Shows
The Analytics Power Hour#273: Data Products Are… Assets? Platforms? Warehouses? Infrastructure? Oh, Dear. with Eric Sandosham
Is it just us, or are data products becoming all the rage? Is Google Trends a data product that could help us answer that question? What actually IS a data product? And does it even matter that we have a good definition? If any of these questions seem like they have cut and dried answers, then this episode may just convince you that you haven’t thought about them hard enough! After all, what is more on-brand for a group of analysts than being thrown a question that seems simple only to dig in to realize that it is mo...
2025-06-101h 09The Analytics Power Hour#270: AI and the Analyst. We’ve Got It All Figured Out.
We finally did it: devoted an entire episode to AI. And, of course, by devoting an episode entirely to AI, we mean we just had GPT-4o generate a script for the entire show, and we just each read our parts. It’s pretty impressive how the result still sounds so natural and human and spontaneous. It picked up on Tim’s tendency to get hot and bothered, on Moe’s proclivity for dancing right up to the edge of oversharing specific work scenarios, on Michael’s knack for bringing in personality tests, on Val’s patience in getting the whole...
2025-04-291h 01
The Analytics Power Hour#270: AI and the Analyst. We've Got It All Figured Out.We finally did it: devoted an entire episode to AI. And, of course, by devoting an episode entirely to AI, we mean we just had GPT-4o generate a script for the entire show, and we just each read our parts. It's pretty impressive how the result still sounds so natural and human and spontaneous. It picked up on Tim's tendency to get hot and bothered, on Moe's proclivity for dancing right up to the edge of oversharing specific work scenarios, on Michael's knack for bringing in personality tests, on Val's patience in getting the whole discussion to get...
2025-04-291h 01
Undercooled: A Materials Education PodcastChris Gordon and the Wilson Student Project CenterSteve and Tim talk with Chris Gordon, the Director of the Wilson Student Team Projects Center at the U. of Michigan. Chris tells us how the Wilson Center got started and evolved into what it is today. There are 24 competition teams at the Wilson Center and it supports many capstone design projects, our Multidisciplinary Design program, and more. Chris explains why community and safety are at the core of the center and how students and faculty help each other succeed. He also talks about why this kind of engaged learning is a powerful tool for our student to experience.
2025-03-1658 minThe Analytics Power Hour#264: When the Analyst’s Toolbox Includes Assessing the Zeitgeist with Erika OlsonWe all know that data doesn't speak for itself, but what happens when multiple instruments of measurement contain flaws or gaps that impede our ability to measure what matters on their own? Turning to our intuition and triangulation of what's happening in the broader macro sense can often help explain our understanding of our customers' ever-changing choices, opinions, and actions. Thankfully we had Erika Olson, co-founder of fwd. — which in our opinion is essentially the Freakonomics of marketing consultancies — join Tim, Moe and Val for this discussion to dive into some real-world examples of things that are inherently hard to m...
2025-02-041h 08The Analytics Power Hour#263: Analytics the Right WayEvery so often, one of the co-hosts of this podcast co-authors a book. And by “every so often” we mean “it’s happened once so far.” Tim, along with (multi-)past guest Dr. Joe Sutherland, just published Analytics the Right Way: A Business Leader's Guide to Putting Data to Productive Use, and we got to sit them down for a chat about it! From misconceptions about data to the potential outcomes framework to economists as the butt of a joke about the absolute objectivity of data (spoiler: data is not objective), we covered a lot of ground. Even accounting for our (u...
2025-01-211h 06The Analytics Power Hour#262: 2025 Will Be the Year of... with Barr MosesEvery year kicks off with an air of expectation. How much of our Professional Life in 2025 is going to look a lot like 2024? How much will look different, but we have a pretty good idea of what the difference will be? What will surprise us entirely—the unknown unknowns? By definition, that last one is unknowable. But we thought it would be fun to sit down with returning guest Barr Moses from Monte Carlo to see what we could nail down anyway. The result? A pretty wide-ranging discussion about data observability, data completeness vs. data connectedness, structured data vs. un...
2025-01-071h 08The Analytics Power Hour#258: Goals, KPIs, and Targets, Oh My! with Tim WilsonKPIs? Really? It’s 2024. Can’t we just ask Claude to generate those for us? We say… no. There are lots and lots of things that AI can take on or streamline, but getting meaningful, outcome-oriented alignment within a set of business partners as they plan a campaign, project, or initiative isn’t one of them! Or, at least, we’re pretty sure that’s what our special guest for this episode would say. He’s been thinking about (and ranting about) organizations’ failure to take goal establishment, KPI identification, and target-setting seriously enough for years (we found a post he wrote in...
2024-11-121h 05The Analytics Power Hour#256: Live at MeasureCamp ChicagoFor the first time since they've been a party of five, all of the Analytics Power Hour co-hosts assembled in the same location. That location? The Windy City. The occasion? Chicago's first ever MeasureCamp! The crew was busy throughout the day inviting attendees to "hop on the mic" with them to answer various questions. We covered everything from favorite interview questions to tips and tricks, with some #hottake questions thrown in for fun. During the happy hour at the end of the day, we also recorded a brief live show, which highlighted some of the hosts' favorite moments from...
2024-10-151h 27The Analytics Power Hour#255: Dear APH-y: Career Inflection PointsTo data analyst, or to data science? To individually contribute, or to manage the individual contributions of others? To mid-career pivot into analytics, or to… oh, hell yes! That last one isn’t really a choice, is it? At least, not for listeners who are drawn to this podcast. And this episode is a show that can be directly attributed to listeners. As we gathered feedback in our recent listener survey, we asked for topic suggestions, and a neat little set of those suggestions were all centered around career development. And thus, a show was born! All five co-hosts—Julie...
2024-10-0159 minThe Analytics Power Hour#254: Is Your Use of Benchmarks Above Average? with Eric SandoshamIt's human nature to want to compare yourself or your organization against your competition, but how valuable are benchmarks to your business strategy? Benchmarks can be dangerous. You can rarely put your hands on all the background and context since, by definition, benchmark data is external to your organization. And you can also argue that benchmarks are a lazy way to evaluate performance, or at least some co-hosts on this episode feel that way! Eric Sandosham, founder and partner at Red & White Consulting Partners (and prolific writer), along with Moe, Tim, and Val break down the problems with benchmarking...
2024-09-171h 04The Analytics Power Hour#250: Real World Data (RWD) Lessons from Healthcare-land with Dr. Lewis CarpenterA claim: in the world of business analytics, the default/primary source of data is real world data collected through some form of observation or tracking. Occasionally, when the stakes are sufficiently high and we need stronger evidence, we'll run some form of controlled experiment, like an A/B test. Contrast that with the world of healthcare, where the default source of data for determining a treatment's safety and efficacy is a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and it's only been relatively recently that real world data (RWD) -- data available outside of a rigorously controlled experiment -- has begun...
