Alex Bain
I'm married, I have a son and a cat, and I manage mobile analytics for Facebook
I also took this picture
Posts
Taking a brief break from Tumblr. Not by choice. I’m swamped at work, and I’d rather explicitly tell people not to expect anything here for a while.
I’ll probably still post to Facebook occasionally, though, if for nothing else other than to test out our product ☺
- Shuttle driver: Good to see you again! Do you work in security?
- Me: Nah, but I can see why you'd think that. I'm just an analyst.
- Driver: Oh, but you're here so late. I guess you come in late too?
- Me: Not really. I was in yesterday by 8:30, and today by 9.
- Driver: Oh, but you must not do that for much longer, right?
- Me: That's the same question my wife's been asking :-)
Introducing Oliver to sandcastles today. We’re giving him a pep talk. (Taken with Instagram at Bay Colony Beach Club)
I asked for some fruit to munch on during the 2nd half. Not typical sports bar fare, but they were happy to accommodate :-) (Taken with Instagram at the Old Pro)
It’s not that he usually says the right things; he only says the right things, all the time. As a result, he fuels a quasi-tautological reality that makes his supporters ecstatic, even if they don’t accept it as wholly valid.
There’s a gag somewhere in here about the lessons we teach kids. (Taken with Instagram at Palo Alto Junior Museum And Zoo)
Samantha & Adam visited Facebook this weekend. It was empty b/c of the holiday, so we could just goof around without embarrassing me in front of my coworkers :-)
Spent the weekend in Vegas. 7 couples that all found babysitters. A miracle.
Didn’t take any pics, but here’s one that our friend Daisy took of the group at dinner Saturday night.
I was quite impressed with the ability of all these young parents to rally to stay up late, to hit the tables and the dance floor, and to make it home safe and sound on Sunday.
A modern-day HyperCard. Something that allows anyone who can just kinda-sorta program to make their own apps. We’ve regressed in this way from 20 years ago. 20 years ago most Mac users could build their own software with HyperCard — rudimentary stuff, often, but nothing is more satisfying than scratching your own itch.
Incredible answer from Gruber in this interview, 5 Minutes on The Verge, to the question: “What’s missing in technology that nobody seems to be working on?”
I’ve mentioned how much I loved HyperCard before. iWeb was a train wreck, but something like a revival of HyperCard could introduce a lot of people (particularly kids) to development, and the big hook today would be the ability to export your stack as an iPhone or iPad app.
Oliver’s school has a rule: 3 runny poops, and you get sent home. They have a few other objective measure of whether or not a kid’s sick, but that’s the one we’re interested in with Oliver’s current GI situation.
If you get sent home, you can’t come back until you’re “24 hours symptom free”, which basically means: “Don’t come back tomorrow.”
So, if you’re a parent that would like to avoid missing work, you have to do some tricky calculus when you decide whether to take a baby to school. If you take him and he gets sent home, you miss 1.5-2 days of work. If you don’t take him, you’re choosing to miss one day, in hopes that he’s well enough to take tomorrow.
It’s this interesting, high stakes game of health and probability that I never thought I’d be playing, but the school has done a good job of creating an incentive structure that encourages you to keep a sick kid home.
The other side of the incentive structure is whacked out though: the teacher and school are paid the same no matter how many babies they send home as “sick”, so we’ve had a few cases where we had to pick up what appeared to be a perfectly healthy Oliver.
I don’t think everyone knows about this great iTunes feature, but if you listen to rap, and you buy whole albums, you get a lot of songs with annoying “intros” and “outros”. You can set iTunes to treat other in points and out points as the beginning and ends of specific songs, and then those annoying bits never have to bother you again.
I was demonstrating to Lisa how cool the full screen version of Photo Booth is, and totally ambushed her at the last minute.
This video for the 2012 Brown men’s lacrosse team had me a little too pumped up at work.
Also, I was disappointed that the shot of my #32 jersey hung up in the locker room must’ve been left on the cutting room floor.
I’ve got a bad feeling that my new Twitter follower might be a spam account. How should I go about confirming my suspicion?
Updates
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@FakeBain Somehow, I missed this the first time around. I love that you created a Quora account.
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@brentgrinna Psyched we got to catch up. Sounds like you're kicking ass and taking names.
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Cool new role open in mobile analytics at Facebook, if you know anyone who likes Facebook & mobile apps: http://t.co/YDqsLPXz3 weeks ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@Thranth Yup, just having fun. You have a good one, too. BTW, Romney's actually a really good guy.4 weeks ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@Thranth My 2002 Highlander has taken a beating, but it'd be a stretch to say I destroyed the auto industry.
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@JerLevine Great meeting you too. Your product looks awesome!
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@JohnnyHVan Glad you liked my book, but I don't remember writing it.
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@randalleason This seems right up your alley: http://t.co/34FSoSar6 weeks ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@JohnMaloney Am I crazy or is that your family picture on my son's daycare classroom wall? Evil doppelgänger? http://t.co/MdkAumRY
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So it's come to this. To give @OliverBain a place to run around on a rainy day, we're headed to Ikea. A high-risk maneuver.
