point guard, where the goal is to make others play better, position them to be their best, and make the team a well-orchestrated, synergetic winning unit. That’s my North Star, where leadership is concerned.

What’s the most exciting thing about leading at Audible right now?

Audible is a great company, with a great product, purpose and culture. It is fantastic to be a part of strategic discussions about the future of Audible in a world that is constantly changing, to witness the greatness of my colleagues’ thinking and to bring my own particular, data-driven thinking to the mix.

What do you like best about your work?

When I was in high school, I enjoyed both math and philosophy. Now I get to use qualitative thinking (the creative mind, which can deal with ambiguity and human complexity) as much as quantitative thinking (the analytical, problem-solving mind). It’s a lot of fun to be asked to combine both. You can really get in the flow with data analysis and get a sense of joy and fulfillment, especially as you unearth insights that can be transformational for the customer experience.

I also appreciate being partially responsible for a product I love, for a company that has helped me grow so much. And I can’t emphasize enough how privileged I feel to lead a team of such smart, highly talented people.

If you could have any super power what would it be?

That’s an interesting question, because I think any super power could lead to abuses and unintended consequences, even in the hands of a “good guy.” I would be cautious with accepting one. That said, it would be interesting to be able to freeze the world for a few seconds sometimes, just to catch a breath or pull a prank by moving objects around people!

If we made an Audible Original about your life, what would the title be?

I hope I live to be very old, and that towards the end I will get a glimpse of what lies behind the big mysteries underpinning our existence. So maybe: The Guy That Finally Understood the Big Bang When He Turned 100.

Lightning Round

• Coffee or tea? Tea—in particular, Japanese tea. Doing a full tea ceremony is on my bucket list.
• Morning person or night owl? Night owl, definitely.
• Where are you working from currently? Berlin.
• How long have you been with Audible? Eight and a half years.
• Who is your biggest inspiration, career-wise? I am interested in secular Buddhism, and I like listening to Jeff Warren on topics that may seem paradoxical as career advice, such as not striving and not measuring your worth in terms of success. I love having deep discussions about these counter-intuitive teachings, which are a crucial and intriguing part of Zen thinking.
• Dine in or take out? I like both for different reasons, although I don’t appreciate noisy restaurants because I can’t filter out noise well (which, for a trained statistician, is somehow ironic).
• Favorite outside of work hobby? Playing and watching basketball (I can’t get enough of watching my fellow French citizen, Victor Wembanyama, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs), and listening/reading.
• Favorite Audible listen, go. I’ll go by genre! Drama: The End of The Affair. Thriller: The Silent Patient. Comedy: Heads Will Roll. Non-fiction: The Historical Jesus (Great Courses).