1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,620 On this episode of data driven, Frank and Andy interview, 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,600 Adam Ross Nelson. Adam is a consultant where 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,424 he provides insights on data science. machine learning and data 4 00:00:11,424 --> 00:00:15,025 governance. He recently wrote a book to help people get 5 00:00:15,025 --> 00:00:16,965 started in data science careers. 6 00:00:20,460 --> 00:00:23,980 Hello, and welcome back to data driven, the podcast, where we explore the emerging fields 7 00:00:23,980 --> 00:00:27,734 of data science artificial intelligence, and, of course, the ever 8 00:00:27,734 --> 00:00:31,574 present data engineering. although I would say now that we're in season 9 00:00:31,574 --> 00:00:35,210 7, it's not really emerging anymore. You can't go really. You can't 10 00:00:35,210 --> 00:00:39,050 walk 50 feet. You can't scroll down any social media 11 00:00:39,050 --> 00:00:42,030 platform without hearing about AI and any flavor. 12 00:00:42,845 --> 00:00:46,685 I I blame chat GPT. and I've also had a lot of 13 00:00:46,685 --> 00:00:50,125 people kind of hit me up on how do I become a data 14 00:00:50,125 --> 00:00:53,830 scientist? And, you know, there's a short answer. Right? 15 00:00:53,830 --> 00:00:57,190 And there's a long answer. And then there's an answer on how to do 16 00:00:57,190 --> 00:01:00,730 it that's written in a book in a book. 17 00:01:00,885 --> 00:01:04,724 In a book written by our guest today on the entire book. It's an 18 00:01:04,724 --> 00:01:08,300 awesome book. I read parts of it. and, 19 00:01:08,620 --> 00:01:11,420 it's the kind of guide I wish I had when I made a transition from 20 00:01:11,420 --> 00:01:15,260 software engineering into from well, I I won't just say software 21 00:01:15,260 --> 00:01:19,085 engineering. from Silverlight and, Windows 8 application 22 00:01:19,145 --> 00:01:22,905 development, right, which is the most embarrassing thing ever. So welcome to the show, 23 00:01:22,905 --> 00:01:26,610 Adam. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so glad to hear, to be 24 00:01:26,610 --> 00:01:30,290 here. and thanks for the compliments on the book. you you 25 00:01:30,290 --> 00:01:32,950 are one of the few folks who had a chance to see 26 00:01:33,775 --> 00:01:37,155 handful of pages or many of the pages before it launched. 27 00:01:37,935 --> 00:01:41,235 So I'm glad you also had some time to look take a look at that. 28 00:01:41,830 --> 00:01:44,970 That's cool. Is this your first book or second book or third? 29 00:01:45,590 --> 00:01:49,270 this is the first solo authored book. I have another one that I 30 00:01:49,270 --> 00:01:53,034 edited. from my previous career. So actually, that's 31 00:01:53,034 --> 00:01:56,655 another topic, like, changing careers. I had a different career in law. 32 00:01:56,955 --> 00:02:00,530 So there's a book out there. Okay. Yeah. If you dig deep enough, you'll find 33 00:02:00,530 --> 00:02:03,970 a book on school law that I co edited. This is my first solo 34 00:02:03,970 --> 00:02:07,695 authored book, thrilled about it. I have another one coming out 35 00:02:07,855 --> 00:02:11,555 in a on a different topic coming out in September, that one's with the publisher 36 00:02:11,615 --> 00:02:14,275 Kogan page. Interesting. Okay. 37 00:02:15,090 --> 00:02:18,770 Interesting. So you're gonna be a multiple book author, which, 38 00:02:19,810 --> 00:02:23,365 that's awesome. the the So 39 00:02:23,365 --> 00:02:27,125 that's the issue. I didn't know you had transitioned from another career. we had 40 00:02:27,125 --> 00:02:30,805 met through Lillian Pearson, and most people know the name Lillian 41 00:02:30,805 --> 00:02:34,500 Pearson because she was one of the first people who had a number 42 00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:38,260 of LinkedIn learning courses or lynda.com courses. Go back 43 00:02:38,260 --> 00:02:42,015 far enough. on how 44 00:02:42,015 --> 00:02:45,395 to how to how to transition into data science or or just on data scientists. 45 00:02:45,455 --> 00:02:49,299 Yeah. Data science. And she was one of the few for the longest 46 00:02:49,299 --> 00:02:53,140 time that was not a mathematician or 47 00:02:53,140 --> 00:02:56,980 whatever. So when I so she she had this kind of this private mastermind 48 00:02:56,980 --> 00:03:00,395 type thing. So we signed we signed up. We're part of the same cohort, and 49 00:03:00,395 --> 00:03:03,915 that's how I met Adam. And, so so tell 50 00:03:03,915 --> 00:03:07,720 me tell me how did you get into the law? 51 00:03:07,860 --> 00:03:11,220 And then what was that day? Well, okay. Let's we don't have to you know, 52 00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:14,360 in the virtual agreement, we're talking about lawyers. Right? But, 53 00:03:15,565 --> 00:03:17,885 But, the, 54 00:03:19,645 --> 00:03:22,845 what made you decide to leave law? Like, how did how did you kinda, like, 55 00:03:22,845 --> 00:03:26,500 start with law and then kinda walk like, realizing, yes. This is for me. 56 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,239 Well, I was transitioning into well, in 57 00:03:30,239 --> 00:03:34,045 law, I always worked in education. So, 58 00:03:35,224 --> 00:03:38,665 in fact, I went to law school thinking I would work, 59 00:03:39,864 --> 00:03:43,084 as an attorney for a college of university, most likely. 60 00:03:44,140 --> 00:03:47,660 and then I did work for college universities, mostly in 61 00:03:47,660 --> 00:03:51,474 administrative roles and policy roles. for our 62 00:03:51,715 --> 00:03:54,215 for for many years after a law school. 63 00:03:55,474 --> 00:03:59,250 and I had a well, it's an interesting story because Like many 64 00:03:59,250 --> 00:04:03,090 people, sometimes you sort of hit that plateau in your career. Yeah. And 65 00:04:03,090 --> 00:04:06,630 I had definitely plateaued in education administration 66 00:04:06,930 --> 00:04:10,545 with my law degree, I was in about 6 years, 67 00:04:10,545 --> 00:04:14,225 5, 6 years. I was runner-up 5 times 68 00:04:14,225 --> 00:04:17,880 in national job searches for a new job at a different 69 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,660 university. and you know your runner-up because 70 00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:25,745 when you get invited to interview on campus for most called university 71 00:04:25,805 --> 00:04:28,944 jobs. You go for a whole day, sometimes a day and a half or 2, 72 00:04:29,164 --> 00:04:32,365 and then you either get the job or you don't, and they usually only bring 73 00:04:32,365 --> 00:04:36,040 two people to campus. So if you go to campus, you know you're a 74 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,880 runner-up. and, I I 75 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,474 I got to the point where I realized you know, the the really 76 00:04:43,474 --> 00:04:46,375 bookish academic folk were not taking me seriously, 77 00:04:47,074 --> 00:04:50,660 as seriously as I really wanted to be here. job search 78 00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:54,500 process because they didn't have a PhD. And then the 79 00:04:54,500 --> 00:04:58,315 law folk weren't taking me as seriously as I needed them to in 80 00:04:58,315 --> 00:05:01,695 order to really advance to that next step in the career, because 81 00:05:02,075 --> 00:05:05,775 I wasn't then currently working, as a litigator, 82 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:10,180 or as a transactional attorney. Gotcha. So I was sort of in 83 00:05:10,180 --> 00:05:13,400 this no man's world, plateauing 84 00:05:14,255 --> 00:05:17,935 and that's when I decided to get the PhD. And and 85 00:05:17,935 --> 00:05:21,535 I I thought I would get the PhD and go back 86 00:05:21,535 --> 00:05:25,150 to education administration but then be able to get 87 00:05:25,150 --> 00:05:28,050 past that that hump, that hurdle, that plateau. 88 00:05:28,590 --> 00:05:32,350 Yeah. But during the PhD program, I just got really good 89 00:05:32,350 --> 00:05:35,955 at stats. so I just 90 00:05:36,115 --> 00:05:39,955 I ended up teching up, getting getting good at stats, teching 91 00:05:39,955 --> 00:05:43,510 up, and becoming a data scientist And there's a few 92 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:47,030 reasons for that, one of the 93 00:05:47,030 --> 00:05:50,650 reasons is I started working on these projects 94 00:05:50,710 --> 00:05:54,505 that were predictive analytics We were mostly 95 00:05:54,505 --> 00:05:58,264 looking at ways to anticipate which students would need 96 00:05:58,264 --> 00:06:01,940 additional academic support. So we're predicting 97 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,599 students who would need the help. And, which is a great 98 00:06:05,599 --> 00:06:08,340 project, by the way. We should totally come back to that if there's time. 99 00:06:09,585 --> 00:06:12,965 And then I was telling my friends about this, my family about this, 100 00:06:13,025 --> 00:06:16,625 coworkers, of course, knew about this, and everybody started calling me a 101 00:06:16,625 --> 00:06:20,380 data scientist. And I'm like, no. No. No. No. Right. 