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@DrinkBeerN0tTea I'm pretty sure I don't own ClearChannel, but I do enjoy said tsunami.
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@SharonMcWillis I made $343M?!?! My wife's gonna be so bummed that I didn't tell her.
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@wchutch that game sucked. We probably ran 30 miles right before it, too.
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@Eisenberg I'm heartbroken, but it's also so nice to see a "mention" that's not misplaced Romney venom. Good luck tomorrow. I'm terrified.
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@SharonMcWillis why did you say "@bain" which means something specific on twitter, if you meant "at Bain"?
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@rcrockett that's not fair; I've never closed a single company.
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@SharonMcWillis I had a lot of fun in my twenties, but I'm almost positive I never stole anyone's pension
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Nifty way to prove a point: http://t.co/A3Hs7PoS
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@wchutch apologies in advance for the unfollow
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Twitter's becoming totally unusable b/c of all the people using @Bain to refer to Romney's time "at Bain".
Recent tracks
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Into The Sunshine by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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I Will Go Anywhere With You by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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I Wasn't Worried by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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He Is Mad by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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First Impressions by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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Fair Weather by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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Comatose by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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Balloons by {u'mbid': u'f7a91c75-91b7-4904-ad94-2751d0898eeb', u'#text': u'Julia Nunes'}2 days ago
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Adam Carolla Show: Dr. Bruce by {u'mbid': u'', u'#text': u'The Adam Carolla Show'}3 days ago
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Crosseyed and Painless by {u'mbid': u'e01646f2-2a04-450d-8bf2-0d993082e058', u'#text': u'Phish'}4 days ago
Top artists
Photos
Dad & Ann visit PA (3/2012)
Boston on 2 sippy cups a day
Pumpkin shopping
Family photoshoot (Oliver 14.5 months)
Oliver's joint b-day party with Emily
Lisa's cousin's wedding
Oliver's 1st birthday trip to Cape Cod
Gymboree: The only easy day was yesterday
The PA Junior Museum & Zoo
Grandma Colleen's June Palo Alto visit
tv screen saver
Lisa Leigh O-Zone Color 5-day old photoshoot
Lisa Leigh O-Zone B&W 5-day old photoshoot
Pics from Dad & Ann's April visit
iPhone pics: Jan-Feb 2011
Jan-Feb with the O-Zone
Oliver's 1st Christmas… of 2010 :-)
Oliver's 1st Thanksgiving
Halloween & hangin' at the Easons'
Oliver meets his neighbor, Sam
Mom & Adam come to visit
Oliver's 2.5 babysitters (counting Whitie)
Oliver, weeks 5-7
Lisa's family's photoshoot
Spaghetti O
What? Does he look like he was born yesterday?
The O-Zone's arrival
Furio's Professional Photoshoot
ND trip: '09
1st wedding anniversary weekend in Napa
Valentine's 2009
Guys Golf Trip I, Scottsdale
Guys Golf Trip V: Bandon Dunes
Photoboof shots from my wedding
Professional shots from my wedding
Weekend in Hanover
Honeymoon in Greece
Eason Wedding Weekend
6th anniversary in NYC
Randall's Bachelor Party
HBS Graduation
SeaDream 2007
St. Lucian panoramics
St. Lucia Spring Break 2008
Guy's Golf Trip IV, 'Zona
Cheeburger Cheeburger
All my 2007 Sox pics
Notre Dame Trip
The Little Man goes hunting for bugs
Lobster dinner @ Steffen's
Red Sox clinch the A.L. East 2007
HBS trip to Hyannisport, Woods Hole, & Block Island
Saratoga with Uncle Michael
The Schwartz Wedding
HBS' Skunk
4th of July 2007
Furio the Inspector
Furio goes to the Cape
HBS Spring Break 2007
Guys Golf Trip III, San Diego
Med School Grad Party
Hawkins Day
Thanksgiving 2006
Labor Day Golf Weekend, 2006
Levy's Wedding
Cape Party 2006 (Dad's 69th)
Profesional couple's pics
Lisa's UCSF Graduation
HBS Bowling Night
Levy's Bachelor Party
Cinqo de Bowling
Italian Vacation
Guy's Golf Trip II, Palm Springs
That's My Girl
New Years in Naples
Christmas on the Cape 2005
Matt Sullivan's Wedding
Raging Hannumas Bash
Vegas Thanksgiving 2005
Blue Angels 2005
Cape Trip 2005
Cape Trip 2004
Cape Trip 2003
Cape Trip 2002
Uncategorized
Latest checkin
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@Peers Park (1899 Park Blvd)2 hours ago in Palo Alto, CA
Badges
Checkin history
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@Peers Park (1899 Park Blvd)2 hours ago
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@Snip-Its (855 El Camino Real Ste. 125)3 hours ago
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@Bumble (145 First Street)6 hours ago
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@Palo Alto Farmers Market (640 Gilman St)8 hours ago
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@Fraiche Yogurt (200 Hamilton Ave #110)20 hours ago
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@Joya Restaurant & Lounge (339 University Ave.)20 hours ago
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@Cliff House (1090 Point Lobos Ave)45 hours ago
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@Bistro Maxine (548 Ramona St)2 days ago
