Tag Archives: Keven Hillstrom

The Ideal Data Scientist

It has often been said that Quants make ideal data scientists, and lately, we have been calling them by that name (Infographics). 

A series of Tweets from Keven Hillstrom (@minethatdata) reads like a high level 101 course on what those guys are actually supposed to do:

Analytics is not at the center of an organization.

The best analysts serve people, earning the right to be asked first to answer questions.

The best analysts care about art as well as science.The best analysts calculate profit.

The best analysts care about both campaigns (short term) and customers (long term).

The best analysts are not “digital” or “offline” or “web”, they are analysts.

The best analysts study different fields and different disciplines, seeking to learn how other industries approach similar problems.

The best analysts carefully study what leading pundits do, then they create something different, something more useful, they “invent”.

The best analysts know not to stretch numbers in an effort to stretch the truth.

They reflect reality, not possibility (unless asked).The best analysts know that so much of what they share are “opinions based on data”, not “facts”.

The best analysts are invited to the “C-Suite” on a frequent basis, and are not afraid to have a different opinion on topics.

The best analysts love doing the math, but seldom share the math, knowing almost no business person cares about it.

The best analysts go beyond what used to be called web analytics or digital analytics. They have relationships with people, earning trust.