2024-07-231h 05The Analytics Power Hour#249: Three Humans and an AI at Marketing Analytics SummitHow good are humans at distinguishing between human-generated thoughts and AI-generated…thoughts? Could doing an extremely unscientific exploration of the question also generate some useful discussion? We decided to dig in and find out with a show recorded in front of a live audience at Marketing Analytics Summit in Phoenix! With Michael in the role of Peter Sagal, Julie, Tim, and Val went head-to-GPU by answering a range of analytics-oriented questions. Two co-hosts delivered their own answers, and one co-host delivered ChatGPT's, and the audience had to figure out which was which. Plus, a bit of audience Q&A, wh...
2024-07-0946 minThe Analytics Power Hour#248: The Fundamentally Fascinating World of APIs with Marco PalladinoApplication Programming Interfaces (APIs) are as pervasive as they are critical to the functioning of the modern world. That personalized and content-rich product page with a sub-second load time on Amazon? That's just a couple-hundred API calls working their magic. Every experience on your mobile device? Loaded with APIs. But, just because they're everywhere doesn't mean that they spring forth naturally from the keystrokes of a developer. There's a lot more going on that requires real thought and planning, and the boisterous arrival of AI to mainstream modernity has made the role of APIs and their underlying infrastructure even...
2024-06-251h 07The Analytics Power Hour#246: I've Got 99 Analytical Methodologies and Need to Pick Just OneFrom running a controlled experiment to running a linear regression. From eyeballing a line chart to calculating the correlation of first differences. From performing a cluster analysis because that’s what the business partner asked for to gently probing for details on the underlying business question before agreeing to an approach. There are countless analytical methodologies available to the analyst, but which one is best for any given situation? Simon Jackson from Hypergrowth Data joined Moe, Julie, and Tim on the latest episode to try to get some clarity on the topic. We haven’t figured out which methodology to u...
2024-05-2855 minThe Analytics Power Hour#244: Data Is Everywhere. Why Do We Limit Ourselves by Default?In order to produce a stellar analysis, have you ever requested a team to teardown a Tesla and count every last washer and battery cell? No? Well our guest this week, Jason DeRise, joined Tim, Julie, and Val to share that story and others on how alternative data can be used to enrich analyses. Luckily you don’t have to have a Wall Street-sized budget in order to tap into the power of alternative data. Looking just outside your tried and true data sets and methodologies to see how you might be able to add to your mosaic of un...
2024-04-301h 01The Analytics Power Hour(Bonus) Marketing Analytics Summit Is Nigh!Long-time listeners to this show know that its origin and inspiration was the lobby bar of analytics conferences—the place where analysts casually gather to unwind after a day of slides interspersed with between-session conversations initiated awkwardly and then ended abruptly when the next session begins. Of the many conferences where this occurs, Marketing Analytics Summit (née, eMetrics) is the one in which this show is most deeply rooted. And, we'll be recording an episode in front of a live audience with all of the North America-based co-hosts on Friday, June 7, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona at the next one! To...
2024-03-2613 minThe Analytics Power Hour#239: Non-Technical Backgrounds in the Modern Analytical World with Kirsten LumIs it just us, or does it seem like we're going to need to start plotting the pace of change in the world of analytics on a logarithmic scale? The evolution of the space is exciting, but it can also be a bit dizzying. And intimidating! There's so much to learn, and there are only so many hours in a day! Why did we choose that [insert totally unrelated field of study] degree program?! These questions and more—including a quick explanation of bootstrapping for Tim’s benefit, which is NOT bootstrapping or bootstrap—are the subject of the latest...
2024-02-201h 02The Analytics Power Hour#236: The AI Ecosystem with Matthew LynleyAptiv, Baidu, Cerebras, Dataiku… we could keep going… and going… and going. If you know what this list is composed of (nerd), then you probably have some appreciation for how complex and fast moving the AI landscape is today. It would be impossible for a mere human to stay on top of it all, right? Wrong! Our guest on this episode, Matthew Lynley, does exactly that! In his Substack newsletter, Supervised, he covers all of the breaking news in a way that's accessible even if you aren't an MLE (that’s a "machine learning engineer," but you knew that already...
2024-01-091h 04The Analytics Power Hour#234: Establishing Expectations for AnalystsIt would be a fool's errand to try to list out every expectation for an analyst's role, but where should you draw the line? How specific do you need to be? And how can you document the unspoken expectations without stepping into micromanagement? Tim, Moe, and Julie took a run at hashing these questions out in our most recent episode so you don't have to rely solely on that generic role expectations grid you got from HR. Even though this topic is about setting expectations for other analysts, the conversation took quite a few introspective turns about how your...
2023-12-121h 00The Analytics Power Hour#233: Analytics Mentors (Having One, Being One)To mentor, or not to mentor, that is the question: whether 'tis more productive to hole up in a cubicle and toil away without counsel, or to hold close one's experience to the benefit of no one else. Perchance, the author of this show summary should have checked with one of his mentors before attempting a Shakespearian angle. But, he didn't, and the show title is pretty self-explanatory, so we'll just roll with it. On this episode, Michael, Val, and Tim chatted about mentorship: its many flavors, its many uses, and what has and has not worked for them...
2023-11-2851 minThe Analytics Power Hour#232: The Reality of Uncertainty Meets the Imperative of Actionability with Michael KaminskyIt's been said that, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes, so why is it so hard to communicate uncertainty to stakeholders when delivering an analysis? Many stakeholders think an analysis is intended to deliver an absolute truth; that if they have just enough data, a smart analyst, and some fancy techniques, that the decision they should make will emerge! In this episode, Tim, Moe, and Val sat down with Michael Kaminsky, co-founder of Recast, to discuss strategies such as scenario planning and triangulation to help navigate these tricky conversations. Get comfortable with communicating the strengths...
2023-11-1457 minThe Analytics Power Hour#230: First, We Must Discover. Then, We Can Explore. With Viyaleta ApgarSeemingly straightforward data sets are seldom as simple as they initially appear. And, many an analysis has been tripped up by erroneous assumptions about either the data itself or about the business context in which that data exists. On this episode, Michael, Val, and Tim sat down with Viyaleta Apgar, Senior Manager of Analytics Solutions at Indeed.com, to discuss some antidotes to this very problem! Her structured approach to data discovery asks the analyst to outline what they know and don’t know, as well as how any biases or assumptions might impact their results before they dive in...
2023-10-1755 minThe Analytics Power Hour#229: Data and the ABCs (SERIES A, B, and C, That Is!) with Samantha WongMost of the time, we think of analytics as taking historical data for a business, munging it in various ways, and then using the results of that munging to make decisions. But, what if the business has no (or very little) historical data… because it's a startup? That's the situation venture capitalists — especially those focused on early stage startups — face constantly. We were curious as to how and where data and analytics play a role in such a world, and Sam Wong, a partner at Blackbird Ventures, joined Michael, Val, and Tim to explore the subject. Hypotheses and KPIs came u...