102 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,120 I deflected because I thought, well, that's, like, I did. I w I wasn't trained 103 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,180 to be a data. I went to law school. I had this PhD in education. 104 00:06:27,544 --> 00:06:31,305 education leadership. and then eventually I just sort of 105 00:06:31,305 --> 00:06:34,824 acquiesced, and my boss even started calling me the 106 00:06:34,824 --> 00:06:38,550 offices, data scientists, even though HR didn't call me a 107 00:06:38,550 --> 00:06:42,389 data scientist, everything else was. Yeah. So finally, I 108 00:06:42,389 --> 00:06:46,195 just owned it. And then my first real job. 109 00:06:46,655 --> 00:06:50,415 Well, what's a real job? What's not a real job? We have to be very 110 00:06:50,415 --> 00:06:54,140 careful with that kind of language. But anyway, my first job where the title 111 00:06:54,140 --> 00:06:57,680 was data scientist, was at a national or nonprofit 112 00:06:57,980 --> 00:07:01,745 that helped college university or helped students applied to 113 00:07:01,745 --> 00:07:05,345 college university. So, again, we were doing I was 114 00:07:05,345 --> 00:07:08,705 doing predictive analytics there, just helping students get to 115 00:07:08,705 --> 00:07:12,210 college. The biggest project there was we were looking to figure out, 116 00:07:13,330 --> 00:07:17,030 for the students who started the application process, but didn't finish. 117 00:07:17,090 --> 00:07:20,545 Why? And then, yeah, and then still, it's a predictive 118 00:07:20,605 --> 00:07:24,285 problem. Right? So you have the students who start the process. How can 119 00:07:24,285 --> 00:07:27,919 we predict which students are gonna finish, which students 120 00:07:27,979 --> 00:07:31,820 are at risk of not finishing the application process and then intervene to 121 00:07:31,820 --> 00:07:35,405 help those students. There's the value on that. Yeah. So 122 00:07:35,405 --> 00:07:39,245 that's how I got into data science. I've never looked back, but I've 123 00:07:39,485 --> 00:07:42,845 the point is I've been through a couple different transitions, career 124 00:07:42,845 --> 00:07:46,650 transitions, My very first job ever ever was an English teacher as 125 00:07:46,650 --> 00:07:49,629 a foreign language. I was teaching English in Hungary, 126 00:07:50,090 --> 00:07:53,855 Budapest, hungry, And -- Wow. Yeah. Before the show, I should have 127 00:07:53,855 --> 00:07:57,295 mentioned that before the show because we were talking about international travel and things like 128 00:07:57,295 --> 00:08:01,030 that. Yeah. So, that's why I wrote 129 00:08:01,030 --> 00:08:04,710 the book. This book, one of the distinguishing factors for this book, is it's 130 00:08:04,710 --> 00:08:08,335 specifically for I think it'll be useful anybody who wants to become a 131 00:08:08,335 --> 00:08:12,175 data scientist, but, this one was 132 00:08:12,175 --> 00:08:15,840 really written for established professionals, folks for 133 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,520 whom the the job search isn't the first rodeo. Right? 134 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,220 You've you've been through one career. You've done well in one career. 135 00:08:23,375 --> 00:08:27,055 and now you're ready for one reason or another for a 136 00:08:27,055 --> 00:08:30,815 different career. And if you're choosing data science, this is 137 00:08:30,815 --> 00:08:34,589 a really a great book. for you. Yeah. Well, it's an interesting topic 138 00:08:34,649 --> 00:08:38,490 because we talk to a lot of data people, 139 00:08:38,490 --> 00:08:41,684 just, you know, not data scientists, even data engineers, 140 00:08:42,465 --> 00:08:46,305 data administrators, data data analysts. And, 141 00:08:46,305 --> 00:08:50,000 of course, Yeah. So across the gamut. 142 00:08:50,060 --> 00:08:53,899 And what we found is, I I would say just off the 143 00:08:53,899 --> 00:08:57,525 cuff frame, More than half. Didn't start in 144 00:08:57,525 --> 00:09:01,125 data. Right? I would say easily more than half. I would say that 145 00:09:01,125 --> 00:09:03,750 tends to be the the exception. Yeah. 146 00:09:04,610 --> 00:09:08,370 and it it it you that leads you to, like, there's an eclectic bunch of 147 00:09:08,370 --> 00:09:12,130 people in data. Right? And, obviously, now everybody and 148 00:09:12,130 --> 00:09:15,945 their cousin wants to be in this field. Right? Like but Sure. But, 149 00:09:15,945 --> 00:09:19,705 I mean, at one point, data was not seen as an asset. It 150 00:09:19,705 --> 00:09:23,380 was seen as war liability. We covered that in the previous show. Right? 151 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,340 the, but, 152 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,635 it was just seen as, like, just You gotta store stuff. You gotta do transactional 153 00:09:31,855 --> 00:09:34,755 stuff. Yeah. And I remember I remember the first time 154 00:09:35,295 --> 00:09:38,735 the the idea, and this this is gonna age me out, I guess, or in 155 00:09:38,735 --> 00:09:42,279 terms of age, out my age. it was 1998, 156 00:09:42,660 --> 00:09:45,960 I think it was, or 1999. And 157 00:09:46,580 --> 00:09:50,395 there was, She was a DBA. That was 158 00:09:50,395 --> 00:09:54,154 her official title, but she was actually really good at doing OLAP cubes and 159 00:09:54,154 --> 00:09:57,700 analysis and stuff like that. And at the time, I 160 00:09:57,700 --> 00:10:01,460 was, you know, a a young cocky web developer, and I I was like, 161 00:10:01,460 --> 00:10:04,820 what does that mean exactly? Because, well, I tried to see 162 00:10:04,820 --> 00:10:08,385 if, you know, Kangaroo breeding patterns in 163 00:10:08,385 --> 00:10:11,825 Australia have any impact on, you know, rubber 164 00:10:11,825 --> 00:10:15,550 prices in Malaysia or something like that. It was like And I 165 00:10:15,550 --> 00:10:19,389 just remember looking at her, like, you ever hear something? Like, I saw your eyes 166 00:10:19,389 --> 00:10:22,990 light up. Right? Like, I was like, you ever hear something that that is 167 00:10:22,990 --> 00:10:26,694 sounds insane? but could also be brilliant, and you're not 168 00:10:26,694 --> 00:10:29,435 really sure which one it is. That's how I felt. I was like, 169 00:10:30,535 --> 00:10:32,555 I was like, don't ask something. 170 00:10:35,230 --> 00:10:38,509 But it was it was, you know, and then at that time, that was I 171 00:10:38,509 --> 00:10:41,870 don't think and I don't think the business took anything that she did seriously. I 172 00:10:41,870 --> 00:10:45,394 think they kinda It was it was it was years before 173 00:10:45,394 --> 00:10:48,995 anyone kinda realized this. And the second time I heard anything about this was about 174 00:10:48,995 --> 00:10:52,570 Walmart. how if they detect that the weather is gonna change 175 00:10:52,570 --> 00:10:56,410 over a certain threshold in a particular geographic area, that 176 00:10:56,410 --> 00:10:59,905 they'll ship more water gatorade and soda. they can lower the price 177 00:10:59,905 --> 00:11:03,745 supposedly. This was, like, 2000. That was 2002. And I was like, 178 00:11:03,745 --> 00:11:06,945 oh, that's clever. And it was just like, yeah. You know, the the data's already 179 00:11:06,945 --> 00:11:10,600 out there. Yeah. And then Yeah. Just put it to work. 180 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:14,200 Just put it to work. Right? And and that's clever because it's not exactly 181 00:11:14,339 --> 00:11:17,945 proprietary data. Right? The weather I didn't want to pull the weather 182 00:11:17,945 --> 00:11:21,644 data. And, it it it's one of those things where 183 00:11:22,505 --> 00:11:26,149 when I was reintroduced to the idea of data science, you know, like, 184 00:11:26,149 --> 00:11:29,910 14 years later, I was like, oh, wow. So this really has 185 00:11:29,910 --> 00:11:33,605 advanced. Yeah. Yeah. Well, 186 00:11:33,605 --> 00:11:37,445 2002 was one of the points I make in in this book and the one 187 00:11:37,445 --> 00:11:41,150 in September as well. data science isn't new. Right. 188 00:11:41,150 --> 00:11:44,990 Right. But 2002 is also the year where speaking of Walmart big 189 00:11:44,990 --> 00:11:48,690 retailers, where Target, made headlines 190 00:11:48,785 --> 00:11:52,004 for predicting whether their customers were pregnant. 191 00:11:52,865 --> 00:11:56,065 Oh, that was 2002. I thought that was I thought that was a little later. 