Data science doesn’t always work the way you think, but there’s enormous power to be unleashed by analyzing data when you do it right. The important interplay between technologies for gathering / analyzing data and the human element to decide what actions to take based on that data is a big factor in the outcome. Data driven decisions not only influence individual projects and business success, they also can have an enormous impact even at the level of changing society.

Going beyond the details of tools and techniques, this talk connects the dots to give you a big picture of what makes some data science projects successful while others founder.  The talk includes stories from a variety of data projects. I’ll also provide practical tips for going from idea to innovation and how to get beyond the barriers that exist in real world settings.  We will take a look at specific approaches that lead to success, including:

• Are you asking the right questions?
• Do you recognize a good idea when you have it?
• Can you engage interest in your work in order to see it have an impact?

The talk should be useful for audiences at all levels of experience.