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@Pampas (529 Alma St)3 days ago
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@The Old Pro (541 Ramona St.)4 days ago
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@Fuki Sushi (4119 El Camino Real)5 days ago
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@Palo Alto Heritage Park (300 Homer Ave)6 days ago
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@Philz Coffee (101 Forest Ave.)6 days ago
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@Starbucks (376 University Ave.)7 days ago
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@Bumble (145 First Street)7 days ago
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@Palo Alto Farmers Market (640 Gilman St)7 days ago
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@Palo Alto Heritage Park (300 Homer Ave)7 days ago
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@The Rose & Crown Pub (547 Emerson St)7 days ago
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@Palo Alto Heritage Park (300 Homer Ave)9 days ago
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@Arrillaga Center for Sports & Recreation (341 Galvez St.)10 days ago
History
Reading
Profile
Experience
- May 2011 - PresentManager, Mobile Analytics / Facebook
- Aug 2009 - PresentManager, iTunes Analytics / Apple Inc.• Launched and managed iTunes’s first central analytics group after demonstrating the value of data-driven decision making to the executive group. • Worked directly with leaders of each content group (e.g. music, movies, etc.), as well as finance, marketing, design and engineering to analyze and advise on their top priorities (e.g. pricing, contract negotiation, efficacy of promotions). • Presented research findings each quarter to an assembly of iTunes senior leadership.
- Feb 2008 - PresentCo-Founder & President / FanZanimal, Inc.FanZanimal was launched after making it to the semifinals of the 2008 HBS business plan competition. After graduation, we took part in Highland Capital's Summer@Highland program for incubating student-founded startups, where we were mentioned and quoted in Business Week: http://bit.ly/FZinBusinessWeek
- Oct 2008 - PresentEarly-stage Bus Dev & Marketing / CrowdSproutI chipped in for a few months to help get a promising, Boston-based startup off the ground in a difficult funding environment. I spent most of my time split between recruiting new merchants to the platform (12 in the first 30 days) and marketing our deals on a shoestring budget to tech-savvy consumers (350k targeted impressions for only $356). The idea behind CrowdSprout is to enable group-buying by bringing together popular merchants and self-organized groups. For example, 10 new moms interested in the same stroller can band together, allowing a merchant to move a bunch of inventory and the moms to receive a discount.
- Jun 2005 - PresentFinancial Programs Manager / Apple Computer, Inc.• Managed team that constructed the global reporting database for Apple’s Accessories group. This tool facilitated central management of a $500M+ business unit. • Created toolset for critical sourcing decisions, reducing risk of vendor default and ensuring optimal margin.
- Dec 2003 - PresentSenior Forecast Analyst / Apple Computer, Inc.• Projected weekly demand, to within two percent of actuals, for over 200 SKU’s and accessories in education and reseller markets. • Provided manufacturing direction to planners on products representing (in fiscal 2005) $2B revenue, $800M margin, 750K units. • Directed the allocation staff on inventory distribution based on my quarterly ending-on-hand projections. • Converted manual forecasting tools into a largely automated process, saving members of the international forecasting staff over five hours each workweek while improving accuracy.
- Aug 2001 - PresentAssociate Consultant / Bain & CompanyFINANCIAL MODELING • Modeled savings scenarios to determine necessity of new third-party health care management vendor. The vendor selected lead to $5M additional savings. STRATEGY & RESEARCH • Performed strategic due diligence including growth and profitability trends, capital requirements and exit strategies, for private equity funds to develop investment theses for acquisitions in multiple industries. • Screened and profiled target companies through management and customer interviews to highlight deal-breaking management and industry issues for interested private equity funds. PROJECT MANAGEMENT • Doubled speed of partnership implementation at a top ten national health insurance company, saving client over $1M. • Reallocated sales team efforts around most profitable channel partnerships for market-leading $9B footwear firm. • Developed product marketing strategy for $1B security software company by segmenting customer base
Education
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2006 - 2008Harvard Business SchoolMBA in Business AdministrationActivities: Elected Historian of Section H Member: TechMedia, and Republican Clubs Co-President: Squash and Tennis Club
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1997 - 2001Brown UniversityBA in Business EconomicsActivities: Varsity Lacrosse, Theta Delta Chi
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1991 - 1997Milton Academy
Additional Information
Map
Upcoming
Past
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Boston, MA, April 20122012-04-28 - 2012-05-01
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Recruiting trip to Boston2012-03-01 - 2012-03-04
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Guys' Golf Trip VII2012-02-17 - 2012-02-20
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Family Christmas2011-12-22 - 2011-12-30
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Winning Oliver's college fund at the craps table2011-11-04 - 2011-11-06