192 00:11:56,065 --> 00:11:59,910 I did not realize that. 2002. And for those 193 00:11:59,910 --> 00:12:01,770 who don't know, those headlines, 194 00:12:03,830 --> 00:12:07,654 is, what we're target really sort of let their 195 00:12:07,654 --> 00:12:11,194 AI go off the rails is they ended up predicting 196 00:12:11,495 --> 00:12:15,310 teenage shoppers, as pregnant. sending home baby 197 00:12:15,310 --> 00:12:18,850 related coupons, parents were getting upset 198 00:12:18,910 --> 00:12:22,610 about this. And in some cases, they were predicting 199 00:12:22,830 --> 00:12:26,625 customers as the is the the urban legend that's built up 200 00:12:26,625 --> 00:12:30,305 around 20 years is. But anyway, in some cases, as the 201 00:12:30,305 --> 00:12:34,130 urban legend goes, the Methos goes around this story is Target was predicting 202 00:12:34,190 --> 00:12:37,630 customers as pregnant before customers knew they were pregnant. Oh, 203 00:12:37,630 --> 00:12:41,305 wow. Right? So Yeah. 2002 204 00:12:41,445 --> 00:12:45,125 was, oddly enough, it's a turning point. If you go back and map 205 00:12:45,125 --> 00:12:48,800 out headlines, 2000 I think people by 2002, 206 00:12:48,860 --> 00:12:52,300 people kinda, like, chilled out over wedge. Okay? Right. And then they 207 00:12:52,300 --> 00:12:55,360 were they were ready to start getting back to value. 208 00:12:56,305 --> 00:13:00,065 Well, there was also the dotcom crash. I think the hangover from the dotcom crash 209 00:13:00,065 --> 00:13:03,505 was starting to clear. You know what I mean? Like and the I mean, that's 210 00:13:03,505 --> 00:13:07,310 that's what I remember. you know, it was 211 00:13:07,310 --> 00:13:11,089 just that being in technology, you know, 212 00:13:11,630 --> 00:13:15,310 you know, in the late nineties was an awesome place to be. After the dot 213 00:13:15,310 --> 00:13:19,134 com crash, it kinda like a lot of people kinda washed out because there was 214 00:13:19,134 --> 00:13:22,894 no jobs. Like, I I remember part of why I left, New York to 215 00:13:22,894 --> 00:13:25,235 move to Richmond, which is how I met Andy. 216 00:13:26,370 --> 00:13:30,050 was, part of it was, I mean, there would be, 217 00:13:30,050 --> 00:13:33,865 like, one job opening in, like, 60 to 70 applicants. Yeah. Like, 218 00:13:33,865 --> 00:13:37,705 it was just ridiculous. And it was just basically, it became, like, the hunger 219 00:13:37,705 --> 00:13:41,465 games to get get a just get a job. Like, not even, like, an awesome 220 00:13:41,465 --> 00:13:44,400 job to a decent one. It was just and I remember, 221 00:13:45,340 --> 00:13:49,180 you know, just clawing at clawing just to get, like, you know, an, 222 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:53,325 an interview, and then it became, like, you know, it became like 223 00:13:53,325 --> 00:13:56,765 a reality show of, you know, like, how many rounds of interviews can we force 224 00:13:56,765 --> 00:14:00,460 people to go through or, you know, That was really, I think, the origin 225 00:14:00,460 --> 00:14:04,220 of the lead code interview, was was that like, 226 00:14:04,220 --> 00:14:07,580 I remember one guy gave me a pen and a pencil and said, here, code 227 00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:10,535 out, code out a program that does this. 228 00:14:11,394 --> 00:14:15,154 Wow. Like, like, by hand? Yeah. Like I don't 229 00:14:15,154 --> 00:14:18,960 have, like, a syntax checker. I don't have, like, Right. I don't have a tele 230 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,160 sensor, you know, whatever it is. And it was just like, you know, I did 231 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,920 it because, you know, I had, you know, rent that needed to 232 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,654 be paid. but, you know, and even then, like, you know, 233 00:14:29,654 --> 00:14:32,774 that one that took the pull from, like, twenty people. So I was told down 234 00:14:32,774 --> 00:14:36,360 to, like, 4 and then I still didn't get the job. So it became kind 235 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,560 of this this this but but I mean, it was and and and and with 236 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,265 all the the downsizing and the in layoffs and big tech, you know, 237 00:14:43,265 --> 00:14:46,464 we're kinda I I don't think it's gonna be who knows. Right? 238 00:14:47,425 --> 00:14:50,785 but, I mean, there's definitely definitely I think your book comes at a good time 239 00:14:50,785 --> 00:14:54,209 because there are a lot of people out there that are They're probably pondering the 240 00:14:54,209 --> 00:14:58,050 next career move. And, you know, data 241 00:14:58,050 --> 00:15:01,665 science is a is an awesome field. If you have them, you might my 242 00:15:01,665 --> 00:15:05,345 my my opinion, and I tell people, it's like, if you 243 00:15:05,345 --> 00:15:08,860 have the stomach for the math. Yep. Yep. 244 00:15:08,940 --> 00:15:12,700 Yeah. Yeah. You know, actually, on that point, one of the pet 245 00:15:12,700 --> 00:15:16,220 peeves I see is, when somebody says transitioning into data 246 00:15:16,220 --> 00:15:19,575 science is easy, it's no. It's 247 00:15:19,575 --> 00:15:23,335 not. it's not easy. It's doable. Right. It's 248 00:15:23,335 --> 00:15:27,070 doable. but I think easy is the wrong adjective there. And then 249 00:15:27,070 --> 00:15:30,430 also there's some posts that say you don't have to know math to transition to 250 00:15:30,430 --> 00:15:34,110 data science, which also I think is rubbish. You have to know 251 00:15:34,110 --> 00:15:37,885 math. I think maybe the amount of math you have to know can 252 00:15:37,885 --> 00:15:41,025 sometimes be exaggerated. Yeah. But, 253 00:15:42,365 --> 00:15:46,090 yes, spoiler alert, you do have to learn some math. If you're 254 00:15:46,090 --> 00:15:48,910 gonna you're probably it depend unless you are an actuarial, 255 00:15:50,250 --> 00:15:53,725 engineer, or an an actual 256 00:15:53,725 --> 00:15:57,565 statistic, to transition to data science, you're gonna have to learn some new 257 00:15:57,565 --> 00:16:01,300 math. Yeah. Maybe even in those cases too, come to think a bit, 258 00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:05,060 because we approach data scientists approach the statistics different than an 259 00:16:05,060 --> 00:16:08,855 actuarial, professional, different than a engineer, different than 260 00:16:08,855 --> 00:16:12,694 a statistician. That's true. That's true. And but you're right. Like, and 261 00:16:12,694 --> 00:16:16,500 and and when you talk to people, I'm very wary of the 262 00:16:16,500 --> 00:16:20,180 become a data science kinda courses that have come out, let's say, 263 00:16:20,180 --> 00:16:23,880 since 2018. Right? So when I first made the transition starting in 2015, 264 00:16:25,205 --> 00:16:28,245 There was not a lot of material. Right? Actually, it was Lillian. Lillian was one 265 00:16:28,245 --> 00:16:31,545 of the few people that was -- Really? -- not a PhD in mathematics. 266 00:16:32,519 --> 00:16:36,279 And, you know, you're a PhD. I I would say this, whether you're a PhD 267 00:16:36,279 --> 00:16:39,800 or not. PhDs have a very different viewpoint on the world. 268 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:43,185 Right? Because they they've devoted x number of years 269 00:16:43,565 --> 00:16:47,324 to learning a particular discipline. Right? Not everyone can 270 00:16:47,324 --> 00:16:51,040 or will devote x number of years to to anything. Right? 271 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,800 Like, and all of which should say 272 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,495 when I when I would approach existing data scientists, you know, how did you 273 00:16:58,495 --> 00:17:01,635 get it? This is keep in mind, this is, some years ago now. 274 00:17:02,495 --> 00:17:05,214 you know, they would say, you know, just go back to school. Like, this one 275 00:17:05,214 --> 00:17:08,760 was one guy. I was at a Microsoft Research conference and labs. We've talked about 276 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,279 this, this, this, this, event. It's it's only available to Microsoft 277 00:17:12,279 --> 00:17:15,924 employees. In my opinion, I 278 00:17:15,924 --> 00:17:19,444 think part of me wanted to just go back to Microsoft after after I personally 279 00:17:19,444 --> 00:17:22,424 was laid off just so I can go back to MLS. 280 00:17:22,849 --> 00:17:26,530 Like, it's that good of a conference. but, you 281 00:17:26,530 --> 00:17:30,290 know, the one one guy there who's no longer he's he's actually I 282 00:17:30,290 --> 00:17:33,924 don't wanna say his name, but he He's actually a chief data 283 00:17:33,924 --> 00:17:37,605 officer, chief data scientist at, I wouldn't call him a startup anymore, 284 00:17:37,605 --> 00:17:40,585 but it's probably a startup you heard of. And, 285 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,160 But it's probably not the one you're thinking. Just okay. No. but, 286 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,915 the, It's not 287 00:17:49,915 --> 00:17:53,695 OpenAI, basically. Okay. but, anyway, so 288 00:17:53,915 --> 00:17:57,755 he, he, he's, like, just turned to me and said, 289 00:17:57,755 --> 00:18:00,820 oh, yeah, just go back to school. Like, go get a PhD. Like, it was 290 00:18:00,820 --> 00:18:04,260 like, oh, just go get a coffee at the local 7:11. It'll be fun. Like, 291 00:18:04,260 --> 00:18:08,025 it doesn't work that way. No. Yeah. So so So but, like, in his 292 00:18:08,025 --> 00:18:11,465 defense, right, if you look at his kind of his LinkedIn profile, like, he's been, 293 00:18:11,465 --> 00:18:15,290 you know, he got his undergrad at Harvard. I think he got 2 multiple think 294 00:18:15,290 --> 00:18:19,130 he actually now has 2 PhDs at MIT. Like, in his circle 295 00:18:19,130 --> 00:18:22,965 of friends, that's like me going to to 296 00:18:22,965 --> 00:18:26,085 the local supermarket and picking up a thing of milk. Right? Like, I get it. 297 00:18:26,085 --> 00:18:29,865 I get it. You know? And and and the so another 298 00:18:30,005 --> 00:18:33,700 another person who was also, like, a super duper PhD at this conference. 