The role of the data scientist is changing. Some organizations are splitting the role into more narrowly focused jobs, while others are broadening it. The latter approach, known as the Full Stack Data Scientist, is derived from the concept of a full stack software engineer, with this role often including software engineering tasks. In particular, one of the key functions of a full stack data scientist is to take machine learning models and get them into production inside software. So, what separates projects from production? Savin Goyal is the Co-Founder & CTO at Outerbounds. In addition to his work at Outerbounds, Savin is the creator of the open source machine learning management platform Metaflow. Previously Savin has worked as a Software Engineer at Netflix and LinkedIn. In the episode, Richie and Savin explore the definition of production in data science, steps to move from internal projects to production, the lifecycle of a machine learning project, success stories in data science, challenges in quality control, Metaflow, scalability and robustness in production, AI and MLOps, advice for organizations and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: OuterboundsMetaflowConnect with Savin on Linkedin[Course] Developing Machine Learning Models for ProductionRelated Episode: Why ML Projects Fail, and How to Ensure Success with Eric Siegel, Founder of Machine Learning Week, Former Columbia Professor, and Bestselling AuthorRewatch sessions from RADAR: AI Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

From data science to software engineering, Large Language Models (LLMs) have emerged as pivotal tools in shaping the future of programming. In this session, Michele Catasta, VP of AI at Replit, Jordan Tigani, CEO at Motherduck, and Ryan J. Salva, VP of Product at GitHub, will explore practical applications of LLMs in coding workflows, how to best approach integrating AI into the workflows of data teams, what the future holds for AI-assisted coding, and a lot more. Links Mentioned in the Show: Rewatch Session from RADAR: AI Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

Loyalty schemes are a hallmark of established retailers—not only do they build consumer trust, they are intelligent and constantly evolving, and Tesco’s Clubcard is the UK’s favorite retail loyalty program. The effects of these discounts are far-reaching, especially for families who rely on getting the best deals to make the most of their money. As Tesco’s tagline goes, every little helps. In turn, the identification and specific details of discounted products can have a profound impact on how consumers view the largest supermarket retailer in the United Kingdom, as well as the operational costs and profits that shareholders are concerned with. How do data and AI inform these offers, what goes into the enterprise-scale analytics that keeps Tesco’s Clubcard the UK’s favorite? Venkat Raghavan is Director of Analytics and Science at Tesco. Venkat’s area of expertise is customer analytics, having been very heavily involved with the Tesco Clubcard loyalty program. Venkat also set up an analytics center of excellence to help break down data silos between teams. Previously, he was a Director of Analytics at Boston Consulting Group and Senior Director for Advanced Analytics & AI for Manthan and a Cross Industry Delivery Leader at Mu Sigma. In the episode, Richie and Venkat explore Tesco’s use of data, the introduction of the clubcard scheme, Tesco’s data-driven innovations in online food retail, understanding customer behavior through loyalty programs and in-app interactions, improving customer experience at Tesco, operating a cohesive data intelligence platform that leverages multiple data sources, communication between data and business teams, pricing and cost management, the challenges of data science at scale, the future of data and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: Tesco ClubcardMcKinsey: State of Grocery Europe 2024[Course] Data Science for BusinessRelated Episode: Scaling Enterprise Analytics with Libby Duane Adams, Chief Advocacy Officer and Co-Founder of AlteryxSign up to RADAR: AI Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile app Empower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

In the fast-paced work environments we are used to, the ability to quickly find and understand data is essential. Data professionals can often spend more time searching for data than analyzing it, which can hinder business progress. Innovations like data catalogs and automated lineage systems are transforming data management, making it easier to ensure data quality, trust, and compliance. By creating a strong metadata foundation and integrating these tools into existing workflows, organizations can enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. But how did this all come to be, who is driving better access and collaboration through data? Prukalpa Sankar is the Co-founder of Atlan. Atlan is a modern data collaboration workspace (like GitHub for engineering or Figma for design). By acting as a virtual hub for data assets ranging from tables and dashboards to models & code, Atlan enables teams to create a single source of truth for all their data assets, and collaborate across the modern data stack through deep integrations with tools like Slack, BI tools, data science tools and more. A pioneer in the space, Atlan was recognized by Gartner as a Cool Vendor in DataOps, as one of the top 3 companies globally. Prukalpa previously co-founded SocialCops, world leading data for good company (New York Times Global Visionary, World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer). SocialCops is behind landmark data projects including India’s National Data Platform and SDGs global monitoring in collaboration with the United Nations. She was awarded Economic Times Emerging Entrepreneur for the Year, Forbes 30u30, Fortune 40u40, Top 10 CNBC Young Business Women 2016, and a TED Speaker. In the episode, Richie and Prukalpa explore challenges within data discoverability, the inception of Atlan, the importance of a data catalog, personalization in data catalogs, data lineage, building data lineage, implementing data governance, human collaboration in data governance, skills for effective data governance, product design for diverse audiences, regulatory compliance, the future of data management and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: AtlanConnect with Prukalpa[Course] Artificial Intelligence (AI) StrategyRelated Episode: Adding AI to the Data Warehouse with Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO at SnowflakeSign up to RADAR: AI Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile app Empower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

