How Gorgias runs its growth plays on Cargo, on top of a BigQuery and dbt data layer
Guillaume AubertCargo enables direct action from insights within segments. For instance, Cargo allows for the execution of multi-step processes, where the outcome of an initial action, like sending contact information to a CRM, can dictate subsequent actions based on whether the contact was successfully created.Guillaume Aubert
Before Cargo
A modern data stack with no layer to act on it
Gorgias keeps acquisition costs low by experimenting constantly and scaling what works. Growth comes up with the ideas, and engineering builds the logic behind them.
The data was already in good shape: BigQuery as the warehouse and dbt for the models. What was missing was a layer on top of it to act on that data. Every iteration, even a new audience segment, needed an engineer to write code, and the growth team waited.
"We have a very modern data stack, but there's a lot of technical work involved to iterate on building and manipulating different audiences. Despite being a primarily business-oriented problem, we were spending a lot more time on the engineering side of the team that could have been better used."
Activation ran on Hightouch and Zapier. Hightouch processed batches with fixed logic, so a play could not branch on what happened at an earlier step.
"We wanted to improve our A/B testing. For example, setting up a 50/50 branch used to require technical support, involving tasks with SQL, GitHub, and other tools. We needed to simplify this to reduce the time and effort spent on such tests."
What runs on Cargo
Gorgias split the stack into two layers with one owner each. Engineering owns the data layer, the tables in BigQuery and the dbt models. Cargo is the orchestration layer on top: segments read those tables, and plays act on them. The growth team builds and runs that layer itself.
Layer 1: segments on the warehouse, plays on the segments
"Now, there are fewer questions about audience size or which audience to run A/B tests on. Our business team can address these questions directly. Earlier, the ownership of this typically fell to the more technical team members, but now it's the opposite."
Engineers ship a table in BigQuery and dbt once. From then on, the growth team defines segments over it, sizes audiences, splits A/B branches and activates plays. None of that needs an engineering ticket.
Layer 2: plays that branch on every step
"Cargo enables direct action from insights within segments. For instance, Cargo allows for the execution of multi-step processes, where the outcome of an initial action, like sending contact information to a CRM, can dictate subsequent actions based on whether the contact was successfully created."
Gorgias moved its workflows from Hightouch to Cargo. Cargo enrolls records one at a time rather than processing a fixed batch, so every step can branch on the one before. Touchpoints go to the companies with the highest fit and the prospects showing the most awareness, and each play stays modular enough to change without rebuilding the rest.
The outcome
60% less engineering overhead on experiments
New segments go from idea to test far faster, and that shows up as a lower cost of acquisition. The growth team tests more variations of each tactic to find the winners, and needs much less engineering time to do it.
Two thirds of the revenue automation tools replaced
Workflows that used to be spread across Zapier, Hightouch and other tools now run on Cargo. There is less software to pay for and maintain, and the growth team debugs its own plays.
Gorgias is a one-of-a-kind customer service platform tailored for ecommerce businesses. It offers comprehensive support capabilities, including automation and AI, across email, voice, SMS, live chat, and social media. Serving over 13,000 merchants, Gorgias's clientele includes notable names like Steve Madden and Glossier.
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