299 00:18:33,700 --> 00:18:37,159 She was super chill. she might actually still be at Microsoft. 300 00:18:39,365 --> 00:18:42,085 said, hey. You know, so I asked her. I was like, you know, what should 301 00:18:42,085 --> 00:18:45,925 I do? And he goes, she's like, well, take a few courses in 302 00:18:45,925 --> 00:18:49,300 it, particularly statistics. if you like it, 303 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,840 then your passion for it will will will will finish the job. Like, it'll take 304 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:57,684 you over. You'll find everything else you need. It really was. It was 305 00:18:57,684 --> 00:19:00,725 like it was for for me, it was life changing. And she's like, and if 306 00:19:00,725 --> 00:19:04,405 you hate it, well, ask yourself this quest. She was also from 307 00:19:04,405 --> 00:19:08,130 Europe. Right? So they they have a different Worklife. Okay. philosophy 308 00:19:08,270 --> 00:19:12,030 there. She's like and if you hate it, ask yourself the question. Do you really 309 00:19:12,030 --> 00:19:15,855 wanna do something you hate. Mhmm. And I kinda walked 310 00:19:15,855 --> 00:19:18,355 away from that. And I was like, you know, that's interesting. 311 00:19:19,615 --> 00:19:23,450 And, So that was, I mean, that that that was 312 00:19:23,450 --> 00:19:26,809 Sage advice, and it turns out that, you know, there were parts of 313 00:19:26,809 --> 00:19:30,585 statistics that that I really like, probably because I'm a you 314 00:19:30,585 --> 00:19:34,425 know, historically, I've been a lot big baseball fan. and there's parts that I 315 00:19:34,425 --> 00:19:37,165 really I really don't like. And 316 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,760 But that's like anything. Right? You know, they have to pay you to show 317 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,575 up. There's a catch. And, But 318 00:19:45,575 --> 00:19:49,015 you're right. So when people ask me, now I have a book, I can recommend 319 00:19:49,015 --> 00:19:52,615 them. Right? Like, but, to to if they want tradition to data 320 00:19:52,615 --> 00:19:55,210 science, asked me, like, what should I do? And I was like, well, you really 321 00:19:55,210 --> 00:19:58,970 should study stats because that's probably 322 00:19:58,970 --> 00:20:02,795 about 80% of the lift right there. Sure. Yeah. I 323 00:20:02,795 --> 00:20:05,295 I think I agree with that. Yep. And I would say 324 00:20:06,235 --> 00:20:09,890 15% is calculus. And 325 00:20:10,590 --> 00:20:14,289 the remainder is probably game theory and 326 00:20:14,510 --> 00:20:18,165 linear algebra. It'd be kinda how I break it down. Yeah. I 327 00:20:18,165 --> 00:20:21,605 would add, and actually in the book, 328 00:20:21,845 --> 00:20:25,525 I've, on the advice of a fellow data scientist that I 329 00:20:25,525 --> 00:20:29,350 know who works for a big Big Engineering firm that's over a 330 00:20:29,350 --> 00:20:32,550 hundred years old based in Minnesota. You probably figure out what that one is. Play 331 00:20:32,550 --> 00:20:36,284 this game cap. We're gonna allude to company. He's a 332 00:20:36,284 --> 00:20:39,985 data scientist there. He really encouraged me to add a section 333 00:20:40,205 --> 00:20:43,585 on contributing to sales and business savvy. 334 00:20:44,420 --> 00:20:48,260 Oh, wow. Yeah. For this book. Yeah. and and I 335 00:20:48,260 --> 00:20:51,800 see that as a mistake that some folks trying to make that transition 336 00:20:52,265 --> 00:20:55,465 from some fields, not at all, but but more of the bookish fields, like the 337 00:20:55,465 --> 00:20:57,965 academic folks transitioning into data science, 338 00:20:58,905 --> 00:21:02,070 there's there's a 339 00:21:02,370 --> 00:21:04,710 there's a diminutive association 340 00:21:06,290 --> 00:21:10,095 associated with doing sales. I would I I would say it. I would 341 00:21:10,095 --> 00:21:13,695 say it's a flat out stigma. Yeah. It's a stick. That's a better word. 342 00:21:13,695 --> 00:21:16,850 Yep. Yep. It's a flat out. And I I I actually just came up the 343 00:21:16,850 --> 00:21:20,610 other day in my day job is that, you know, 344 00:21:20,610 --> 00:21:24,315 somebody who is a very talented engineer he he's 345 00:21:24,315 --> 00:21:27,995 wanting to learn to pitch, like, in how to do sales. Okay. And, 346 00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:31,835 like, I think I I don't wanna put thoughts in his head or words in 347 00:21:31,835 --> 00:21:35,480 his mouth, but I suspect that that comes from that background wearer. Yeah. He 348 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,240 was very hesitant to do that because and I kinda 349 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,995 had my revelation with Like, it is it is a process. Right? And 350 00:21:42,995 --> 00:21:46,515 and and, you know, Andy and I have talked about the number of sales 351 00:21:46,515 --> 00:21:50,115 gurus that we've that we've listened to. I I can recommend Grant 352 00:21:50,115 --> 00:21:53,330 Cardone. He is an acquired taste. I'll put that right out there. 353 00:21:53,549 --> 00:21:57,390 Right? I mean, the the the putting in context, though, I 354 00:21:57,390 --> 00:22:00,625 first heard of this guy, if anyone can remember meerkat. 355 00:22:01,485 --> 00:22:05,005 meerkat was an application, that was the live 356 00:22:05,005 --> 00:22:08,465 streaming application. Think it came out during a south by southwest 357 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:12,480 It was the 1st, like, live streaming thing you could do on your phone. Now 358 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,160 everybody can do it. Right? Yeah. But he was, like, the number 359 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,755 one meerkat your cat or your cat? I don't know. He was not one 360 00:22:19,755 --> 00:22:23,195 user of it. And, like, I installed the app, and I remember because I had 361 00:22:23,195 --> 00:22:26,475 just given up on Windows phone. Right? And I got an iPhone, so I can 362 00:22:26,475 --> 00:22:29,890 actually all relapse. And your cat was one of the first things I 363 00:22:29,890 --> 00:22:33,090 installed. And I kept seeing these notifications on 364 00:22:33,570 --> 00:22:37,044 like Grant Cardone is doing this. And every time I tune in, it was 365 00:22:37,044 --> 00:22:40,885 basically him, you know, talking about sales and stuff, 366 00:22:40,885 --> 00:22:44,200 being very sales y. Right? Yeah. And and at the time, I thought of that 367 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,960 as a pejorative. Yeah. It's easy to think 368 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,485 that way. It is easy to think that way. And, I find 369 00:22:51,485 --> 00:22:54,945 myself being a sales apologist internally, like, a lot. Like, 370 00:22:55,165 --> 00:22:58,525 like, you know, they'd be like, oh, sales people have no attention. No attention span. 371 00:22:58,525 --> 00:23:02,100 I'm like, that's not true. They have no attention been because if 372 00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:05,940 they and and and it's about, you know, getting 373 00:23:05,940 --> 00:23:09,034 other non sales people to thighs with them. Right? As as much as I load 374 00:23:09,034 --> 00:23:12,475 the word empathy, and there's a whole story attached to that. The feeling of empathy 375 00:23:12,475 --> 00:23:16,140 is awesome. The way that has been mutated and used in 376 00:23:16,140 --> 00:23:19,679 this empathy industrial complex is what I have the problem with. Okay. 377 00:23:21,420 --> 00:23:24,375 but that's a that's a rant for another day. Okay. 378 00:23:25,235 --> 00:23:28,995 But, the, the the 379 00:23:28,995 --> 00:23:32,034 the, you know, I was just basically saying, like, you know, if if if you're 380 00:23:32,034 --> 00:23:35,810 not in sales. You don't understand what it is. Like, if you don't sell, you 381 00:23:35,810 --> 00:23:39,490 don't close, your kids don't eat. Like, it is really it really is 382 00:23:39,490 --> 00:23:43,065 that type of thing. And you see all the braggadociousness and all kind of the 383 00:23:43,065 --> 00:23:46,345 the the hoopla around it. A lot of that is masking a lot of deep 384 00:23:46,345 --> 00:23:50,070 seated insecurities. So you have to kind of but if you ever wanna 385 00:23:50,070 --> 00:23:53,830 get a salesperson's attention, show them how you're gonna you're gonna help them make their 386 00:23:53,830 --> 00:23:57,045 quota, right? Make their money. Right? And I've kind of done a lot of work 387 00:23:57,045 --> 00:24:00,005 in, you know, with with kind of like, you know, oh, they have no attention 388 00:24:00,005 --> 00:24:03,760 span. That's not true. They have no patience for nonsense. Right? 