Everything in the world has a price, including improving and scaling your data and AI functions. That means that at some point someone will question the ROI of your projects, and often, these projects will be looked at under the lens of monetization. But how do you ensure that what you’re working on is not only providing value to the business but also creating financial gain? What conditions need to be met to prove your project's success and turn value into cash? Vin Vashishta is the author of ‘From Data to Profit’ (Wiley), the playbook for monetizing data and AI. He built V-Squared from client 1 to one of the oldest data and AI consulting firms. For the last eight years, he has been recognized as a data and AI thought leader. Vin is a LinkedIn Top Voice and Gartner Ambassador. His background spans over 25 years in strategy, leadership, software engineering, and applied machine learning. Dr. Tiffany Perkins-Munn is on a mission to bring research, analytics, and data science to life. She earned her Ph.D. in Social-Personality Psychology with an interdisciplinary focus on Advanced Quantitative Methods. Her insights are the subject of countless lectures on psychology, statistics, and their real-world applications. As the Head of Data and Analytics for the innovative CDAO organization at J.P. Morgan Chase, her knack involves unraveling complex business problems through operational enhancements, augmented financials, and intuitive recruiting. After over two decades in the industry, she consistently forges robust relationships across the corporate spectrum, becoming one of the Top 10 Finalists in the Merrill Lynch Global Markets Innovation Program. In the episode, Richie, Vin, and Tiffany explore the challenges of monetizing data and AI projects, including how technical, organizational, and strategic factors affect your input, the importance of aligning technical and business objectives to keep outputs focused on core business goals, how to assess your organization's data and AI maturity, examples of high data maturity businesses, data security and compliance, quick wins in data transformation and infrastructure, why long-term vision and strategy matter, and much more. Links Mentioned in the Show: Connect with Tiffany on LinkedinConnect with Vin on LinkedinVin’s Website[Course] Data Governance Concepts Related Episode: Scaling Enterprise Analytics with Libby Duane Adams, Chief Advocacy Officer and Co-Founder of Alteryx New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

Speedily adopting new technologies can give your business a competitive advantage, but with so much happening in the world of generative AI, it's difficult to know what to adopt. In this episode, Richie chats to two venture capitalists to get their view on the global AI landscape, where we are in the AI hype cycle, and how to adopt AI tech. Beyond this, we explore Rocketship.vc's use of data and algorithms to make investment decisions in early-stage startups. If our previous episode’s deep dive into 2024’s data & AI trends with VC Tom Tunguz got you excited about how investors are looking at the market at the moment, then this episode is sure to do the same. This time, we have twice the insight, thanks to our two guests. Madhu Shalini Iyer is a Managing Partner at Rocketship.vc, a Silicon Valley based fund investing globally. She was the Chief Data Officer of Gojek and helped grow the business into a $10 billion unicorn. In addition to being a board member, she started the Singapore office and played an active role in the strategy, new business development, and ‘data as a competitive advantage’. Prior to Gojek, Madhu was part of the founding team of Intuit’s Quickbooks Lending Platform. As the data science leader at Intuit, Madhu helped grow the platform to $300 million and holds 2 patents in the areas of user data augmented algorithms for financial inclusion. Madhu was also the Chief Data Officer for Ethoslending. There she built the underwriting platform and was responsible for all b2c revenue, resulting in $65 million gross market value per month. Madhu was further responsible for building and running the marketing team. Prior, Madhu was a partner at a $150m private equity fund, Stem Financial, in Hong Kong. She started her career as a senior data scientist with a leading think tank in Menlo Park, CA. Sailesh Ramakrishnan is also a Managing Partner at Rocketship.vc. Prior to Rocketship.vc, Sailesh was CTO and co-founder of LocBox (acquired by Square), a startup focussed on marketing for local businesses. Sailesh worked with Anand and Venky at their previous startup Kosmix, and continued on to Walmart as a Director of Engineering at @WalmartLabs. Before jumping into the startup world, Sailesh worked as a Computer Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. Sailesh earned his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from IIT Madras, his Masters degree in Construction Management from Virginia Tech and another Master degree in Intelligent Systems from University of Pittsburgh. He was a Ph.D. candidate in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Michigan. In the episode, Richie, Madhu and Sailesh explore the generative AI revolution, categorizing generative AI tools, the impact of genAI across industries, investment philosophy and data-driven decision-making, the challenges and opportunities when investing in AI, future trends and predictions, regulatory and ethical considerations of AI, and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: Rocketship.vc[Course] Implementing AI Solutions in BusinessRelated Episode: Inside Algorithmic Trading with Anthony Markham, Vice President, Quantitative Developer at Deutsche BankSign up to RADAR: AI Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using thea href="https://www.datacamp.com/mobile" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

With seemingly every organization wanting to enhance their AI capabilities, questions arise about who should be in charge of these initiatives. At the moment, it’s likely a CTO, CIO, or CDO, or a mixture of the three. The gold standard is to have someone in the C-suite whose sole focus is their AI projects: the Chief AI Officer. This role is so new that it's not yet widely understood. In this episode, we explore what the CAIO job entails. Philipp Herzig is the Chief AI Officer at SAP. He’s held a variety of roles within SAP, most recently SVP Head of Cross Product Engineering & Experience, however his experience covers intelligent enterprise & cross-architecture, head of engineering for cloud-native apps, a software development manager, and product owner.  In the full episode, Richie and Philipp explore what his day-to-day responsibilities are as a CAIO, the holistic approach to cross-team collaboration, non-technical interdepartmental work, AI strategy and implementation, challenges and success metrics, how to approach high-value AI use cases, insights into current AI developments and the importance of continuous learning, the exciting future of AI and much more. 

