I have been a big fan of books like The Art of Data Analysis by Michael D. Porter. When I was talking to my dad about the idea of buying this book, I suggested to him that it was really a must-have for me. I think it’s really important for people to understand that there are three levels of intelligence. I have been studying how data is collected and analyzed and I have been studying how data is used to make decisions.
The first level of intelligence is what we call “intuition”. Intuition is not a science or a math that we can learn. In fact, it’s a bit of a mystery that I was never taught. When we talk about intuition, we are talking about what is called “epistemological intuition.” In other words, we are talking about the ability to make sense of data when we can’t explain it or make sense of it.
I guess my favorite part of that video is when Matt said that if you know how data is collected and analyzed, then you can probably predict how it will be used. I love this line because I think it really encapsulates the idea that by understanding how data is collected and analyzed, you are in a better position to make decisions and take action.
I love the idea of knowing how the data is being analyzed, and not understanding it. Although, I admit I am not sure I understand how that applies to what we do. I am assuming that in order to be able to make sense of data, you need to know how it is collected and how it is analyzed, right? (I am also assuming that if you know what data is gathered from, you can predict how it will be used.
For example, if you know that a certain type of data needs to be analyzed, you can predict that it will be useful, and hopefully save someone’s life. Likewise, if you know about the data that is being collected, you can predict how it will be used, and hopefully save something valuable.
I would argue that you need to know how data is collected, and how it is analyzed, at least in order to be able to predict what data will be useful and valuable. Otherwise, you won’t know what you can and what you shouldn’t do with that data.
Data is the lifeblood of an organization. If you’ve ever had to deal with a particularly uncooperative employee, you have probably heard of the old adage “data is power.” This is especially true in data science where it is imperative not to be overly overzealous in your analysis of data or you will have a massive problem.
Well, yes, you read correctly. In data analytics books, you actually have to know a bit about the data you are analyzing to do a decent job. In order to be able to use the information you already have, you need to be able to understand the nature of the data and to be able to predict what the data is going to be useful for.
It is a bit like with data. You need to understand the nature of the data you are analyzing and to be able to predict what the data is going to be useful for. It is like an airplane that has to constantly be retooled to get to its destination. Once it is on its final course, you need to know it will get there.
It is like an airplane that has to constantly be retooled to get to its destination. Once it is on its final course, you need to know it will get there.