389 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,279 And that nonsense is kind of like, you know, what you think is an engineer 390 00:24:07,279 --> 00:24:10,500 is co I catch myself doing this whole time, right? because I'm a sales engineer. 391 00:24:10,575 --> 00:24:13,455 right, where I'll be like, oh, that's really cool. And I kinda have to pull 392 00:24:13,455 --> 00:24:17,294 myself back. Thankfully, with the help of, you know, my my manager's kinda mentoring 393 00:24:17,294 --> 00:24:20,034 on that. He goes, he just always tells me, do this. 394 00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:24,160 anything you do do through a lens of sales. Yeah. And so I always have 395 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,760 to kinda pull myself back and like, okay. Yes. That is a cool tech, but 396 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,434 how do we use it to sell and solve the solution for customer. Right? That's 397 00:24:31,434 --> 00:24:34,475 a hard thing to do. and I don't remember how we ended up in this 398 00:24:34,475 --> 00:24:37,115 rabbit hole, but I think it's I think that's a good addition to your book 399 00:24:37,115 --> 00:24:40,310 because Yeah. If nothing else, if you're changing careers, 400 00:24:41,090 --> 00:24:44,610 particularly people who are changing careers. They need to sell the hiring 401 00:24:44,610 --> 00:24:48,445 manager on. Why should I pick you? Yeah. Like, why can't I get 402 00:24:48,825 --> 00:24:52,664 Johnny or Jamie or, you know, Bob or Barbara who who 403 00:24:52,664 --> 00:24:56,389 who have been doing data stuff for years? Yeah. Why should I take you? Like, 404 00:24:56,389 --> 00:25:00,169 you're you you were, I don't know, a lawyer? 405 00:25:00,389 --> 00:25:03,745 A lawyer. Right? Like, why should I take you? You were in marketing. or you 406 00:25:03,745 --> 00:25:07,184 were in public relations or you were a teacher or you were what? 407 00:25:07,184 --> 00:25:10,544 Right? Well, the advice I give in the book is, at the very least, you 408 00:25:10,544 --> 00:25:14,220 want to damage rate and awareness of appreciation for and a 409 00:25:14,220 --> 00:25:17,920 knowledge of how the company, makes money. 410 00:25:18,595 --> 00:25:22,115 Yes. Right. And if you're and and and, and 411 00:25:22,115 --> 00:25:25,955 how data science can contribute to that bottom line. And I also speak 412 00:25:25,955 --> 00:25:29,409 a little bit about nonprofits in section 2 because there, we're not taught we're not 413 00:25:29,409 --> 00:25:32,470 worried about profits, but we but non profits have revenue. 414 00:25:33,570 --> 00:25:36,549 So how can data scientists contribute to the revenue? 415 00:25:37,684 --> 00:25:41,524 And, one of the thing one of the specific use cases that I'm loving 416 00:25:41,524 --> 00:25:44,990 recently, I didn't do talk about this in the book, 417 00:25:45,630 --> 00:25:49,230 one of the specific use cases I'm just loving recently is using data 418 00:25:49,230 --> 00:25:53,010 science to, hone or refine, 419 00:25:53,470 --> 00:25:57,035 basically predict the best ask of a potential 420 00:25:57,035 --> 00:26:00,575 donor. So development professionals. 421 00:26:00,795 --> 00:26:04,500 Yeah. Fundraising professionals. They'll have their database of potential 422 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:08,039 donors, we can use data science to estimate 423 00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:11,184 what's the best ask for that donor. Interesting. 424 00:26:11,804 --> 00:26:15,644 And you could and it's a classification problem because there's different kinds of 425 00:26:15,644 --> 00:26:19,139 asks. Right? Some people wanna do state giving. Some people 426 00:26:19,139 --> 00:26:22,659 wanna just give a one time check and then move on. Some people wanna make 427 00:26:22,659 --> 00:26:26,120 pledges for 10 years. so that's a classification problem. 428 00:26:26,365 --> 00:26:29,825 And then it's also a regression problem because you have to pick a number. 429 00:26:31,405 --> 00:26:34,684 So, anyway, if you're if you're getting for an inter if you're getting ready for 430 00:26:34,684 --> 00:26:38,470 an interview, that the level of granularity you need to bring to 431 00:26:38,470 --> 00:26:42,150 the interview. You have to make specific suggestions as to how data science 432 00:26:42,150 --> 00:26:45,885 can contribute to the company's revenue or bottom line or both. 433 00:26:46,425 --> 00:26:49,805 Yeah. That's good advice in any technical interview. 434 00:26:50,185 --> 00:26:53,980 Sure. You know, I mean, really, you you definitely wanna you definitely 435 00:26:53,980 --> 00:26:57,660 wanna know how the company makes money, and then you wanna know as 436 00:26:57,660 --> 00:27:01,200 much as you can about how the department you're applying to 437 00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:05,155 contributes to that. and then you can pitch it 438 00:27:05,155 --> 00:27:08,995 where you're doing what Frank says. You're gonna go pitch yourself with that 439 00:27:08,995 --> 00:27:12,750 role and talk about ideas that you may have. You'd definitely don't wanna 440 00:27:12,750 --> 00:27:16,510 give away. Yeah. you know, give away the farm on on any of that. 441 00:27:16,510 --> 00:27:20,350 There's an old data joke, where in the 442 00:27:20,350 --> 00:27:23,565 first frame, the, the the 443 00:27:23,705 --> 00:27:27,465 interview WER is asking, do you 444 00:27:27,465 --> 00:27:31,150 know, can you tell me how a deadlock works? and the interviewee 445 00:27:31,370 --> 00:27:34,270 says, if you hire me, I will. Yeah. 446 00:27:36,490 --> 00:27:39,975 And they just sort of demonstrated a deadlock. right there. 447 00:27:39,975 --> 00:27:43,735 Okay. That's a good one. That's a good one. I like that 448 00:27:43,735 --> 00:27:47,570 one. Very meta. Very meta. Yeah. You 449 00:27:47,570 --> 00:27:51,410 know, Frank, you were talking about, the bread vise, just 450 00:27:51,410 --> 00:27:55,090 go to school, just get a degree like you did at coffee. I have a 451 00:27:55,090 --> 00:27:58,885 whole chapter on that where I the the 452 00:27:58,885 --> 00:28:00,265 subtext is, 453 00:28:03,045 --> 00:28:06,730 well, actually, no. Maybe it's not like maybe it's more overt in that chapter I 454 00:28:06,730 --> 00:28:10,110 think about it, it's really going through the decision process 455 00:28:10,169 --> 00:28:13,710 associated with another degree, a certificate, 456 00:28:14,365 --> 00:28:17,505 or or self study or a combination. 457 00:28:19,085 --> 00:28:22,525 it the the solution to that is different for every every 458 00:28:22,525 --> 00:28:26,350 person is gonna have their own path. There's no rider runway to make 459 00:28:26,350 --> 00:28:30,030 the transition. That's true. And and and it's one of those 460 00:28:30,030 --> 00:28:33,705 things where part of part of the way through my transition, there was a, YouTube 461 00:28:33,705 --> 00:28:37,465 video. I forget who it was. It's not like a famous 462 00:28:37,465 --> 00:28:40,830 YouTube or anything like that, but but she's basically had thing 463 00:28:40,830 --> 00:28:44,590 where, you know, how I transitioned in 6 months? It's like 464 00:28:44,590 --> 00:28:48,264 a TED Talk or TEDx Talk or something like that. And, 465 00:28:48,264 --> 00:28:51,865 like, it was like, oh, so it is possible to do it, but do it 466 00:28:51,865 --> 00:28:55,164 at speed. It's not easy, but, you know, 467 00:28:56,470 --> 00:29:00,309 dual. It is doable. Yep. And that's the thing. Like, you know, I 468 00:29:00,309 --> 00:29:03,845 think people who, I'm sorry, cut you off. Yeah. No. I 469 00:29:03,845 --> 00:29:07,205 think people people will sell snake oil. Oh, you don't need to learn 470 00:29:07,205 --> 00:29:10,825 math. Like, yay. And I would I would 471 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:13,520 I would be kind of, like, I would go a little bit too far the 472 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,360 other way maybe. Like, I think, I don't know how many certifications I 473 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:20,955 got that 1st year. I think it was, like, 13 or 14 some 474 00:29:20,955 --> 00:29:24,794 odd. Wow. Thank you. and because I just went, like, full 475 00:29:24,794 --> 00:29:28,235 on, and it was just kinda like and I'm like, I will read 476 00:29:28,235 --> 00:29:32,080 research papers, even though I didn't really have to. Yeah. Right? 