2023-10-0352 minThe Analytics Power Hour#227: Demystifying Complex Data Science Concepts for Non-Technical Audiences with Dr. Nicholas Cifuentes-GoodbodyOne of the biggest challenges for the analyst or data scientist is figuring out just how wide and just how deep to go with stakeholders when it comes to key (but, often, complicated) concepts that underpin the work that's being delivered to them. Tell them too little, and they may overinterpret or misinterpret what's been presented. Tell them too much, and they may tune out or fall asleep… and, as a result, overinterpret or misinterpret what's been presented. On this episode, Dr. Nicholas Cifuentes-Goodbody from WorldQuant University joined Julie, Val, and Tim to discuss how to effectively thread that pa...
2023-09-051h 01The Analytics Power Hour#226: Training Analysts to be Curious and Use Business Context with MaryBeth MaskovasWe were curious about… curiosity. We know it's a critical trait for analysts, but is it an innate characteristic, a teachable skill, or some combination of both? We were curious. How can the breadth and depth of a candidate's curiosity be assessed as part of the interview process? We were curious. Who could we kick these questions (and others) around with? We were NOT curious about that! MaryBeth Maskovas, founder and Principal Consultant at Insight Lime Analytics, joined Michael, Julie, and Tim to explore the topic. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a...
2023-08-2258 minThe Analytics Power Hour#224: The Chronic Undervaluing of Analyst Communication SkillsOn the one hand, analysts generally know and accept that part of their responsibility is to not only conduct analyses, but to effectively communicate the results of those analyses to their stakeholders. On the other hand, "communication" can feel like a pretty squishy and nebulous skill. On this episode, Michael, Moe, and Tim tackled that nebulosity (side note: using obscure words is generally not an effective communication tactic). For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
2023-07-2557 minThe Analytics Power Hour#223: Explainability in AI with Dr. Janet BastimanTo trust something, you need to understand it. And, to understand something, someone often has to explain it. When it comes to AI, explainability can be a real challenge (definitionally, a "black box" is unexplainable)! With AI getting new levels of press and prominence thanks to the explosion of generative AI platforms, the need for explainability continues to grow. But, it's just as important in more conventional situations. Dr. Janet Bastiman, the Chief Data Scientist at Napier, joined Moe and Tim to, well, explain the topic! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and...
2023-07-1157 minThe Analytics Power Hour#219: To Generalize or to Specialize? That is the Question!There are only so many hours in a day and only so many days in a year. Logically, then, the best way to grow a career as a data worker is to spend as many hours as possible doing focused data work, right? Well… probably not. In this episode, we dove into generalization versus specialization — what does that even mean, and how should we think about balancing between the two, and how can interests and activities outside of the data work itself actually make us better analysts? Bonus activity: listen for the hosts' overt trolling of Tim to see if t...
2023-05-1658 minThe Analytics Power Hour#218: Delivering Value by Listening for Problems with Matty WishnowDo you ever feel like the experiments and analyses you're working on feel a little bit like a trip on a hamster wheel — properly grounded in hypotheses, perhaps, but not necessarily moving the business forward like you'd hoped? On this episode, Matty Wishnow, the author of Listening for Growth: What Startups Need the Most but Hear the Least, joined Moe, Tim, and Val for a discussion about why that may be, and how reframing the work to focus first and foremost on identifying problems (and unmet opportunities) can be useful! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in...
2023-05-0253 minThe Analytics Power Hour#211: What To Do Next?We've been on a bit of a streak of culture and career discussions, which means we want to assure you that Tim is not actually tied up in a basement with no access to our content calendar. Actually, in this episode, Tim plopped down on the therapy couch as a vessel for the wisdom of Moe and Michael about structured techniques for analysts to chart the best paths for their careers. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
2023-01-2455 min
Grill This!Jerk Chicken Wings and Special Guest Tim MicsakJim and Matt are joined by the co-host of the Salmon Ranch Cowboy Cooking Show, Tim Micsak. The fellas give an update on the Salmon Ranch Cherry Bourbon BBQ sauce, which will be available in stores soon. Also, Jim serves up jerk chicken wings and Matt and Tim provide the beer, including a grape pie beer from Mortalis. You don't want to miss this one!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/grill-this--5704761/support.
2022-10-081h 35The Analytics Power Hour#203: Is Analytics Addicted to Complexity? with Frederik WernerDo analysts make things more complicated than they need to be, or is the data representing a complex world, so that is just the nature of the beast? Or is it both? Stakeholders yearn for simple answers to simple questions, but the road to delivering meaningful results seems paved with potholes of statistical complexity, data nuances, and messy tooling. What is a business to do? Frederik Werner from DHL joined Michael and Tim for a discussion that definitively determined that, well, the topic is…complicated! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a tr...
2022-10-041h 00The Analytics Power Hour#195: Web3, Web4... Whatever it NFTakes with Anthony MandelliThe Web3 world—blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and more—seems to be everywhere these days. And, as analysts, how could we not salivate at the idea of a data set that is just one flat, immutable, ever-growing table with a handful of columns (aka… a blockchain-powered public ledger)? We sat down with Anthony Mandelli from Coin Metrics to see whether Tim and Moe could be moved from "totally clueless" to "barely knowledgeable" on the topic in a single hour (Michael was already a knowledgeable enthusiast). The jury is out as to whether we were successful, but stay tuned for the upcomi...
2022-06-141h 05The Analytics Power Hour#193: The Modern Data Culture Stack with Prukalpa SankarIt's easy to get sucked into the "technology" side of things when it comes to improving the effectiveness and scaling up data teams, but, much to Tim's dismay, shoring up the people, process, and culture is often just as (if not more) critical. So, sure, we can talk about the modern data stack, but what about the modern data CULTURE stack? Prukalpa Sankar, co-founder of Atlan, joined us for a lively discussion of the topic! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
2022-05-171h 03The Analytics Power Hour#191: People Analytics: Data in the Service of Workforce Effectiveness with Andrew Marritt"The people" are often the most valuable asset for a company, so getting the ones who are a good fit, supporting them in their work and their careers, and figuring out what motivates (and demotivates) them is critical. And data—both quantitative and qualitative—can help with that. It's a topic we've wanted to tackle for a long time (well, Moe and Michael have; Tim was confused, as he thought it couldn't be that hard to analyze a data set consisting of a single "Do they do their f***ing job?" boolean flag), and we finally got to it, with...
2022-04-191h 12The Analytics Power Hour(Bonus) Women in Analytics and the DataConnect Conference with Rehgan AvonRemember how we used to have bonus episodes? With International Women’s Day coming up in a week, it seemed like a good time to bring them back. Tim is joined by Rehgan Avon, the founder of the organization that runs the DataConnect Conference, which will be June 2-3, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio (and virtually). It’s a conference open to everyone to attend, but all of the speakers are women or gender minorities. Tim and Rehgan also discuss the current state of gender diversity in the profession and how it has changed since Rehgan started the organization that became this...