Links Mentioned in the Show: SAP’s AI CoPilot JouleSAP[Course] Implementing AI Solutions in BusinessRelated Episode: How Walmart Leverages Data & AI with Swati Kirti, Sr Director of Data Science at WalmartRewatch sessions from RADAR: The Analytics Edition

New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

There aren’t many retail giants like Walmart. In fact, there are none. The multinational generates 650bn in revenue, (including 50bn in eCommerce)—the highest revenue of any retailer globally. With over 10,000 stores worldwide and a constantly evolving product line, Walmart’s data & AI function has a lot to contend with when it comes to customer experience, demand forecasting, supply chain optimization and where to use AI effectively. So how do they do it? What can we learn from one of the most successful and well-known organizations on the planet? Swati Kirti is a Senior Director of Data Science, leading the AI/ML charter for Walmart Global Tech’s international business in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Chile, China, and South Africa. She is responsible for building AI/ML models and products to enable automation and data-driven decisions, powering superior customer experience and realizing value for omnichannel international businesses across e-commerce, stores, supply chain, and merchandising. In the episode, Swati and Richie explore the role of data and AI at Walmart, how the data and AI teams operate under Swati’s supervision, how Walmart improves customer experience through the use of data, supply chain optimization, demand forecasting, retail-specific data challenges, scaling AI solutions, innovation in retail through AI and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: Article - Walmart’s Generative AI search puts more time back in customers' handsWalmart Global Tech[Course] Implementing AI Solutions in BusinessRelated Episode: How Generative AI is Changing Business and Society with Bernard Marr, AI Advisor, Best-Selling Author, and FuturistRewatch sessions from RADAR: The Analytics Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

Databricks started out as a platform for using Spark, a big data analytics engine, but it's grown a lot since then. Databricks now allows users to leverage their data and AI projects in the same place, ensuring ease of use and consistency across operations. The Databricks platform is converging on the idea of data intelligence, but what does this mean, how will it help data teams and organizations, and where does AI fit in the picture? Ari is Databricks’ Head of Evangelism and "The Real Moneyball Guy" - the popular movie was partly based on his analytical innovations in Major League Baseball. He is a leading influencer in analytics, artificial intelligence, data science, and high-growth business innovation. Ari was previously the Global AI Evangelist at DataRobot, Nielsen’s regional VP of Analytics, Caltech Alumni of the Decade, President Emeritus of the worldwide Independent Oracle Users Group, on Intel’s AI Board of Advisors, Sports Illustrated Top Ten GM Candidate, an IBM Watson Celebrity Data Scientist, and on the Crain’s Chicago 40 Under 40. He's also written 5 books on analytics, databases, and baseball. Robin is the Field CTO at Databricks. She has consulted with hundreds of organizations on data strategy, data culture, and building diverse data teams. Robin has had an eclectic career path in technical and business functions with more than two decades in tech companies, including Microsoft and Databricks. She also has achieved multiple academic accomplishments from her juris doctorate to a masters in law to engineering leadership. From her first technical role as an entry-level consumer support engineer to her current role in the C-Suite, Robin supports creating an inclusive workplace and is the current co-chair of Women in Data Safety Committee. She was also recognized in 2023 as a Top 20 Women in Data and Tech, as well as DataIQ 100 Most Influential People in Data. In the episode, Richie, Ari, and Robin explore Databricks, the application of generative AI in improving services operations and providing data insights, data intelligence, and lakehouse technology, the wide-ranging applications of generative AI, how AI tools are changing data democratization, the challenges of data governance and management and how tools like Databricks can help, how jobs in data and AI are changing and much more.  About the AI and the Modern Data Stack DataFramed Series This week we’re releasing 4 episodes focused on how AI is changing the modern data stack and the analytics profession at large. The modern data stack is often an ambiguous and all-encompassing term, so we intentionally wanted to cover the impact of AI on the modern data stack from different angles. Here’s what you can expect: Why the Future of AI in Data will be Weird with Benn Stancil, CTO at Mode & Field CTO at ThoughtSpot — Covering how AI will change analytics workflows and tools How Databricks is Transforming Data Warehousing and AI with Ari Kaplan, Head Evangelist & Robin Sutara, Field CTO at Databricks — Covering Databricks, data intelligence and how AI tools are changing data democratizationAdding AI to the Data Warehouse with Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO at Snowflake — Covering Snowflake and its uses, how generative AI is changing the attitudes of leaders towards data, and how to improve your data managementAccelerating AI Workflows with Nuri Cankaya, VP of AI Marketing & La Tiffaney Santucci, AI Marketing Director at Intel — Covering AI’s impact on marketing analytics, how AI is being integrated into existing products, and the democratization of AI Links Mentioned in the Show: DatabricksDelta Lakea href="https://mlflow.org/" rel="noopener...