477 00:29:32,140 --> 00:29:35,980 Just because, like, I knew I would be occasionally and I would 478 00:29:35,980 --> 00:29:39,325 tell I would tell, you know, what's this when I was in Microsoft, you know, 479 00:29:39,325 --> 00:29:43,085 it comes in handy now too. you know, I may be in the room 480 00:29:43,085 --> 00:29:46,445 with mathematicians or hardcore data scientists. You know what I mean? Like, there's 481 00:29:46,445 --> 00:29:50,220 different like, my son's played this video game and, like, there's, like, different classes 482 00:29:50,220 --> 00:29:53,500 or characters. Right? Like, it's kinda like a dudgers and dragons from back in the 483 00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:57,085 day. Right? You have a was a mage a warrior, an 484 00:29:57,085 --> 00:30:00,765 elk, an elk, an elk, an elk, and then, like, couple other things. But, 485 00:30:00,765 --> 00:30:04,350 like, there's different classifications of data scientists. You know what I'm talking about. Right? you 486 00:30:04,350 --> 00:30:07,710 know, there's the PhD ones, like the super heavy math people, and then there's kinda 487 00:30:07,710 --> 00:30:10,950 like different levels of, you know, well, they were data engineer, and now they kinda 488 00:30:11,070 --> 00:30:14,115 now they're this, or they used to be a developer now they're Like, there's different 489 00:30:14,115 --> 00:30:17,475 types of ones. And, like, I would always say, like, the the ones that always 490 00:30:17,475 --> 00:30:21,290 carry the most weight in a particular customer account. would probably then 491 00:30:21,290 --> 00:30:25,130 be the math, everyone's. And I would always, like, read the crazy math 492 00:30:25,130 --> 00:30:28,795 and get into that, you know, as as long as my 493 00:30:29,035 --> 00:30:32,795 as as far as my little brain would take me, right, not because because 494 00:30:32,795 --> 00:30:35,960 I would say, like, you know, I would say, like, look, I I know I'm 495 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,640 not gonna go toe to toe with these people. But if I can step in 496 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,400 the ring, I'll lose. That's fine. But at least I look like I belong 497 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,705 there, and I think earn a lot of their respect that way. And then sometimes 498 00:30:46,925 --> 00:30:50,365 I think I think that's good advice for career stuff too. Like, you know 499 00:30:50,615 --> 00:30:54,179 Absolutely. train hard, study hard, you may not win the fight. 500 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,760 Right? It's not life's not a rocky movie. Right? But the fact that you you 501 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:01,505 can be in there and look like you belong there. Yeah. is 502 00:31:01,505 --> 00:31:05,345 half the battle. Well, I was working with a career coaching client 503 00:31:05,345 --> 00:31:08,485 who was comparing themselves to Sebastian Raschka. 504 00:31:09,260 --> 00:31:12,720 who, is now he's the kind of data scientist 505 00:31:12,860 --> 00:31:16,460 who is inventing new math. Right? Like, 506 00:31:16,460 --> 00:31:20,115 he's, like, He's if you don't know Sebastian Raskett, several bugs, 507 00:31:20,115 --> 00:31:23,495 professor University of Wisconsin, where I teach also, 508 00:31:24,595 --> 00:31:28,230 but he's inventing new math. And I said, hold the phone. 509 00:31:29,169 --> 00:31:32,950 Sebastian Raska is a different kind of data scientist. He's inventing 510 00:31:33,010 --> 00:31:36,770 new math. You don't need to be able to invent new math to be a 511 00:31:36,770 --> 00:31:40,195 data scientist. And in fact, in fact, if you're 512 00:31:40,195 --> 00:31:43,955 inventing new math, you're probably gonna be less well positioned 513 00:31:43,955 --> 00:31:47,710 in many ways to offer value. because the new math is 514 00:31:47,710 --> 00:31:51,230 untested. The new math hasn't been productized. The new 515 00:31:51,230 --> 00:31:54,909 math isn't ready for market. What's ready for market, what's been 516 00:31:54,909 --> 00:31:58,215 tested, and been productized is good old logistic 517 00:31:58,275 --> 00:32:01,895 regression, k nearest neighbors, those 518 00:32:02,035 --> 00:32:05,680 support vector machines, those are the that's what 519 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:09,460 brings value because we know the methods. We we've 520 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,585 tested them. Right. And people like him are gonna be bored out of their skull 521 00:32:12,585 --> 00:32:16,265 on your average job. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He wouldn't run. He I 522 00:32:16,265 --> 00:32:19,945 would agree with you. Actually, now I actually, Nick, I wanna see him and be 523 00:32:19,945 --> 00:32:23,770 like, Hey. Have you ever just thought about being a K nearest neighbor's engineer? Like, 524 00:32:23,770 --> 00:32:24,510 you're trying 525 00:32:28,544 --> 00:32:32,225 trying to get smacked off top of the head. That'd be 526 00:32:32,225 --> 00:32:35,985 hilarious. Like, you know, but I mean, but I mean, you 527 00:32:35,985 --> 00:32:38,610 know, one of the things is, and it wasn't in the chapter I read, but 528 00:32:38,610 --> 00:32:41,909 but one of the things that I think is a huge problem in technology jobs 529 00:32:42,289 --> 00:32:46,130 overall, not just data science, although I think it's it's written large now in 530 00:32:46,130 --> 00:32:49,955 data science now that it's the new hotness. the job requirements and 531 00:32:49,955 --> 00:32:53,555 the job descriptions. So weird. That's a that's a 532 00:32:53,555 --> 00:32:56,755 topic. I I gotta where are you going with this one? Because this No. No. 533 00:32:56,755 --> 00:33:00,220 Like, I mean, like, So so here's a here here's a good example. Right? And 534 00:33:00,220 --> 00:33:03,200 I I don't know if you've heard this one before, 535 00:33:04,059 --> 00:33:07,179 but I wanna see the look on your face, you know, when when you hear 536 00:33:07,179 --> 00:33:10,415 it. I got a call from a recruiter some couple of years ago that they 537 00:33:10,415 --> 00:33:13,475 wanted a full stack data scientist. Okay. 538 00:33:14,335 --> 00:33:18,100 And the pay -- -- a new word a few years ago? Well, I think 539 00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:21,299 the impression was. And I I I kinda pulled the thread on the head recruiter, 540 00:33:21,299 --> 00:33:24,965 mostly out of curiosity, not because I had any interest. but I was like, well, 541 00:33:24,965 --> 00:33:28,804 when they say, like, full stack data scientists, like, that could mean 542 00:33:29,205 --> 00:33:32,860 it leads 1 or 2 things, probably more. But I took that as 1, you 543 00:33:32,860 --> 00:33:36,460 take you you you panel the data from ingestion all the way to pushing the 544 00:33:36,460 --> 00:33:40,160 model production, which sounds reasonable, I think. 545 00:33:41,765 --> 00:33:44,965 ish, reasonable ish. I see Andy -- I'm shaking my head. -- isn't taking my 546 00:33:44,965 --> 00:33:48,645 head back. Not not a scalable model. But well, if it's a 7 547 00:33:48,645 --> 00:33:52,390 figure saddle, Okay. Then that's reasonable. Right. because you're doing 548 00:33:52,390 --> 00:33:55,930 8 jobs. Cho. Also data science is a team sport. 549 00:33:56,505 --> 00:34:00,265 It is. Yes. I'm skeptical, I'm skeptical of that, but 550 00:34:00,265 --> 00:34:03,945 maybe you could make it work for a little while. But apparently, they wanted someone 551 00:34:03,945 --> 00:34:07,570 who would be able to develop the like, they met full stack developer plus data 552 00:34:07,570 --> 00:34:10,790 scientist. Yeah. Oh my goodness. That's 2 jobs. 553 00:34:11,570 --> 00:34:15,255 Ah, at least. At least. Yeah. which I 554 00:34:15,255 --> 00:34:19,015 was kinda like, you want that? And and I look at job requirements, and this 555 00:34:19,015 --> 00:34:22,535 is this is this is, pressing down my mind because we're 556 00:34:22,535 --> 00:34:26,300 we're, you know, my team probably next calendar year, we'll 557 00:34:26,300 --> 00:34:30,140 we'll end up hiring for people. But, you know, we're kind of like, 558 00:34:30,140 --> 00:34:33,660 well, what do we want? We obviously need someone who knows open shift, 559 00:34:33,660 --> 00:34:37,324 obviously. but we also want someone who's a data science or 560 00:34:37,324 --> 00:34:41,005 data engineering background, and also that's kind of a if you draw that 561 00:34:41,005 --> 00:34:44,580 Venn diagram, it's a very small subset of people. So it's kinda like We've had 562 00:34:44,580 --> 00:34:47,940 this kind of this philosophy of, well, you know, I thought about extreme examples. So, 563 00:34:47,940 --> 00:34:51,300 you know, it takes somebody like, you know, like that, 564 00:34:51,540 --> 00:34:55,364 professor who's who's inventing new mask play. And he he'd be bored 565 00:34:55,364 --> 00:34:58,644 out of his mind. Yeah. Like, you know, in in a job like this. No 566 00:34:58,644 --> 00:35:02,400 offense to to to what what I do. Right? Like, but before 567 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,760 I have a to be clear. Or or anyone on this call, right? Like, right? 