Enabling the modern data analyst by becoming shopkeepers rather than gatekeepers of information
I appreciated the opportunity to sit down and talk with one of my heros in the industry. Donald Farmer has been a recognized leader in the Business Intelligence and Analytics community for the past two decades and his thought leadership is even more relevant today. He played a key role in shaping the Microsoft BI toolset as a Principal Program Manager from 2001 when the products we use today were in their infancy. He’s also been outside of Microsoft circles which gives him a broad and unique industry perspective. As the Vice President of Innovation and Design at Qlik Technologies, he brought Qlick Sense to market. He remains a friend and advocate for the community. Donald holds multiple patents and has published multiple books. Today he is doing his own thing as the Principal of TreeHive Strategy.
The chat was 9:41 long and is worth watching every second. I have added captions to highlight a few key points which are also listed below. Please enjoy.
Key Points
Route Knowlege is a view of information at a micro level, like turn-by-turn directions. This might be important when you only need to answer a single question without a broad understanding of the entire landscape.
By contrast, Survey Knowlege is a view of information in the context of the bigger picture. Someone with Survey Knowlege knows “how the whole thing hangs together“.
Serving the needs of the modern Business Data Analyst requires a change in attitude. We should become provisioners of information rather than protectors of information. In other words, become shopkeepers rather than gatekeepers.
Actionable data is not always detail data and consuming a summation can not only be easier but more useful than getting lost in the details and the accuracy or precision of a number. Drilling to detail in context is a natural part of the exploration process. He talked about a pattern in the process to provide actionable business information, which includes these stages:
- Orientation
- Glimsing
- Examination
- Acquisition
- Action
I appreciate Donald taking the time to both speak at PASS Summit and to chat with me for this blog series. Please watch my blog for additional interviews and insights from PASS Summit 2019