We are in a Generative AI hype cycle. Every executive looking at the potential generative AI today is probably thinking about how they can allocate their department's budget to building some AI use cases. However, many of these use cases won't make it into production. In a similar vein, the hype around machine learning in the early 2010s led to lots of hype around the technology, but a lot of the value did not pan out. Four years ago, VentureBeat showed that 87% of data science projects did not make it into production. And in a lot of ways, things haven’t gotten much better. And if we don't learn why that is the case, generative AI could be destined to a similar fate.  Eric Siegel, Ph.D., is a leading consultant and former Columbia University professor who helps companies deploy machine learning. He is the founder of the long-running Machine Learning Week conference series and its new sister, Generative AI World, the instructor of the acclaimed online course “Machine Learning Leadership and Practice – End-to-End Mastery,” executive editor of The Machine Learning Times, and a frequent keynote speaker. He wrote the bestselling Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die, as well as The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment. Eric’s interdisciplinary work bridges the stubborn technology/business gap. At Columbia, he won the Distinguished Faculty award when teaching graduate computer science courses in ML and AI. Later, he served as a business school professor at UVA Darden. Eric also publishes op-eds on analytics and social justice. In the episode, Adel and Eric explore the reasons why machine learning projects don't make it into production, the BizML Framework or how to bring business stakeholders into the room when building machine learning use cases, the skill gap between business stakeholders and data practitioners, use cases of organizations have leveraged machine learning for operational improvements, what the previous machine learning hype cycle can teach us about generative AI and a lot more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment by Eric SiegelGenerating ROI with AIBizML Cheat SheetGooderSurvey: Machine Learning Projects Still Routinely Fail to Deploy[Skill Track] MLOps Fundamentals

2023 was a huge year for data and AI. Everyone who didn't live under a rock started using generative AI, and much was teased by companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and Meta. We saw the millions of different use cases generative AI could be applied to, as well as the iterations we could expect from the AI space, such as connected multi-modal models, LLMs in mobile devices and formal legislation. But what has this meant for DataCamp? What will we do to facilitate learners and organizations around the world in staying ahead of the curve? In this special episode of DataFramed, we sit down with DataCamp Co-Founders Jo Cornelissen, Chief Executive Officer, and Martijn Theuwissen, Chief Operating Officer, to discuss their expectations for data & AI in 2024. In the episode, Richie, Jo and Martijn discuss generative AI's mainstream impact in 2023, the broad use cases of generative AI and skills required to utilize it effectively, trends in AI and software development, how the programming languages for data are evolving, new roles in data & AI, the job market and skill development in data science and their predictions for 2024. Links Mentioned in the Show: Free course - Become an AI DeveloperWebinar - Data & AI Trends & Predictions 2024 Courses: Artificial Intelligence (AI) StrategyGenerative AI for BusinessImplementing AI Solutions in BusinessAI Ethics

In January 2024, six activists were identified by British Police in London, suspected of planning to disrupt the London Stock Exchange through a lock-in. In an attempt to prevent the building from opening for trading. Despite the foiled attempt, the strategy for this protest was inherently flawed. Trading no longer requires a busy exchange with raucous shouting and phone calls to facilitate the flow of investment around the world. Nowadays, machines can trade at a fraction of a second, ingesting huge amounts of real-time data to execute finely tuned-trading strategies. But who programs these trading machines, how do we assess risk when trading at such a high volume and in such short periods of time? Anthony Markham is Vice President, Quantitative Developer at Deutsche Bank. With a background in Aerospace and Software Engineering, Anthony has experience in Data Science, facial recognition research, tertiary education, and Quantitative Finance, developing mostly in Python, Julia, and C++. When not working, Anthony enjoys working on personal projects, flying aircraft, and playing sports. In the episode, Richie and Anthony cover what algorithmic trading is, the use of machine learning techniques in trading strategies, the challenges of handling large datasets with low latency, risk management in algorithmic trading, data analysis techniques for handling time series data, the challenges of deep neural networks in trading, the diverse roles and skills of those who work in algorithmic trading and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: Flash crash of 2010KDB+Q Query Language[Course] Quantitative Risk Management in PythonUnderstanding Value at Risk (VaR)

