Skip to content
Product cover

Mining Data at PayPal to Guide Business Strategy

September 25, 2012 | Renee Boucher Ferguson | Data, AI, & Machine Learning

A founding member of a new category of financial services providers, PayPal is looking to transform itself from a predominantly online (and mobile) payment service — it has more than 100 million active users worldwide — to a payment service that can be used in the physical world as well. PayPal announced a partnership in August with Discover Financial Services, for example, that will expand its payment services from a few thousand brick-and-mortar locations to potentially seven million by the middle of next year.

As PayPal moves to increase its market share, one thing is certain: Data analytics will play a pivotal role. Why? Because the executive team is paying attention to the numbers. And they're using data analytics to help guide business strategy.

"PayPal leadership wants to know the return on investments PayPal makes," says Veronika Belokhvostova, head of Global Business Analytics at PayPal. "Therefore, each proposal for a new initiative or product feature has to come with a plan for measuring its impact on the PayPal customers and PayPal financials. Each portfolio manager is responsible for not only tracking the performance of his or her portfolio, but also for identifying key drivers of the growth and for tracking leading indicators, such as customer acquisition, of financial results. Business analysts are the ones who design and execute these analyses."

Achieving actionable — and measurable — results through data analytics, however, often requires breaking down the communication gap that can exist between data analysts and business. That means empowering trusted analysts to develop well-thought-out recommendations and implementation plans that answer the all-important question in business: What should we do next?

In a conversation with Renee Boucher Ferguson, a contributing editor at MIT Sloan Management Review, Belokhvostova discussed how PayPal is bridging that communication gap.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0005
My Controller Construct  0.0003
Build Nav  0.0005
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.0692
Total Execution Time  0.0697
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5696 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/mining-data-at-paypal-to-guide-business-strategy
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0020  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0007  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0013  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0007  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '711e63407c0e7c86116fb724db0cb2a1'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'mining-data-at-paypal-to-guide-business-strategy'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0106  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'mining-data-at-paypal-to-guide-business-strategy' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'mining-data-at-paypal-to-guide-business-strategy'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  2943 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '2943' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '2943'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2943' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2943' 
0.0001  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2943'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0232  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('276') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '701' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '701' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '701'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3943' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3943' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3943'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3049' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3049' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3049'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3433' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3433' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3433'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3497' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3497' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3497'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4191' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4191' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4191'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0003  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '2943'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '1344' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '1344' 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '2943'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '2943'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0003  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '2944'
LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '2944'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0002  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '2943'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0004  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)