2022-03-0112 minThe Analytics Power Hour#187: K.P.I. - Three Letters at the Root of Analytical AngstHow do we measure the performance of this podcast? With well-formulated KPIs, of course! With targets set for them. Since Tim is the taskmaster who insists we revisit our KPIs every year, we decided he would be our guest for this show, and Michael and Moe would take turns trying to stump him with impromptu role playing as difficult stakeholders in challenging scenarios. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
2022-02-221h 01The Analytics Power Hour#184: Psychological Safety and Analytics with J.D. LongMistakes happen. In healthy work environments, not only is that fact acknowledged, it's recognized as an opportunity to learn. That's something JD Long has been thinking about quite a bit over the past few years, and he joined the show for a chat about psychological safety: what it is, why it's important, and different techniques for engendering it. Michael trolled Tim almost immediately, which is: 1) ironic, and 2) slated to be addressed in a blameless post-mortem. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
2022-01-111h 18The Analytics Power Hour#180: Media Mix Modeling - Does It Deserve at Least a Third of Our Love?Hey there, mister. That's a mighty nice multi-touch attribution model you're using there. It would be a shame to see it get mixed up with a media model. Or... would it? What happens if you think about media mix models as a tool that can be combined with experimentation to responsibly measure the incrementality of your marketing (while also still finding a crust of bread in the corner for so-called "click attribution")? According to a 2019 paper published by ThirdLove (which happens to have been Michael's last call on our last episode), that's a pretty nice way to go, and...
2021-11-161h 01The Analytics Power Hour#177: Design Thinking, Empathy, and the Analyst with Hilary ParkerWhat is a system without empathy? What is a show summary without an attempt to overly distill the discussion to the point of sounding like nonsense? On this episode, Hilary Parker (who you may know from the Not So Standard Deviations podcast or elsewhere) joined us to discuss what we can learn from the design process (as in: actual designers) when it comes to analytics and data science. Among other things, that mindset highlights the importance of the analyst empathizing with stakeholders. Tim got very uncomfortable. Michael said he understood Tim's discomfort. For complete show notes, including links to...
2021-10-051h 18
Juste Podcast with Tim BuxtonGeoff Wilson: Part One — Discovering a Life of Purpose and Adventure through AdversityIn part one of my conversation with world record-breaking polar explorer, vet surgeon, and entrepreneur, Geoff Wilson, we talk about his experiences in Indonesia as part of a humanitarian team in the aftermath of the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004. From his own life experiences and life-threatening expeditions, we also explore why hardship is essential to living a life of adventure and purpose.
2021-08-0345 minThe Analytics Power Hour#172: Data Translator? How About a Data Detective? with Tim HarfordData is everywhere and it's simply not going away. Plenty of people do seem to ignore it to their peril, but if we are trying to make sense of the world, making good sense of data is absolutely critical. In business we call it data literacy, and, truthfully, it is a mandatory skill set for almost anyone. Data and understanding data might have a set of rules, and it seems like not everyone is committed to playing by those rules. Sometimes even our own brains get in on the act of hiding what the data actually means from us...
2021-07-271h 04The Analytics Power Hour#065 (Rebroadcast): Digital Analytics from a Psychological Perspective with Dr. Liraz Margalit We can watch (sort of) what users do on our sites. That's web analytics. We can ask them how they felt about the experience. That's voice of the customer. But, can we (and should we?) actually analyze their emotional reactions? On this episode, Michael and Tim sat down with Dr. Liraz Margalit, Head of Digital Behavioral Research at Clicktale, to bend their brains a bit around that very topic. And, they left the discussion thinking differently about conversion rates, and even realizing that scroll tracking might just have a valuable application! For complete show notes, including links to items m...
2021-06-1557 minThe Analytics Power Hour#159: Is Digital Advertising a Bubble Ready to Burst? with Tim HwangAs we put the awfulness of 2020 in the rearview mirror, we thought it might be fun to look back to another bleak period: the 2007-2008 financial crisis! Why? Because Tim hasn't stopped talking about Subprime Attention Crisis — the Tim Hwang book that draws a parallel between the digital advertising ecosystem and the subprime lending crisis from a decade ago — we decided to all give it a read and then sit down for a discussion with the author. From the opacity brought on by the many moving parts to misaligned incentives to the fact that, well, even more than just the...
2021-01-261h 03The Analytics Power Hour#157: 2020 Year in Review EpisodeAs unlikely as it seemed at many times throughout the year, 2020 actually IS finally drawing to a close, and that means it's time for our annual look back on the year: what happened with the podcast, what happened with the industry, and what happened as the entire world caught fire by way of wood-fuelled, climate-assisted combustion and by virus-induced fevers. In hindsight, there were faint hints of what the rest of the year would bring when our co-hosts and producer were together in person at Superweek in late January, but exactly how upside-down the world went still took them...
2020-12-291h 04
The Grit City PodcastTim Wilson - The Ventures, Stars on GuitarsThis episode is a recent conversation the guys had with Tim Wilson, son of legendary co-founder, Don Wilson, of The Ventures. Tim co-directed the movie The Ventures Stars on Guitars that came out earlier in the year. He talks on how the band got started, how the idea of the movie came to be, and great inside stories on what it’s like to have a dad in a world-famous band. The Ventures, a quartet that plays instrumental rock, was started in 1958 in Tacoma by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. Their first wide-release single, “Walk, Don’t Run” brought internat...
2020-12-281h 39The Analytics Power Hour#156: Giving Back to the Community and Solving Talent Challenges with Rob JacksonIt's the holiday season and, despite Tim's 27-slide deck making a case for why we should do an Airing of Grievances-themed show, we went in another direction. On this episode, we explore a delightful tale that exists at the intersection of "Giving Back to the Community" and "Growing the Analytics Talent Pool." Rob Jackson joined the gang to be peppered with questions about the what, why, and how of his digital marketing social enterprise: WYK Digital. It's an inspiring story of breaking down some of the barriers to digital-focused jobs for underserved youth. And doing so in the middle...
2020-12-151h 01The Analytics Power Hour#153: Remote from the Start: Consulting without Headquarters with Laura StudeDo you know someone who works remotely? Wait. What's that? Oh. It's 2020. I guess a better question would be: do you know any analysts who are NOT working remotely? But, that's not the question we ask on this episode. Some companies—and we're thinking agencies and consultancies here just to have a little focus—were corporate office-less from their founding, and those are the sorts of companies we interrogate on this episode. Laura Stude co-founded one such company—surefoot—so we sat down with her to explore the why, the how, and the opportunities and challenges therein. Employee-led remote dumpling...
2020-11-031h 06The Analytics Power Hour#152: Fostering a Positive Data CultureWhat is data culture? And, more importantly, what is the optimal ratio of agar and the ideal temperature of the corporate petri dish to make a data culture thrive? Moe, Michael, and Tim put their various experiences under the organizational microscope and examined various solutions in the name of (data) scientific discovery! If only organizations were as controllable as a chemistry lab! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.
