If you were following tech news in 2012 and 2013, you know that it was widely reported that Microsoft was in serious trouble. It announced losses that landed it in hot water with investors, and there were numerous reports about just where the company had gone wrong, many centering on the perceived flaws of Windows […]
How Airbnb used Data Literacy to Leapfrog the Competition
Years ago, reading and writing skills were in the hands of a few specially trained practitioners. Today, literacy is considered essential to progress in the world. The same is true of data literacy. We have evolved past the time when information is narrow enough to be maintained and managed within a specialized group. Instead, data […]
No such thing as a free hunch: how intuition nearly killed Amazon’s recommendation engine
There’s a lot of social influence around trusting intuition and making decisions based on emotional response. The story around trusting a hunch is so strong that even people in powerful business positions can get caught up in the “magic” of it. “Trust your gut.” “I’ll know it when I see it.” “I’ve got to feel […]
3 Surprising Ways Netflix has Innovated with Data
When Netflix unveiled its DVD-by-mail plan back in 1998, it seemed like a quirky aberration in an economic landscape thoroughly dominated by established brick and mortar movie rental shops. Blockbuster was its biggest rival, but it’s unlikely the giant company saw Netflix as much of a threat. In fact Blockbuster still had 9000 stores open in […]
A data wolf in sheep’s clothing – the hard truth about data standards
It was March ‘95. I was in Michigan, “fresh off the boat” from Australia and my American cousin — Matt — was driving me to a movie theater. About halfway into the trip, I asked Matt to stop somewhere so I could grab tea. I’m pretty sure I got a side eye look. The look […]
What my 9 year old’s breakfast taught me about innovation
I make breakfast for my kids most weekdays and, one particular morning, I was feeling adventurous and decided to make them a toad in the hole. Now, for the uninitiated, this is an egg in the cutout circle of a piece of bread…all fried. Not the most complex or creative of breakfasts but one that spurred […]
