Before we begin: Next month, I'm teaching 3-5 data scientists my complete process for creating your own high-value data science opportunities in the Data Science Impact Sprint - a 4-week, 1-on-1 coaching program that will boost your strategic influence and help position you for career advancement. Scroll down to learn more... They say you should start the job you want before you have it. Back in 2015, I wanted to be a data science manager. The problem? Data science was new. Data science...
2 days ago • 2 min read
What can ethical data scientists learn from a social media hacker? More than you might think. Tim O'Hearn is a software engineer who spent years circumventing anti-botting measures and gaining millions of followers for clients - experiences he's chronicled in the recently published Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media. Not exactly the typical guest you'd expect on a data science podcast. Here's the thing... Understanding how systems can be exploited makes you better at building...
2 days ago • 1 min read
Years of delivering "perfectly" on complex data science assignments got me nowhere. One simple solution I proposed myself got me promoted... The last time I received a grade of less than an A was when I was 15 and forced to do P.E. Since then, I went on to complete 4 degrees - all with perfect GPAs. I'm not saying this to brag, but rather to make a point. I was the poster-child for academic success. What it all came down to was learning how to play the game. Put in the hours of hard work....
2 days ago • 1 min read
Why do organisations hire armies of data analysts to develop dashboards and then ignore everything they produce? It's not poor data quality.It's not technical limitations. It's not even bad design - OK, sometimes this is also true. As Nicholas Kelly explained in the latest episode of Value Driven Data Science: "They don't deliver value." But here's what I found fascinating in our conversation - Nicholas has designed and developed dashboards for some of the world's largest companies, from...
2 days ago • 1 min read
One of my proudest moments as a data science manager was starting a team coding club. As a data science manager in the early days of Python adoption, I faced a practical dilemma: my team needed coding skills, but nobody could face another mandatory training session. So I tried something different. Project Euler coding problems. One challenge per week. Solve it first individually, then we'd share solutions as a group. We took turns to bring along snacks. What happened next was a huge surprise....
2 days ago • 1 min read
Why do academic research papers always seem to find something groundbreaking - and data scientists tend to make boring findings sound revolutionary? As an academic turned data scientist, I first felt the pressure to produce "interesting" statistical findings as far back as my honours year. It was my first research project and the capstone to my Bachelors degree. I was determined to make a splash with my debut into the academic world. I imagined publishing my first research paper before...
2 days ago • 1 min read
I'll never forget the moment I realised that in data science, what stakeholders say they want and what they really want aren't always the same. It was one of my first projects as a data scientist. My stakeholder - an executive in my organisation - pointed me in the direction of a dataset. and told me to find some "interesting insights". I saw it as the perfect opportunity to show off my new skills, so I didn't think to question what she'd asked. Big mistake. One month later, I returned with...
2 days ago • 1 min read
Can you explain why your data science work matters in the time it takes to ride an elevator? Most data scientists can't. They either dive into technical jargon that loses their audience or they stumble through vague explanations that dilute their impact. Here's the thing... Without a clear value proposition, you can't stay focused on what matters most, and you definitely can't convince stakeholders of your worth. Water engineer and data science manager Dr. Peter Prevos solved this by creating...
2 days ago • 1 min read
The average person changes careers 5-7 times during their working life. Yet many data scientists still follow "slow and steady wins the race" when building their careers. My dad worked for the same organisation for almost 40 years. That gave him ample time to build his career. By the time he retired, his workmates called him "the Guru" - he still has the sign they gave him at his retirement party to prove it. I've worked for 8 organisations in my working life - never for longer than 5 years -...
2 days ago • 1 min read