Regardless of profession, the work we do leaves behind a trace of actions that help us achieve our goals. This is especially true for those that work with data. For large enterprises where there are seemingly countless processes happening at any one time, keeping track of these processes is crucial. Given the scale of these processes, one small efficiency gain can leads to a staggering amount of time and money saved. Process mining is a data-driven approach to process analysis that uses event logs to extract process-related information. It can separate inferred facts, from exact truths, and uncover what really happens in a variety of operations.  Wil van der Aalst is a full professor at RWTH Aachen University, leading the Process and Data Science (PADS) group. He is also the Chief Scientist at Celonis, part-time affiliated with the Fraunhofer FIT, and a member of the Board of Governors of Tilburg University.  His research interests include process mining, Petri nets, business process management, workflow management, process modeling, and process analysis. Wil van der Aalst has published over 275 journal papers, 35 books (as author or editor), 630 refereed conference/workshop publications, and 85 book chapters. Cong Yu leads the CeloAI group at Celonis focusing on bringing advanced AI technologies to EMS products, building up capabilities for their knowledge platform, and ultimately helping enterprises in reducing process inefficiencies and achieving operational excellence. Previously, Cong was Principal (Research) Scientist / Research Director at Google Research NYC from September 2010 to July 2022, leading the NYSD/Beacon Research Group, and also taught at NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.  In the episode, Wil, Cong, and Richie explore process mining and its development over the past 25 years, the differences between process mining and ML, AI, and data mining, popular use cases of process mining, adoption from large enterprises like BMW, HP, and Dell, the requirements for an effective process mining system, the role of predictive analytics and data engineering in process mining, how to scale process mining systems, prospects within the field and much more. Links Mentioned in the Show: CelonisGartner’s Magic Quadrant for Process MiningPM4PyProcess Query Language (PQL)[Couse] Business Process Analytics in R

There are a few caveats to using generative AI tools, those caveats have led to a few tips that have quickly become second nature to those that use LLMs like ChatGPT. The main one being: have the domain knowledge to validate the output in order to avoid hallucinations. Hallucinations are one of the weak spots for LLMs due to the nature of the way they are built, as they are trained to correlate data in order to predict what might come next in an incomplete sequence. Does this mean that we’ll always have to be wary of the output of AI products, with the expectation that there is no intelligent decision-making going on under the hood? Far from it. Causal AI is bound by reason—rather than looking at correlation, these exciting systems are able to focus on the underlying causal mechanisms and relationships. As the AI field rapidly evolves, Causal AI is an area of research that is likely to have a huge impact on a huge number of industries and problems.  Paul Hünermund is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Innovation at Copenhagen Business School. In his research, Dr. Hünermund studies how firms can leverage new technologies in the space of machine learning and artificial intelligence such as Causal AI for value creation and competitive advantage. His work explores the potential for biases in organizational decision-making and ways for managers to counter them. It thereby sheds light on the origins of effective business strategies in markets characterized by a high degree of technological competition and the resulting implications for economic growth and environmental sustainability.  His work has been published in The Journal of Management Studies, the Econometrics Journal, Research Policy, Journal of Product Innovation Management, International Journal of Industrial Organization, MIT Sloan Management Review, and Harvard Business Review, among others.  In the full episode, Richie and Paul explore Causal AI, its differences when compared to other forms of AI, use cases of Causal AI in fields like drug development, marketing, manufacturing, and defense. They also discuss how Causal AI contributes to better decision-making, the role of domain experts in getting accurate results, what happens in the early stages of Causal AI adoption, exciting new developments within the Causal AI space and much more.  Links Mentioned in the Show: Causal Data Science in BusinessCausal AI by causaLensIntro to Causal AI Using the DoWhy Library in PythonLesson: Inference (causal) models

Poor data engineering is like building a shaky foundation for a house—it leads to unreliable information, wasted time and money, and even legal problems, making everything less dependable and more troublesome in our digital world. In the retail industry specifically, data engineering is particularly important for managing and analyzing large volumes of sales, inventory, and customer data, enabling better demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and personalized customer experiences. It helps retailers make informed decisions, streamline operations, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Insight and frameworks learned from data engineering practices can be applied to a multitude of people and problems, and in turn, learning from someone who has been at the forefront of data engineering is invaluable.   Mohammad Sabah is SVP of Engineering and Data at Thrive Market, and was appointed to this role in 2018. He joined the company from The Honest Company where he served as VP of Engineering & Chief Data Scientist. Sabah joined The Honest Company following its acquisition of Insnap, which he co-founded in 2015. Over the course of his career, Sabah has held various data science and engineering roles at companies including Facebook, Workday, Netflix, and Yahoo! In the episode, Richie and Mo explore the importance of using AI to identify patterns and proactively address common errors, the use of tools like dbt and SODA for data pipeline abstraction and stakeholder involvement in data quality, data governance and data quality as foundations for strong data engineering, validation layers at each step of the data pipeline to ensure data quality, collaboration between data analysts and data engineers for holistic problem-solving and reusability of patterns, ownership mentality in data engineering and much more.  Links from the show: PagerDutyDomoOpsGeneCareer Track: Data Engineer

