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Don’t call yourself a “data scientist”

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Someone introduced himself recently as a “data scientist” to a data warehouse pro I know. “I thought he was a fool,” said Interworks consultant Tim Costello. He says it’s a meaningless term — and I believe it’s another one of those distractions thrown around in a roiling industry.

One of the most interesting of the others I’ve heard is Scott Davis, the founder of Lyzasoft. He emailed this week from somewhere on the Caribbean, “Data scientist is just a term someone applied to a set of skills and practices that have existed for a very, very long time. Like, since the invention of the abacus.”… Read the rest “Don’t call yourself a “data scientist””

Two more execs on data analysts in the executive suite

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An insurance executive I quoted a few weeks ago in this space spoke heresy: Not only do most data analysts he’s known lack the polish for presentations to execs, even worse was too narrow a point of view for leading an organization. It’s the Analytics Gap.

To that, the prolific tweeter and data scientist @data_nerd, Carla Gentry, reacted for many others in the decision support industry: “Huh?”

“I think a logical mind is perfect for business,” she tweeted to me when I inquired. “You must see the whole picture to run a successful business. Having an analytical mind helps.”

All true.… Read the rest “Two more execs on data analysts in the executive suite”

Execs vs. data analysts gives us the Analytics Gap

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One insurance company’s chief data scientist is “terrific at what he does,” says his boss, even “brilliant.” The company is lucky to have him. But he never sees the inside of the executive suite.

“He is a quirky, quirky guy,” says the boss, “and he is a super powerful dude in what he’s doing for us.” But upper executives would judge him harshly. “There would be a terrible outcome.”

Let’s call it the Analytics Gap. At least in this company and probably in many others, some of those who interpret the data don’t stick to rigid, unspoken rules of behavior. And those who with the greatest executive authority can’t quite appreciate what these people can tell them.… Read the rest “Execs vs. data analysts gives us the Analytics Gap”