Maybe it's do with the weather of late - cool, dreary, wet; or maybe it's to do the long runs I've been doing - lonely, peaceful, contemplative. Whatever it was, I've been thinking about life - about how it has been; about how it is now; and about how it is going to be. I... Continue Reading →
life: larger than our plans
The net is set for the fish, But catches the swan in its mesh. The praying mantis covets its prey, While the sparrow approaches from the rear. Within one contrivance hides another; Beyond one change, another is born. Are wisdom and skill enough to put your hopes on? From the book Master of the Three... Continue Reading →
Perspective: Million vs. Billion
"How long is a million seconds? How many days do you think that is?" I asked."I don't know," she said, then started counting, realised it was pretty hard to do in your head, then stopped.I gave her the answer: "approximately 11 days"."Now," I continued, "how about a billion? How many days is a billion seconds?"This... Continue Reading →
Getting Excited About Small Data
The next few quarters for analytics in my company are, from my perspective, going to be game-changing, and I'm excited to say my team's taking the lead on it: from machine learning and advanced visualisations to new ways of thinking about data, we're currently taking the steps to get to what I call "the next... Continue Reading →
The problem with running a team at full capacity
I shared this earlier on LinkedIn, but thought that it was worth sharing it here too as a reminder to myself: Six Myths of Product Development I came across the article above while researching why a team that traditionally does great work may sometimes stumble (yes, mine). The past few weeks had been a whirlwind... Continue Reading →
The need for theory in prediction models
I'd like to share this wonderful quip by philosopher Robert Long, that was quoted in the (also insightful and actually pretty good) book A Richer Life by Philip Roscoe: Let's say that in early 2001 I formulate a theory to the effect that there is a Constant Tolkienian Force in the Universe that produces a Tolkien film... Continue Reading →
What’s Sales Reporting Governance got to do with Bribery?
I lead a Sales Operations team, and one of our objectives for this year is to establish a "sales reporting governance structure": to ensure that the right reports/tools get developed, with the right specifications, at the right time; and, perhaps most importantly, with the buy-in by the right people. Essentially this governance structure looks at controlling the reporting... Continue Reading →
Falling to the level of our training
I first saw the following wonderful quote in a book by Joshua Medcalf (called Hustle), attributed to an anonymous Navy SEAL: Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. What a beautiful principle to live your life by. (I was particularly inspired because I have been doing quite a... Continue Reading →
Playing Baseball without a Bat – a great example of effective statistical visualisation
Came across a very interesting and persuasive video on baseball via Kottke.org today. It's a great example of what an interesting question, effective visualisation, and some statistical knowledge can do. The question the video seeks to answer is the following: what would happen if baseball player Barry Bonds, who happened to play one of his greatest... Continue Reading →
On meritocracy, luck, and giving back
Kottke's post on meritocracy, a concept that I had in my younger days considered infallible, reminded me that even those of us who have worked hard and achieved so-called "success" have much to owe to "luck". Even the smartest, hardest working, most beautiful of us all, would likely have not fared well, had we been born... Continue Reading →
Donn, fragments 