From the dawn of humanity, decisions, both big and small, have shaped our trajectory. Decisions have built civilizations, forged alliances, and even charted the course of our very evolution. And now, as data & AI become more widespread, the potential upside for better decision making is massive. Yet, like any technology, the true value of data & AI is realized by how we wield it.  We're often drawn to the allure of the latest tools and techniques, but it's crucial to remember that these tools are only as effective as the decisions we make with them. ChatGPT is only as good as the prompt you decide to feed it and what you decide to do with the output. A dashboard is only as good as the decisions that it influences. Even a data science team is only as effective as the value they deliver to the organization.  So in this vast landscape of data and AI, how can we master the art of better decision making? How can we bridge data & AI with better decision intelligence? ​​Cassie Kozyrkov founded the field of Decision Intelligence at Google where, until recently, she served as Chief Decision Scientist, advising leadership on decision process, AI strategy, and building data-driven organizations. Upon leaving Google, Cassie started her own company of which she is the CEO, Data Scientific. In almost 10 years at the company, Cassie personally trained over 20,000 Googlers in data-driven decision-making and AI and has helped over 500 projects implement decision intelligence best practices. Cassie also previously served in Google's Office of the CTO as Chief Data Scientist, and the rest of her 20 years of experience was split between consulting, data science, lecturing, and academia.  Cassie is a top keynote speaker and a beloved personality in the data leadership community, followed by over half a million tech professionals. If you've ever went on a reading spree about AI, statistics, or decision-making, chances are you've encountered her writing, which has reached millions of readers.  In the episode Cassie and Richie explore misconceptions around data science, stereotypes associated with being a data scientist, what the reality of working in data science is, advice for those starting their career in data science, and the challenges of being a data ‘jack-of-all-trades’.  Cassie also shares what decision-science and decision intelligence are, what questions to ask future employers in any data science interview, the importance of collaboration between decision-makers and domain experts, the differences between data science models and their real-world implementations, the pros and cons of generative AI in data science, and much more.  Links mentioned in the Show: Data scientist: The sexiest job of the 22nd centuryThe Netflix PrizeAI Products: Kitchen AnalogyType one, Two & Three Errors in StatisticsCourse: Data-Driven Decision Making for BusinessRadar: Data & AI Literacy...

In data science, the push for unbiased machine learning models is evident. So much effort is made into ensuring the products we create are done thoughtfully and correctly, but are we investing the same effort in ensuring our teams, the very architects of these models, are diverse and inclusive? Bias in data can lead to skewed results, and similarly, a lack of diversity in teams can result in narrow perspectives. As we prioritize building diversity and inclusion into our data, it's equally crucial to embed these principles within our teams. So, who is best equipped to guide us in integrating DEI from a data perspective? Tracy Daniels is the Chief Data Officer for Truist Financial Corporation. She leads the team responsible for Truist’s enterprise data capabilities, including strategy, governance, data platform delivery, client, master & reference data, and the centers of excellence for business intelligence visualization and artificial intelligence & machine learning. She is also the executive sponsor for Truist’s Enterprise Technology & Operations Diversity Council. Daniels joined Truist in 2018. She has more than 25 years of banking and technology experience leading high performing technology portfolio, development, infrastructure and global operations organizations. Tracy enjoys participating in civic and philanthropic endeavors including serving on the Georgia State University Foundation Board of Trustees. She has been recognized as a National 2013 WOC STEM Rising Star award recipient, the 2017 Working Mother magazine Mother of the Year recipient, and a 2021 Women In Technology (WIT) Women of the Year in STEAM finalist. In the episode Tracy and Richie discuss Truist's approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and its alignment with the company's purpose and values, the distinction between diversity and inclusion, the positive outcomes of implementing DEI correctly, the importance of not missing opportunities both externally with customers and internally with talent, the significance of aligning diversity programs with business metrics and hiring to promote DEI, considerations for job advertisements that appeal to a diverse audience, and much more.  Links mentioned in the show: McKinsey on Diversity and InclusionBrookings Piece on Mitigating Bias in DataAlgorithmic Justice LeagueEuropean Legislation on Data and DiversityCourse: AI EthicsRadar: Data & AI Literacy Edition

Throughout history, small businesses have consistently played a pivotal role in the global economy, serving as its foundational backbone. As we navigate the digital age, the emergence of large corporations and rapid technological advancements present new challenges. Now, more than ever, it's imperative for small businesses to adapt, embracing a data-driven approach to remain competitive and sustainable. In this evolving landscape, we need champions dedicated to guiding these businesses, ensuring they harness the full potential of modern tools and insights to ensure a fair and varied marketplace of goods and services for all.  Dr Kendra Vant, Executive General Manager of Data & AI Products at Xero, is an industry leader in building data-driven products that harness AI and machine learning to solve complex problems for the small-business economy. Working across Australia, Asia and the US, Kendra has led data and technology teams at companies such as Seek, Telstra, Deloitte and now Xero where she leads the company's global efforts using emerging practices and technologies to help small businesses and their advisors benefit from the power of data and insights. Starting with doctoral research in experimental quantum physics at MIT and a stint building quantum computers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Kendra has made a career of solving hard problems and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. In the episode, Kendra and Richie delve into the transformative impact of data science on small businesses, use-cases of data science for small businesses, how Xero has supported numerous small businesses with data science. They also cover the integration of AI in product development, the unexpected depth of data in seemingly low-tech sectors, the pivotal role of software platforms in data analysis and much more.  Links Mentioned in The Show: Xero Analyzing Business Data in SQL Financial Modeling in Spreadsheets Implementing AI Solutions in Business Generative AI Concepts