2020-10-201h 01The Analytics Power Hour#150: The Curiosity of the Analyst with Dr. Debbie BerebichezDid curiosity kill the cat? Perhaps. A claim could be made that a LACK of curiosity can (and should!) kill an analyst's career! On this episode, Dr. Debbie Berebichez, who, as Tim noted, sorta' pegs out on the extreme end of the curiosity spectrum, joined the show to explore the subject: the societal norms that (still!) often discourage young women from exploring and developing their curiosity; exploratory data analysis as one way to spark curiosity about a data set; the (often) misguided expectations of "the business" when it comes to analytics and data science (and the imperative to continue...
2020-09-221h 00The Analytics Power Hour#146: The Manager/Analyst RelationshipAnalytics is hard (so they say... but we're not going to open THAT can of worms). Do you know what's harder? Managing analysts! I mean, they're always asking, “Why?” Sometimes, they even ask it five times! They can wind up, you know, analyzing whatever you're asking them to do! On this episode, special guest Moe Kiss (you may know her as a co-host of this podcast) joined Michael and Tim to dig into the ins and outs of the analyst/manager relationship. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show...
2020-07-2856 min
The Pathway with Tim DeeksTim Wilson MP on Politics, Proposals & why Parliament needs a PubTim Wilson is the Federal Liberal Member for Goldstein.
Tim was formerly Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner. In that role he worked with government to reform laws to stop and prevent terrorism, improving economic opportunities for indigenous Australians as well as standing up for marginalised communities from public harassment. Tim is also an advocate for protecting free speech and religious freedom.
Away from politics, Tim enjoys walking, running and bike riding, as well as visual arts. Tim and his husband Ryan are passionate supporters and members of the mighty Melbourne Demons, and as a ho...
2020-06-0821 minThe Analytics Power Hour#141: The State of Martech, Analytically Speaking, with David RaabIt sometimes seems like there must be a Moore's Law of marketing technology (or "martech," as the cool kids call it, and our site is on a .io domain, so we’re definitely the cool kids) whereby the number of platforms available doubles every 6 to 8 weeks. And, every couple of months, it seems, a whole new category emerges. From CMS to DAM to CRM to TMS to DMP to DSP to CDP, it's an alphabet soup of TLAs that no one can make sense of PDQ! On this episode, Michael, Moe, and Tim sat down with the man who co...
2020-05-1956 minThe Analytics Power Hour#138: Pants-Optional Spreadsheeting: When the Analyst Works RemotelyThese are interesting times in which we work, are they not? For many analysts, "remote work" is what they call "every weekday" or, for those who don't have things fully figured out, "every day that ends in 'Y.'" For other analysts, the current pandemic has forced them into being an unplanned — and not necessarily desired — full-time remote worker. Juggling kids, silencing pets, finding a horizontal work surface, and grappling with which pair of sweatpants to don are all the sorts of challenges (opportunities?!) that remote working can bring. On this show, we explore our experiences and thoughts and tips...
2020-04-0757 minThe Analytics Power Hour#136: An Analyst and a CRO Walk Into a Podcast with Michele Kiss and Valerie KrollFor our special International Women's Day episode, we committed a type one error and peeked at our results, so we are releasing this winner three days early. As good analysts, we set out to optimise the podcast by swapping out Tim and Michael for two guests (it's rare for Tim to be in the control group, but he's an outlier either way). Unfortunately, it turns out we confused testing with personalisation, so we invited along a family member, Michele Kiss, as well as CRO expert Valerie Kroll, to talk about the evolution of the space from conversion rate optimisation...
2020-03-0858 minThe Analytics Power Hour#135: Superweek 2020 – the Last Mile of AnalyticsHave you heard the one about the four analysts who run a podcast who walked into a resort in Hungary? Well, now you can! Or, at least get a taste of that experience. Michael, Moe, Tim, and Josh headed to Superweek last month and, among other things, did a 12-hour audio livestream to try to give interested listeners a taste of the experience. On this episode, we're bringing you just over an hour (occasionally, we "power" right past the "hour" mark) of that livestream, centered around (but not limited to!) Michael's presentation on "the last mile of analytics," which...
2020-02-251h 07The Analytics Power Hour#134: These Are a Few of Our Favorite (Analytics) Tips"QA and patience and reviews by a peer. Data viz testing, hold no chart too dear. Don’t be an asshole; automate 'til it stings. These are a few of our favorite things!" With apologies to Julie Andrews, on this episode, Moe, Tim, and Michael shared some of the tactical tips and techniques that they have found themselves putting to use on a regular basis in their analytics work. The resulting show: multiple tips, minimal disagreements, and moderate laughter. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the sh...
2020-02-1155 minThe Analytics Power Hour#132: Reporting vs. AnalysisWho would have thought that we'd get to 2020 and still be debating whether recurring reports should include "insights?" As it turns out, Tim did an ad hoc analysis back in 2015 where he predicted exactly that! Unfortunately, the evidence is buried in the outbox of his email account at a previous employer. So, instead, we've opted to just tackle the topic head-on: what is a report, anyway? What are the different types of reports? What should they include? What should they leave out? And where does "analysis" fall in all of this? We have so many opinions on the subject...
2020-01-1457 minThe Analytics Power Hour#131: 2019 Year in ReviewIt's the end of the year, and we know it, and we feel fiiiiine. Or, maybe we have a little anxiety. But, for the fifth year in a row, we're wrapping up the year with a reflective episode: reflecting on changes in the analytics industry, the evolution of the podcast, and the interpersonal dynamics between Tim and Michael. From the state of diversity in the industry (and on the show), to the trends in analytics staffing and careers, to the growing impact of ethical and privacy considerations on the role of the analyst, it's an episode chock full of...
2019-12-311h 08The Analytics Power Hour#121: Onboarding the AnalystSomewhere between "welcome to the company, now get to work!" and weeks of tedious orientation sessions (that, presumably, include a few hours with the legal department explaining that, should you be on a podcast, you need to include a disclaimer that the views expressed on the podcast are your own and not those of the company for which you now work), is a happy medium when it comes to onboarding an analyst. What is that happy medium, and how does one find it? It turns out the answer is that favorite of analyst phrases: "it depends." Unsatisfying? Perhaps. But...
2019-08-1350 minThe Analytics Power Hour#119: What Grinds Our Gears - MAS 2019Have you ever thought it would be a great idea to have a drink or two, grab a microphone, and then air your grievances in a public forum? Well, we did! This episode of the show was recorded in front of a live audience (No laugh tracks! No canned applause!) at the Marketing Analytics Summit (MAS) in Las Vegas. Moe, Michael, and Tim used a “What Grinds Our Gears?” application to discuss a range of challenges and frustrations that analysts face. They (well, Moe and Tim, of course) disagreed on a few of them, but they occasionally even proposed some...
