In a post that recently went viral, Bernard Marr asked the controversial question “why are there so many fake data scientists?” He argues that the incredible demand for data scientists has led many people without the proper qualifications to start using that title. I can understand his frustration and, I think he’s right that there has been a flood of people changing their … [Read more...]
Let’s Stop Using The Phrase “Analysis Paralysis” – A Mathematical Explanation
I have come to hate the phrase "analysis paralysis". Often used by people who are tired of thinking hard, as an excuse to end the discussion. They smugly throw it out with the implication that you are avoiding virtuous hard work with your insistence on a plausible plan. I would argue that in many cases, creating a plausible plan is hard work. It's work that is easy to look down … [Read more...]
You, Yes YOU, Probably Don’t Need Big Data
You’ve probably already heard plenty of people complain about the amorphous definition of big data. In this article, I’m going to define it as databases that are large enough to require MapReduce or some other special algorithm to query. Medium data is anything that requires enterprise level SQL to query. You probably already have medium data if you are enough of a functional … [Read more...]
When Should you Invest in Business Intelligence and Analytics?
It’s necessary to think about what analytics help the business do, in their most abstract form. All that analytics can do is help you make a decision better. That’s it! So the value of analytics relates directly to how well you are making the decision before the analysis, and whether the information that you would need to make a perfect decision is available the first place. … [Read more...]