As companies scale and become more successful, new horizons open, but with them come unexpected challenges. The influx of revenue and expansion of operations often reveal hidden complexities that can hinder efficiency and inflate costs. In this tricky situation, data teams can find themselves entangled in a web of obstacles that slow down their ability to innovate and respond to ever-changing business needs. Enter cloud analytics—a transformative solution that promises to break down barriers and unleash potential. By migrating analytics to the cloud, organizations can navigate the growing pains of success, cutting costs, enhancing flexibility, and empowering data teams to work with agility and precision. John Knieriemen is the Regional Business Lead for North America at Exasol, the market-leading high-performance analytics database. Prior to joining Exasol, he served as Vice President and General Manager at Teradata during an 11-year tenure with the company. John is responsible for strategically scaling Exasol’s North America business presence across industries and expanding the organization’s partner network.  Solongo Erdenekhuyag is the former Customer Success and Data Strategy Leader at Exasol. Solongo is skilled in strategy, business development, program management, leadership, strategic partnerships, and management. In the episode, Richie, Solongo, and John cover the motivation for moving analytics to the cloud, economic triggers for migration, success stories from organizations who have migrated to the cloud, the challenges and potential roadblocks in migration, the importance of flexibility and open-mindedness and much more.  Links from the Show ExasolAmazon S3Azure Blob StorageGoogle Cloud StorageBigQueryAmazon RedshiftSnowflake[Course] Understanding Cloud Computing[Course] AWS Cloud Concepts

About 10 years ago, Thomas Davenport & DJ Patil published the article "Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century" in the Harvard Business Review. In this piece, they described the bourgeoning role of the data scientist and what it will mean for organizations and individuals in the coming decade. As time has passed, data science has become increasingly institutionalized. Once seen as a luxury, it is now deemed a necessity in every modern boardroom. Moreover as technologies like AI and systems like ChatGPT keep astonishing us with their capabilities in handling data science tasks, it raises a pertinent question: Is Data Science Still the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century? In this episode, we invited Thomas Davenport on the show to share his perspective on where data science & AI are at today, and where they are headed. Thomas Davenport is the President’s Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College, the co-founder of the International Institute for Analytics, a Fellow of the MIT Initiative for the Digital Economy, and a Senior Advisor to Deloitte Analytics. He has written or edited twenty books and over 250 print or digital articles for Harvard Business Review (HBR), Sloan Management Review, the Financial Times, and many other publications. One of HBR’s most frequently published authors, Thomas has been at the forefront of the Process Innovation, Knowledge Management, and Analytics and Big Data movements. He pioneered the concept of “competing on analytics” with his 2006 Harvard Business Review article and his 2007 book by the same name. Since then, he has continued to provide cutting-edge insights on how companies can use analytics and big data to their advantage, and then on artificial intelligence. Throughout the episode, we discuss how data science has changed since he first published his article, how it has become more institutionalized, how data leaders can drive value with data science, the importance of data culture, his views on AI and where he thinks its going, and a lot more. Links from the Show: Working with AI by Thomas Davenport The AI Advantage: How to Put the Artificial Intelligence Revolution to Work by Thomas Davenport Harvard Business Review New Vantage Partners CCC Intelligent Solutions Radar AI

Historically in elite team sports, there has often been a dynamic between players and their inherent abilities, and the vision of the coach. In many sports, we’ve seen coaching strategies influence the future of how the game is played. As the era of professionalism swept across many elite sports in the 90s, we saw the highest-level sports teams achieve a competitive edge by looking at the data, with sports fans often noticing a difference in the ‘feel’ of the way their team plays. In Basketball specifically, we have recently seen the rise of the 3-pointer, a riskier and much more difficult shot to accurately hit, even for professional players. But what has driven the rise of the 3-pointer? Is it another trend among coaches, or does the answer lie with data-based insights and the analysts producing these insights? Seth Partnow is the Director of North American Sports at StatsBomb, where he previously served as their Director of Basketball Analytics. Prior to joining StatsBomb in 2021, Seth was the Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. Seth is also an accomplished Analyst and Author, having worked as an NBA Analyst for The Athletic since 2019 and having published his own book on basketball analytics, The Midrange Theory. Seth’s knowledge and insight bridges the gap between data analytics and elite US sport.  In the episode, Seth and Richie look into the intricate dynamics of elite basketball. Seth explores the challenges of attributing individual contributions in a sport where the outcome is significantly influenced by the complex interplay between players. Drawing from his extensive experience in the field, Seth discusses the complexities of analyzing player performance, the nuances of determining why certain players get easier or harder shots, and the difficulty of attributing credit for defensive achievements to individual players. Seth provides a comprehensive overview of the various roles within sports analytics, from data engineers to analysts, and highlights the importance of finding one's niche within these roles, particularly in the context of elite basketball. Seth also shares his personal journey into basketball analytics, offering valuable insights and advice for those interested in pursuing a career in this field, stressing the importance of introspection and understanding the unique lifestyle associated with working for a sports team, while also offering industry-agnostic advice on how to approach analyzing and using data in any context.