2019-07-1645 minThe Analytics Power Hour#102: Data and Disasters (of the Natural Kind)Perspective is a good thing. We've all agonized about a misreported metric or an unsatisfying entry page analysis and had to remind ourselves that we're not exactly saving lives with our work. On this episode, though, the gang actually meanders into life-and-death territory by chatting about one of the uses of data outside of the world of digital marketing and websites and eCommerce: natural disaster preparation and response. Sherilyn Burris from Cascia Consulting joins Michael, Moe, and Tim to chat about her experiences in a variety of roles in just that area, how she uses data, how the data lands...
2018-11-2055 minThe Analytics Power Hour#098: Successfully Managing the AnalystAs the axiom goes: people don’t leave companies; they leave their managers. And, good analysts are constantly being approached with new opportunities. So, what’s the secret formula for hanging on to analytics talent? Assuming simply chaining them to their desks isn’t an option, then the trick is keeping them happy and motivated. On this episode, the gang discusses their experiences and perspectives on the topic. Tim tried to quit the show just before recording, but he then discovered that Michael had chained him to his desk. For complete show notes, including links to items mentio...
2018-09-2557 minThe Analytics Power Hour#096: Analyzing Online Learning Options for the Analyst with Lizzie Allen-KleinMama always said: life is like a box of chocolates, and online learning is sometimes like one of those boxes where you don’t know which piece is delicious nougat and which piece is some sort of nasty, coconut-y cream. Well, maybe not your mama. But, it’s a big world, so, surely, there’s a mother out there somewhere who would agree with the sentiment. On this episode, the gang chatted with Google Consumer Insights Analyst Lizzie Allen-Klein about different learning styles and different approaches and options for learning new (and hard!) analytical skills. And there might have been a...
2018-08-2858 minThe Analytics Power Hour(Bonus) 1:1 with Jodi Daniels: GDPR and CCPA (Privacy!) UpdatesFor this mini-episode, Tim sits down (virtually) with Episode #077 guest Jodi Daniels from Red Clover Advisors to chat about the world of privacy post-May 25, 2018 (GDPR), as well as the upcoming California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA). Has the free-wheeling world of free-flowing consumer data ended, or are companies simply learning how to behave with more care? Give it a listen to find out?
2018-08-2113 minThe Analytics Power Hour#095: The Rise of BI with Taylor UdellBusiness Intelligence. It’s a term that’s been around for a few decades, but that is every bit as difficult to nail down as “data science,” “big data,” or a jellyfish. Think too hard about it, and you might actually find yourself struggling to define “analytics!” With the latest generation of BI tools, though, it’s a topic that is making the rounds at cocktail parties the world over! (Cocktail parties just aren’t what they used to be.) On this episode, the crew snags Taylor Udell from Heap to join in a discussion on the subject, and Moe (unsuccessfully...
2018-08-1454 minThe Analytics Power Hour#092: A Special Report - Data Journalism Meets Business Analytics with Walt HickeyOnce upon a time, there was some data. And that data cried out to be extracted and analyzed and packaged up like the most exquisite of gifts and then presented gloriously to an eager and excited group of stakeholders. But, alas! Will this data story have a happy ending? Perhaps. Perhaps not! And that’s the subject of this episode. Sort of. Our intrepid hosts ask the question, “How can we communicate more effectively by applying the tricks of the data journalism trade?” To answer that question, Walt Hickey, late of fivethirtyeight.com and now the founder and curator of the...
2018-07-0349 minThe Analytics Power Hour(Bonus) Hot Takes from Adobe Summit 2018 with Michael and TimMichael, Tim, and 12,998 of their closest friends descended on Las Vegas for Adobe Summit the last week of March. With luck, Tim will have worked through the after-effects of the sensory overload of Vegas combined with the sensory overload of Adobe Summit by mid-April, but who knows? The guys (really...just the guys -- Moe was in the U.S., but she was in Austin at CXL Live) sat down to share their hot takes from the show. Attribution, Adobe Sensei, Adobe Launch, the Philadelphia Eagles, and more! For a picture of Michael and Tim recording this episode, head...
2018-03-3011 minThe Analytics Power Hour#085: Moving Beyond Microsoft ExcelSome people (possibly even one of the co-hosts of this podcast...on this very episode) have been known to say, "People have this dependency on Excel, which is freakin' weird!" We know it wasn't Tim, because he wouldn't have filtered his language! Whether it's a symptom of weirdness, an illustration of inertia, or an invisible hand of inevitability, though, Excel remains omnipresent. Is that a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Is it merely "a thing?" In this episode, the gang dives into the topic: the good and bad of Excel, the various paths to a future where...
2018-03-2757 minThe Analytics Power Hour#082: Superweek 2018 - GDPR, Machine Learning, and Tim's HairFor the second year in a row for the podcast -- but the first appearance since Moe joined the crew -- we headed to the Hunguest Grandhotel Galya outside Budapest for Superweek, one of the most unique conference experiences in the digital analytics industry: comfortably isolated over an hour outside of Budapest in a beautiful setting, it's a temporary community of, for, and by the analyst. With sessions ranging from GDPR to machine learning to attribution to media analytics, the spaces before, between, and after the presentations were extended discussions with great people on a wide range of topics...
2018-02-1353 minThe Analytics Power Hour(Bonus) 1:1 with Lee Isensee: The Measure Slack TeamIn this, our initial bonus audio, Tim sits down with Lee Isensee, creator and curator of the Measure Slack team. We plug the Slack team on every episode of the podcast, and all three co-hosts are active members of the team, so we wanted to find out a little bit about the history, challenges, and envisioned future for the platform. Standard bonus content disclaimer: Bonus content is not released on any fixed schedule, and it does not receive quite the same level of polish as regular episodes. If you enjoy a particular bit of bonus content, are e...
2018-02-0622 minThe Analytics Power Hour#081: The Career Growth Conundrum: Lead People or Crunch Data?You love analytics. Great. You even love your job (hopefully)! But, you're thinking about the future, and it looks like there is a fork in the road. Should you take the path that leads you down the people management path? Or, should you take the path that leads you deeper into the data itself, but as an individual contributor. Can you pursue both paths? As it turns out, Michael stumbled down the former path, while Tim has headed down the latter. So, Moe took a turn in the moderator chair to guide a discussion about the considerations and relative m...
2018-01-3054 minThe Analytics Power Hour#077: Lions and GDPR and Bears, Oh My! with Jodi DanielsAre you a data subject? If you're a person, then you better believe you are! And, so is every person who visits your website. And, if you are in the EU, or you have visitors from the EU, then May 25th, 2018, is a day you should be keeping a close eye on and preparing for now! On this episode, Jodi Daniels of Red Clover Advisors joins Moe and Tim to talk all things General Data Privacy Regulation (aka, GDPR). Give it a listen and pick up delightful cocktail party openers like, "Hey, do you know how to tell someone...
