Starting from zero

Last week I spoke with a COO at a rapidly growing firm. We talked about the data maturity cycle that most companies move through. Beginning with descriptive analytics, and then moving into diagnostic, predictive, and finally prescriptive analytics.

Then I asked “Where do you think your firm is at on that analytics maturity cycle? ”

“ We don’t have any of that. But I want it all. We need all of those types of analytics”.

I can’t blame her. Prescriptive analytics sounds super exciting and would pitch great in a slide deck to the board.

I’m all for setting big goals (I have a few at The Data Shop).

But we were starting from zero (Which is my favorite place to start).

A company dependent on a couple of manual Excel sheets dreaming of prescriptive ML models is like a middle schooler dreaming of a graduate degree.

It’s a great goal.

But there are years of work first.

Layers of foundation are required.

Let’s get the fundamentals right.

Let’s pass 8th-grade math first.

Today, we can start with a roadmap.

Day by day, that dream comes into focus.

It will take months and years.

But if you ever need help,

I’m here,

Sawyer

from The Data Shop​