Interview: Data Science is all about Asking the Right Questions

In a recent interview, Thomas Thurston from Growth Science International describes how Data Science is less about technology than it is about asking right questions in the first place.

The technology definitely matters, but what I’m saying is, the tactical mechanics are far less important than the question itself.  Mechanics should be an afterthought, not a gatekeeper.  It’s too easy to get rat-holed on the technology, but none of that matters unless you know what question you’re trying to answer in the first place.  What’s the strategic question?  It’s been my experience that finding the right question can be harder than finding the right mechanics to answer it. One of our guiding principles is to never do analytics for the sake of itself. Everything has to be in service of the bigger question.

Growth Science International will host the first annual Innovators Anonymous Workshop Oct. 10-11 in Portland, Oregon.

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