568 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,599 Right? Right? So they'd be bored out of their mind. It wouldn't be a challenge. 569 00:35:09,599 --> 00:35:13,045 So, like, you know, there's And that's just the same problem I saw it, like, 570 00:35:13,045 --> 00:35:15,205 in the early days of the web where you went from where there was a 571 00:35:15,205 --> 00:35:18,505 webmaster who did everything to then it kinda broke out into specialties. 572 00:35:19,070 --> 00:35:22,610 Yeah. But but I don't but the same problem exists from 573 00:35:22,750 --> 00:35:25,490 even before the Internet, you know, imagine those days. but 574 00:35:28,625 --> 00:35:32,224 the job requirements were always just like, you 575 00:35:32,224 --> 00:35:35,845 know, really intense. This is a longstanding problem in IT. 576 00:35:36,060 --> 00:35:39,260 maybe the other fields too, but but what are your thoughts on that? And, like, 577 00:35:39,260 --> 00:35:43,020 you know, and as particularly can be intimidating for career transitioners. Right? 578 00:35:43,020 --> 00:35:46,714 Like, I'm thinking, you know, well, you're a 579 00:35:46,714 --> 00:35:49,615 baseball fan. You told me that earlier -- Yeah. -- on the show. 580 00:35:50,795 --> 00:35:54,160 could you imagine a full stack midfielder? 581 00:35:55,019 --> 00:35:58,779 That's a joke. Right. It just doesn't exist, right? Or or what about, like, a 582 00:35:58,779 --> 00:36:02,355 full field midfielder? Like, there's like, that position 583 00:36:02,355 --> 00:36:06,135 doesn't exist. Data science is a team sport. You need to field a 584 00:36:08,115 --> 00:36:11,740 team as an organization, you need to feel the team 585 00:36:11,740 --> 00:36:15,580 to, implement data scientists or data science 586 00:36:15,580 --> 00:36:19,415 work. that's just the way that's the way the world in my view. And 587 00:36:19,415 --> 00:36:22,395 maybe that feels extreme to some listeners, but, 588 00:36:23,415 --> 00:36:27,210 I'm skeptical of Now, I'm not skeptical 589 00:36:27,210 --> 00:36:30,970 of the notion of a full stack data scientist. I think a full 590 00:36:30,970 --> 00:36:34,490 stack data scientist can function really well on a 591 00:36:34,490 --> 00:36:38,255 team. Right? So maybe there's a data scientist whose 592 00:36:38,255 --> 00:36:42,035 job it is to know a little bit of all of the team components, 593 00:36:42,095 --> 00:36:45,730 and maybe having has a little bit of experience in all of team components, 594 00:36:46,270 --> 00:36:49,950 but there's also a data scientist. There's also a database 595 00:36:49,950 --> 00:36:53,775 engineer. There's also a software engineer and then 596 00:36:53,955 --> 00:36:57,635 and if you're thinking about more of the phases, there's someone in charge of of 597 00:36:57,635 --> 00:37:01,155 extracting, collecting, cleaning, preparing data. There's someone in charge of 598 00:37:01,155 --> 00:37:04,880 modeling refining, testing, and then there's someone 599 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:08,400 else in charge of putting into production. And then don't forget you need 600 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,035 someone else in charge of of grooming the work to make 601 00:37:12,035 --> 00:37:15,795 sure that models don't decay. Right? So, like 602 00:37:15,795 --> 00:37:19,240 I said, I I guess maybe my thought are are I'm not 603 00:37:19,240 --> 00:37:23,080 skeptical of the notion of a full stack data scientist, but I think a 604 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,734 full stack data scientist in a vacuum is not a strategy 605 00:37:26,734 --> 00:37:30,494 for success. Right. Right. It's totally not scalable. And 606 00:37:30,494 --> 00:37:33,615 and what they were like they ended up the recruiter actually shared with me at 607 00:37:33,615 --> 00:37:37,040 the pond. Like, you know, we we're having trouble finding somebody. So is the custom 608 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,740 you know, so is the end client. And I'm like, no kidding. Yeah. 609 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:45,105 You know? And, like, And I don't wanna beg on tech recruiters because I think 610 00:37:45,105 --> 00:37:48,945 they have gotten better, but, like, I remember hearing. It's a tough 611 00:37:48,945 --> 00:37:52,580 job. And and my my neighbor is actually a a tech scruder. 612 00:37:52,580 --> 00:37:56,340 And and, you know, HR people I'm gonna 613 00:37:56,340 --> 00:38:00,020 I'm gonna play this the the generalization game, but that's okay. I have some 614 00:38:00,020 --> 00:38:03,645 stats to back me up you know, IT 615 00:38:03,645 --> 00:38:07,325 people tend not to be the most gregarious human 616 00:38:07,325 --> 00:38:10,865 beings in the world. Right? That's not crazy. Right? -- crazy talk. 617 00:38:12,430 --> 00:38:15,630 they tend not to be. Right? I'm not saying it's impossible, but, you know, but 618 00:38:15,630 --> 00:38:17,570 an HR people tend to be 619 00:38:19,365 --> 00:38:23,045 They don't know how to re interact, I think, at at at scale yet, 620 00:38:23,045 --> 00:38:26,550 like, how to interact with IT people. So how do you get you know, and 621 00:38:26,550 --> 00:38:30,230 and I think combined with, like, these ridiculous tech requirements, you know, 622 00:38:30,230 --> 00:38:33,190 or or be rex, right? Like, you know, you have to know this. You have 623 00:38:33,190 --> 00:38:36,295 to know that. You have to know that. You know? And if you come hold 624 00:38:36,295 --> 00:38:39,415 a thread at any of those. Like, well, does your company do that? No. We 625 00:38:39,415 --> 00:38:42,615 don't have any of that that techno. Why are you asking for it? You know, 626 00:38:42,615 --> 00:38:46,140 like, it is it becomes this kind of it becomes a 627 00:38:46,140 --> 00:38:49,980 game, and it's it's it I'm not 628 00:38:49,980 --> 00:38:53,714 really sure who's winning at said 629 00:38:53,714 --> 00:38:57,255 game, but Yeah. It's not the average kind of, 630 00:38:57,555 --> 00:39:01,260 you know, applicant in in IT. Right? Right. I don't know. Like, I 631 00:39:01,260 --> 00:39:04,940 just, you know, but I mean, like, is there any advice in the what advice 632 00:39:04,940 --> 00:39:08,525 would you give, or or is in the book that to If I'm a 633 00:39:08,525 --> 00:39:12,285 career transitional and, you know, all the job requirements is that they 634 00:39:12,285 --> 00:39:16,030 have to have 9 to 10 years of experience in you 635 00:39:16,030 --> 00:39:19,730 know, working in IT. Right? And my my background is, say, marketing. 636 00:39:19,870 --> 00:39:22,850 Right? Like, what what would your advice be? 637 00:39:23,405 --> 00:39:27,245 Well, that is one of the the the tougher things 638 00:39:27,245 --> 00:39:31,085 to really suss out for transitioners. and one 639 00:39:31,085 --> 00:39:32,785 of the things you can do is 640 00:39:34,990 --> 00:39:38,510 a job description might be specific and say so for data science, job description say, 641 00:39:38,510 --> 00:39:39,010 I 642 00:39:42,190 --> 00:39:45,694 want the company wants 5 years of 643 00:39:46,234 --> 00:39:49,994 of experience, or the job description might 644 00:39:49,994 --> 00:39:53,339 say, I want that employer wants 5 years of experience 645 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:57,020 in data science. And some, 646 00:39:58,015 --> 00:40:01,155 some recruiters, job description writers are intentionally 647 00:40:01,695 --> 00:40:05,370 writing the former. They're just saying 5 years of 648 00:40:05,370 --> 00:40:08,970 experience knowing that people, they're also 649 00:40:08,970 --> 00:40:11,950 open to folks transitioning into the field. 650 00:40:12,705 --> 00:40:16,245 So, like, well, let's take, well, let's take Lillian, for example. 