2017-12-0554 minThe Analytics Power Hour#075: Corralling the Cross-Device VisitorIt's a challenge as old as the smartphone (or...technically... a little bit older): we want to track and know people, but, when they're visiting us from their phone, their tablet, their work laptop, and their home desktop, we often really just know cookies and device IDs! Countless vendors tout their enabling technology...but then admit that, yes, you do have to get your customers to authenticate on all devices to provide a common key, which isn't always easy (or even remotely reasonable). Unless you're up for diving into the deep and murky waters of probabilistic linking. On this e...
2017-11-0747 minThe Analytics Power Hour#072: The Future Digital Analyst Redux with Corry ProhensHave you learned R yet? No? Well, then Tim is disappointed in you. Or, maybe that's totally okay! Way back on episode #035, we asked the question if data science was the future of digital analytics. We concluded...maybe...for some. On this episode, we dive deeper into what the career options are for digital analysts with longtime digital analytics industry recruiting and staffing maven Corry Prohens, founder and CEO of IQ Workforce. The good news? There are lots of options (if you find your passion and follow it)! For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned...
2017-09-2652 minThe Analytics Power Hour#067 - R You Considering Python? (With Ryan Praskievicz)WHY does Tim simply not give Python its due? Isn't Python a perfectly acceptable -- possibly even better -- option when it comes to diving into programming with data? It's open source, too. Some say it's easier to learn than R. And, frankly, isn't a programming language named after a snake just inherently cooler than one named after a letter of the alphabet? The fellas tackled the topic with Ryan Praskieviecz from EY on this episode...and possibly wound up tackling it in a way that will leave Python lovers that much more ready to strangle them (as pythons...
2017-07-1851 minThe Analytics Power Hour#065 - Digital Analytics from a Psychological Perspective with Dr. Liraz MargalitWe can watch (sort of) what users do on our sites. That's web analytics. We can ask them how they felt about the experience. That's voice of the customer. But, can we (and should we?) actually analyze their emotional reactions? On this episode, Michael and Tim sat down with Dr. Liraz Margalit, Head of Digital Behavioral Research at Clicktale, to bend their brains a bit around that very topic. And, they left the discussion thinking differently about conversion rates, and even realizing that scroll tracking might just have a valuable application! For complete show notes, including links to items me...
2017-06-2054 minThe Analytics Power Hour#062: When and Where Does the Role of the Analyst End?It seems like a simple couple of questions: 1) When and where does the analyst’s role start?, and 2) When and where does the analyst’s role end? And, do the answers to either of these questions change based on the type of organization you’re in (in-house versus agency)? As it turns out, Michael and Tim largely agree on the answers to these questions…but their agreement is pretty expansive, so this could be the episode that infuriates you, dear listener! Give it a listen, and be prepared to shake your fist at your earbuds! For complete show note...
2017-05-0949 minThe Analytics Power Hour#055: Systems Thinking with Christopher BerryThe world is an oyster. It's also a system. A complex system! Companies are components in that system, and they're systems unto themselves! And marketing departments, and digital marketing, and the data therein, are systems, too. As analysts, we're looking for pearls in these systems (and you were wondering where we were going with this)! Join Michael and Tim as they chat with Christopher Berry of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) about "systems thinking." You'll be smarter for it! As a special "feature" (not a bug!) for this episode, we've done a bit of a throwback to the earliest...
2017-01-3150 minThe Analytics Power Hour#054: Pop Analytics with Kevin HillstromPop psychology is fun, if not that useful. Pop analytics can be dangerous! What IS pop analytics? It's a term coined (as far as we can tell) by analytics legend Kevin Hillstrom, and we managed to get him on the show to chat about it! The fact that it turned into a therapy session for Tim was just an added bonus. NOTE: We hit a glitch with Kevin's audio 45 minutes into the episode and have done our best to work around it. It was especially painful, in that he had some very nice things to say about the show...
2017-01-1757 minThe Analytics Power Hour#050: Internal Analytics Organizational StructuresStep right up! Step right up! We've got your org charts here! If an analyst falls in the woods, and she reports into a hub-and-spoke model, is the result best illustrated with a 3D pie chart? Join Michael and Tim as they conclude that, at the end of the day, effective communication is imperative regardless of where the analysts sit organizationally. And, because, "Why not?" ride along on a digression about the product management of analytics platforms within the organization! Miscellany referenced in this episode include: 10 Tips to Maximize Your JavaScript Debugging Experience, The Comedians of Comedy, and Extras.
2016-11-2247 minThe Analytics Power Hour#048: Social Media Analytics with Hayes DavisYou know what season it is? Well, in the United States, we're closing out a 4-year, never-ending cycle of electing a president. The tweets are getting tweeted and retweeted, the Facebook posts are getting posted and reacted to, and the video! Oh, the video! So, what better time to dive into social media ANALYTICS than today? Join Michael and Tim as they dive into this topic -- which they both love to hate -- with Hayes Davis, co-founder and CEO of Union Metrics. You might even want to Snapchat a filtered picture of yourself listening to it to someone...
2016-10-2550 minThe Analytics Power Hour#047: Assessing Analytics Job DescriptionsHave you ever read an analytics job description? Have you found yourself wondering, "Is it just me, or is there something fishy going on here?" Who better to verbally cogitate this question writ large than a couple of guys who haven't actually applied for a job in a few years? Join Michael and Tim as they dive into the world of analytics job descriptions and chat about the red flags they find...and the various tangential thoughts that the exercise itself sparks. Resources mentioned in this episode include: the Digital Analytics Association, Google Tag Manager Updates: Workspaces and User...
2016-10-1153 minThe Analytics Power Hour#046: Measuring Podcasts at NPR with Steve MulderDo you listen to podcasts? Well, of course you do! Are you working in or involved with analytics? If you listen to this podcast, you almost certainly are! Where do those two interests intersect? On this episode! Steve Mulder, Senior Director of Audience Insights at National Public Radio (NPR), joins Michael and Tim to discuss podcast measurement...and audience measurement...and the evolution of analytics...and standards (well...guidelines)...and more! Tim fanboys out in a way that would be embarrassing if he was sufficiently self-aware to be embarrassed. In other words, it's a rollicking good romp through public...
2016-09-2750 minThe Analytics Power Hour#045: Identifying and Prioritizing HypothesesThe intro bumper for this podcast says "the occasional guest," and, yet, the last five episodes have had guests. That's hardly "occasional," so Tim and Michael had a choice: either change the intro or do an episode on a topic for which both of them have experience, interest, and, hopefully, at least modest authority. In this show, the guys dig into hypotheses: how to identify and articulate them, the pitfalls involved in *not* clearly stating them, and where they see organizations and analysts get tripped up. They have a hypothesis that you will get some value out of the...
2016-09-1358 minThe Analytics Power Hour#043: Open Source Analytics with Simon RumbleSomebody wants to overthink their analytics tools? Tell 'em their dreamin'! We wanted to talk about open source and event analytics and Snowplow sits right at that intersection. Our guest Simon Rumble is the co-founder of Snowflake Analytics and one of the longest users of Snowplow. We wrap up the show with all the places you can find Simon and Tim in the next few months. Fun fact: You will also learn in this episode that conversion funnels go down the opposite direction in Australia.
