Читать книгу Becoming a Data Head - Alex J. Gutman - Страница 34

In our experience, going back to first principles and asking the fundamental questions required to solve a problem is easier said than done. Every company has a unique culture, and team dynamics don't always lend themselves to openly asking questions, especially ones that might make others feel undermined. And many of those becoming Data Heads find that they don't have the space to even begin asking the important questions that will drive the projects forward. Which is why having a culture in which to ask these questions is as important as the questions themselves.

There's no one-size-fits-all formula for every company and every Data Head. If you are a leader, we ask that you create an open environment that will get the questions going. (This starts with inviting the technical experts into the room.) And ask questions yourself. This exhibits humility, a key leadership trait, and encourages others to join in. If you are more junior, we encourage you to try your best to ask these questions anyway, even if you're concerned it might upset the status quo. Our advice is to simply do your best. From experience, we believe simply asking the right questions always goes a lot further than not.

We want you to be prepared in the right way, trained to spot project warning signs and raise concerns at the outset. With that, we introduce five questions you should ask before attacking a data problem:

1 Why is this problem important?

2 Who does this problem affect?

3 What if we don't have the right data?

4 When is the project over?

5 What if we don't like the results?

Let's explain each in detail.