A lot of the times when we walk into a supermarket, we don't necessarily think about the impact data science had in getting these products on shelves. However, as you’ll learn in today's episode, it's safe to say there's a myriad of applications for data science in the FMCG industry. Whether be that supply chain use-cases that leverage time-series forecasting techniques, to computer vision use-cases for on-shelf optimization—the use-cases are endless here. So how can data scientists and data leaders maximize value in this space? Enter Anastasia Zygmantovich. Anastasia is a Global Data Science Director at Reckitt, which is most known for products like Airwick, Lysol, Detol, and Durex. Throughout the episode, we discuss how data science can be used in the FMCG industry, how data leaders can hire impactful data teams in this space, why FMCG is a great place to work in for data scientists, some awesome use-cases she's worked on, how data scientists can best maximize their value in this space, what generative AI means for organizations, and a lot more.

When we think about video games like Call of Duty, Fifa, or Fortnite, our minds often turn to creative artists, software developers, designers, and producers. These are the people who make our favorite games a reality. But behind the scenes, data & AI actively shape our experience with our favorite video games. From the quality of video games, the accessibility of maps and worlds, even the go to market, data & AI play an impactul role in making or breaking the success of a video game. Marie de Léséleuc is an accomplished game industry professional with over a decade of experience. Marie started her career as a data analyst, and has since risen through the ranks to a data leader in the gaming industry. She's worked at companies such as Ubisoft, Warner Brothers, and most recently at Eidos, the company most well known for games such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Tomb Raider. Throughout the episode, we discuss how data science can be used in gaming, the unique challenges data teams face in gaming from really low data volumes to massive changes to production schedules and game vision. We also spoke about the difference between "AI" as we know it in data science, and AI in gaming, which informs how NPCs behave in a video game world—and a lot more.

With the advances in AI products and the explosion of ChatGPT in recent months, it is becoming easier to imagine a world where AI and humans work seamlessly together—revolutionizing how we solve complex problems and transform our daily lives. This is especially the case for data professionals. In this episode of our AI series, we speak to Sarah Schlobohm, Head of AI at Kubrick Group. Dr. Schlobohm leads the training of the next generation of machine learning engineers. With a background in finance and consulting, Sarah has a deep understanding of the intersection between business strategy, data science, and AI. Prior to her work in finance, Sarah became a chartered accountant, where she honed her skills in financial analysis and strategy. Sarah worked for one of the world's largest banks, where she used data science to fight financial crime, making significant contributions to the industry's efforts to combat money laundering and other illicit activities. Sarah shares her extensive knowledge on incorporating AI within data teams for maximum impact, covering a wide array of AI-related topics, including upskilling, productivity, and communication, to help data professionals understand how to integrate generative AI effectively in their daily work. Throughout the episode, Sarah explores the challenges and risks of AI integration, touching on the balance between privacy and utility. She highlights the risks data teams can avoid when using AI products and how to approach using AI products the right way. She also covers how different roles within a data team might make use of generative AI, as well as how it might effect coding ability going forward. Sarah also shares use cases for those in non-data teams, such as marketing, while also highlighting what to consider when using outputs from GPT models. Sarah shares the impact chatbots might have on education calling attention to the power of AI tutors in schools. Sarah encourages people to start using AI now, considering the barrier to entry is so low, and how that might not be the case going forward. From automating mundane tasks to enabling human-AI collaboration that makes work more enjoyable, Sarah underscores the transformative power of AI in shaping the future of humanity. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, data professional, or someoone with an interest in either this episode will provide you with a deeper understanding of the practical aspects of AI implementation.

Ten years ago, Salesforce was trying to generate $1Bn of revenue in a quarter. Today, they create over $30Bn of revenue in year. Simultaneously, over the last decade we have seen huge advances in the world of data and data science. In this episode, Laura Gent Felker, Director of Data Insights and Scalability at Salesforce, talks about her experience in building and leading data teams within the organization over the last ten years. Laura shares her insights on how to create a learning culture within a team, how to prioritize projects while accounting for long-term strategy, and the importance of setting aside time for innovation. Laura also discusses how to ensure that the projects the team works on genuinely provide business value. She suggests creating a two-way street with executive leadership and understanding the collective value across a variety of stakeholders also citing that some of the best innovation she has seen come from her team is when they have had to solve high-priority short-term business problems. 

In addition, Laura shares a multi-layered approach to building a learning community within a data team. She explains that a culture of collaboration and trust is important in the direct data team, and the wider community within organizations. 

Laura also talks about the frameworks and mental models that can help develop business acumen. She highlights the importance of dedicating time to this area and being able to communicate insights effectively.

Throughout the episode, Laura's insights provide valuable guidance for both junior and experienced data professionals, consumers and leaders in creating a learning culture, prioritizing projects, and building a strong data community within organizations.