2016-08-1654 minThe Analytics Power Hour#042: Data Storytelling with Brent DykesOnce upon a time, in an industry near and dear, lived an analyst. And that analyst needed to present the results of her analysis to a big, scary, business user. This is not a tale for the faint of heart, dear listener. We're talking the Brothers Grimm before Disney got their sugar-tipped screenwriting pens on the stories! Actually, this isn't a fairy tale at all. It's a practical reality of the analyst's role: effectively communicating the results of our work out to the business. Join Michael and Tim and special guest, Storytelling Maven Brent Dykes, as they look for...
2016-08-0243 minThe Analytics Power Hour#040: Google BigQuery with Michael HealyIn this episode, we dive deep on a 1988 classic: Tom Hanks, under the direction of Penny Marshall, was a 12-year-old in a 30-year-old's body... Actually, that's a different "Big" from what we actually cover in this episode. In this instant classic, the star is BigQuery, the director is Google, and Michael Healy, a data scientist from Search Discovery, delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Zoltar. In under 48 minutes, Michael (Helbling) and Tim drastically increased their understanding of what Google BigQuery is and where it fits in the analytics landscape. If you'd like to do the same, give it a listen!
2016-07-0547 minThe Analytics Power Hour#039: In Defense of ExcelAs Dr. Phil says, "Never put more into a relationship than you can afford to lose." Not sure what that has to do with Excel but it sounds vaguely wise, which is the whole point. Tim and Michael try to be your relationship coach for Microsoft Excel. Despised by data scientists, but used by everyone else, where are the boundaries and who has what it takes to enforce them. Join us in an exploration of our digital analytics love/hate affair with that most ubiquitous of analytics tools. (Cell) references made in this episode include: Chandoo.org...
2016-06-2139 minThe Analytics Power Hour#035: Is Data Science the Future of Web Analytics?Are you a data scientist? Have you pondered whether you're really a growth hacker? Well...get over yourself! Picking up on a debate that started onstage at eMetrics, Michael, Jim, and Tim discuss whether a fundamental shift in the role (and requisite skills) of the web analyst are changing. You know, getting more "science-y" (if "science" is "more technical and more maths"). all in 2,852 seconds (each second of which can be pulled into R and used to build a predictive model showing the expected ROI of listening to future episodes; at least, we assume that's what a data scientist...
2016-04-2647 minThe Analytics Power Hour#024: Women in Digital Analytics with Krista SeidenHave you noticed that neither Michael, Jim, nor Tim are women? They did! But that didn't stop them from taking on the subject of women in digital analytics (with diversions into the subjects of women and scotch, and women in professional poker). Joining them for this episode (because they may be a little misguided at times, but they're not absolute morons) was Krista Seiden from Google. Krista is a notable woman in analytics...but that is the LAST way she ever wants to be described. Luckily, she made an exception for us just this one time.
People...
2015-11-2445 minThe Analytics Power Hour#015: Digital Analyst Skills vs TalentsScads has been written about the distinction between skills and talents. But, how does that distinction apply to digital analysts? In this episode, Jim and Tim actually find something they agree on...at least briefly. And Michael maneuvers Tim into at least partially buying into ideas that he has previously referred to as touchy-feely crap. With quotations being dropped from Thoreau to Gygax and business writers in between, you may find yourself questioning your chosen vocation by the end of this 45-minute hour. But we hope not. Really!
2015-07-2143 minThe Analytics Power Hour#012: The Governance of the DataMost people find the concept of governance about as interesting as an afternoon of quality control work at the beige paint factory. If you agree with this sentiment and are listening to this week's podcast, we hope to change your mind! With special guest John Lovett, Senior Partner at Web Analytics Demystified, Tim, Michael and Jim talk about what governance is for a digital analytics practice, why it's so darned important, and how anyone can get started. All of this AND a little poetry (really!) for the low, low price of 45 minutes of your time, in the Digital Analytics...
2015-06-0944 minThe Analytics Power Hour#011: These Are a Few of Our Favorite InsightsSure I like your theory guys, but I want to hear some stories from the trenches! Episode 11 is all about the anecdotes, with the guys sharing stories about work they've done as analysts that had the most impact. Whether from hard work or a moment of inspiration, big wins with analysis are sometimes few and far between Hear some great examples from Michael, Tim and Jim's personal experiences. What has 6 legs, three microphones and will make you a better analyst in 42 minutes? It's the Digital Analytics Power Hour.
2015-05-2639 minThe Analytics Power Hour#010: Reviewing the Latest CMOsurvey.org Survey ResultsWant to hear Jim Cain wing it for 40 minutes as he discusses a survey he never read? Interested in hearing Tim Wilson boil with incandescent rage as Jim triggers the Indiana Jones style pressure pads under his overpriced hotel snacks? Then this is the episode for you! Michael, Jim and Tim talk through the responses they found most interesting (VERY heavy use of that word in this episode) from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business's bi-annual CMO survey (cmosurvey.org).
2015-05-1234 minThe Analytics Power Hour#006: What Is the Space for Tools that Aren't Google Analytics or Adobe AnalyticsFifteen years ago, digital analytics tooling was pretty straightforward (something that looks at log files). In 2015, there are literally hundreds of tools that can be used to measure every aspect of a digital sales and marketing ecosystem. Most companies still think “Google or Adobe?” when making a digital analytics tool purchase. Are they missing out? With very special guest Hiten Shah from KISSmetrics, Michael, Tim and Jim talk a little tooling and a lot of trash - in almost 60 minutes.
2015-03-1748 minThe Analytics Power Hour#005: Big Data -- What an Executive Needs to KnowThe power of big data is a curious thing, Make a one man weep, make another man sing. Change a hawk to a little white dove. More than a feeling that's the power of big data. As always, Huey Lewis hits the nail on the head with this complex topic. What does the phrase actually mean? How can my company take advantage of it? Michael, Tim and Jim take on big data in episode five, and try to focus in on making this hard to pin down concept understandable and relevant. All this and more in one American hour, 46...
2015-03-0340 minThe Analytics Power Hour#002: What is a Dashboard?Episode 002 finds Michael, Tim and Jim tackling one of the most important, powerful and sometimes frustrating deliverables to any business analyst: the dashboard. What exactly is a dashboard? What are they for? What should they accomplish? Why can't Tim and Jim agree on anything? Prepare for lots of strong opinions and stories from the trenches in this week's 40-minute power hour.
2015-01-2039 min
The Analytics Power Hour#001: Becoming a Better Digital AnalystIn this inaugural episode of the Digital Analytics Power Hour, Michael, Jim, and Tim discuss how a digital analyst working today can become better at what he or she does. Tending bar? Cold calling the CFO? The guys share their own origin stories -- what drew them to web analytics, as well as what made them stay -- and tell a few tales of what worked for them as they evolved their own careers.
2015-01-0338 min