651 00:40:16,305 --> 00:40:19,205 Right? So if I was advising Lillian, 652 00:40:19,890 --> 00:40:23,570 And back when she was first transitioning into data science, I think I 653 00:40:23,570 --> 00:40:27,355 know enough about her resume, I would say, you're gonna 654 00:40:27,355 --> 00:40:30,955 apply for jobs that ask for up to 10 655 00:40:30,955 --> 00:40:34,555 years of experience, period, because she had about 10 656 00:40:34,555 --> 00:40:38,100 years of experience as an engineer. Right? And 657 00:40:38,100 --> 00:40:41,720 then you're gonna you're gonna tread more cautiously on job descriptions 658 00:40:41,860 --> 00:40:45,515 that say, they want specific experience in data 659 00:40:45,515 --> 00:40:49,195 science. And then that's one of your research tasks 660 00:40:49,195 --> 00:40:52,599 on on on informational interviews. Right? A lot of 661 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:56,680 there's sort of a lot of, sort of nonspecific advice on 662 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,065 information interviews, but one of the really high 663 00:41:00,065 --> 00:41:03,525 value questions to ask in an inter inter informational 664 00:41:03,585 --> 00:41:07,265 interview is, this question, when your 665 00:41:07,265 --> 00:41:11,109 company makes a job description and says, x 666 00:41:11,109 --> 00:41:14,950 number of years of experience, are they typically looking for x number of years of 667 00:41:14,950 --> 00:41:18,704 experience in that specific role? or X number of years of experience 668 00:41:18,704 --> 00:41:22,244 in general. And and sometimes that can that can be really consistent 669 00:41:22,305 --> 00:41:25,869 across an entire organization. Sometimes depending on the branch of the 670 00:41:25,869 --> 00:41:29,549 organization, it can differ, but that is one of the most high value 671 00:41:29,549 --> 00:41:33,230 questions you can ask in an inter informational interview. It will give you 672 00:41:33,230 --> 00:41:36,795 intelligence that will inform your job 673 00:41:36,795 --> 00:41:40,575 application decision making process in really important ways. 674 00:41:40,955 --> 00:41:44,710 Interesting. That's a really good point. And 675 00:41:44,710 --> 00:41:48,150 I I I love where we're I love where we're going. I love everything we've 676 00:41:48,150 --> 00:41:51,945 covered. I know, I have as to make up 677 00:41:51,945 --> 00:41:54,745 for, being late, I have a hard stop. So, 678 00:41:55,305 --> 00:41:59,060 yeah. And we have we have these questions that we like to ask 679 00:41:59,060 --> 00:42:02,280 every guest, madam, and I'm gonna kinda pivot into that. 680 00:42:02,900 --> 00:42:05,960 I'll start with the first one. How did you find your way 681 00:42:06,635 --> 00:42:10,474 into data, and I think you partially answered this at least. Did data find 682 00:42:10,474 --> 00:42:14,029 you, or did you find data? Yeah. It I think day 683 00:42:14,430 --> 00:42:18,109 initially, data was finding me. I just had jobs at work 684 00:42:18,109 --> 00:42:21,775 that recalled for data science So 685 00:42:21,775 --> 00:42:25,455 I did data science. I solved the problem that was ahead of me in 686 00:42:25,455 --> 00:42:28,975 front of me, even though I wasn't a data scientist. And then 687 00:42:28,975 --> 00:42:32,740 eventually, I decided, oh, This data science thing is 688 00:42:32,740 --> 00:42:36,519 a thing for me. I decided to become more intentional 689 00:42:36,579 --> 00:42:40,099 about it. Yeah. That's how that's that was my path. Good 690 00:42:40,099 --> 00:42:43,775 answer. That's cool. Alright. So 691 00:42:43,775 --> 00:42:47,395 what's your second question? What's your favorite part of your current gig? 692 00:42:47,535 --> 00:42:51,140 But first, what is your current gig? you you mentioned in the virtual green room, 693 00:42:51,140 --> 00:42:54,520 you travel, you teach. What what do you consider your gig? 694 00:42:55,220 --> 00:42:58,694 what is your favorite part? primarily, I'm a career coach. I 695 00:42:58,694 --> 00:43:02,375 help mid and late career professionals, folks who were like me 696 00:43:02,375 --> 00:43:05,870 when I transitioned to data science, transition into data 697 00:43:05,870 --> 00:43:09,230 science. So folks who have already been successful in at least one other 698 00:43:09,230 --> 00:43:13,055 career, and now they're ready to come into data science. 699 00:43:13,375 --> 00:43:16,175 and that's why I wrote this book. How do we become a data scientist, a 700 00:43:16,175 --> 00:43:19,694 guide for established professionals? I know you have another 701 00:43:19,694 --> 00:43:23,369 question coming up. What what when I'm not at work, what do I enjoy 702 00:43:23,369 --> 00:43:27,210 doing? That would be teaching. So I mentioned actually, 703 00:43:27,210 --> 00:43:30,430 I even on the show. I mentioned, I work at University of Wisconsin, 704 00:43:30,735 --> 00:43:34,495 teaching statistics, data management. And then every once in a while, do a 705 00:43:34,495 --> 00:43:38,120 semester of education law because they really, really need help with that. 706 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,660 hard to find, as you can imagine, people to teach that niche. 707 00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,240 and it was since it was my former career, I say, yeah, I can do 708 00:43:45,240 --> 00:43:48,315 that. So, I 709 00:43:48,855 --> 00:43:52,695 stay really fresh. That's one of the ways I stay really fresh is by 710 00:43:52,695 --> 00:43:56,090 teaching statistics, data management, to grad 711 00:43:56,090 --> 00:43:59,869 students, university of Wisconsin. So that's one of the things I do when I enjoy 712 00:44:00,090 --> 00:44:03,790 when I'm when I'm I do for enjoyment when I'm not working, 713 00:44:04,885 --> 00:44:08,724 in data science or as a career coach. That's interesting. So have you seen with 714 00:44:08,724 --> 00:44:12,165 the rise of, of these technology? Have you seen more interest in that 715 00:44:12,165 --> 00:44:15,990 space? Absolutely. the students 716 00:44:17,089 --> 00:44:20,905 are are really asking. They are because 717 00:44:20,905 --> 00:44:23,945 they know I became a data scientist, and they know my full time work is 718 00:44:23,945 --> 00:44:27,705 data science and career coaching. so maybe it's a 719 00:44:27,705 --> 00:44:31,240 function of that, but I I've I was getting those kind of 720 00:44:31,240 --> 00:44:34,700 questions before I was a full time coach, 721 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:39,494 to yeah, students know. They just know. 722 00:44:39,494 --> 00:44:42,955 They're in grad school, and they know that academia 723 00:44:43,655 --> 00:44:46,800 is not necessarily what it used to be, 724 00:44:47,500 --> 00:44:51,340 and they wanna know how to get into data science. So I'm spending a lot 725 00:44:51,340 --> 00:44:54,800 of time right now talking with folks on campus. How can we bring 726 00:44:55,675 --> 00:44:59,295 some of the more relevant, skills to the classroom. 727 00:44:59,435 --> 00:45:03,195 For example, on college campuses, we spend a lot of 728 00:45:03,195 --> 00:45:06,920 time teaching Stata. which, if you don't know, is a fantastic 729 00:45:07,380 --> 00:45:10,360 software, but it's really niched into economics 730 00:45:10,980 --> 00:45:14,825 or camp college university campuses. So how can 731 00:45:14,825 --> 00:45:18,265 we continue our honoring our 732 00:45:18,265 --> 00:45:22,045 heritage with stata, which again, great software, 733 00:45:22,550 --> 00:45:26,310 but also expose students more to R and 734 00:45:26,310 --> 00:45:30,085 Python. For example, this is one of the many examples. Interesting. 735 00:45:30,085 --> 00:45:33,765 Interesting. I had not heard of state in, like, 5 years. You're the first person 736 00:45:33,765 --> 00:45:37,000 to mention it in, like, 5 years. It is. I I still use it daily. 737 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:40,760 I, like, I'll have data here and Python there, and I go back and 738 00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:44,520 forth. Oh, nice. Yeah. Very nice. Well, 739 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,315 you answered 2 of the questions. that we, that we had there together. 740 00:45:48,454 --> 00:45:52,214 I just I wanted to ask another question since we you've, you've 741 00:45:52,214 --> 00:45:55,750 taken one out. The, One of the popular 742 00:45:55,810 --> 00:45:59,650 speakers in the Microsoft data circuit probably 10, 743 00:45:59,650 --> 00:46:03,385 12 years ago was, David DeWitt, Okay. And 744 00:46:03,385 --> 00:46:07,225 I understand he was at university of Wisconsin. At least out of Madison, I 745 00:46:07,225 --> 00:46:10,790 think it was. Yep. That's where I live. Sorry. Not take that. Well, take that 746 00:46:10,870 --> 00:46:14,250 No. Yeah. He was a teacher there. Wisconsin Madison. And then, 747 00:46:14,790 --> 00:46:18,470 I'm just I pulled up Wikipedia while you were chatting. He was I 748 00:46:18,470 --> 00:46:22,315 started the Wisconsin database group says, but it needs a citation 749 00:46:22,375 --> 00:46:26,135 for that. And it says here he's he moved to MIT. I didn't know that. 750 00:46:26,135 --> 00:46:29,595 He was still at u of w when he spoke at 751 00:46:29,820 --> 00:46:33,500 the the largest data Microsoft data conference on the planet is called, 752 00:46:34,220 --> 00:46:37,680 the Pass Summit. It happens in, Seattle every year. 753 00:46:38,105 --> 00:46:41,625 and he did the keynote out there a few years and just blew 754 00:46:41,625 --> 00:46:45,225 everybody's mind talking about database theory and some of 755 00:46:45,225 --> 00:46:48,720 that. Just curious if you ran into him out there, or if he 756 00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:52,740 if he's left, probably no one knows knows him. I haven't. 757 00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:56,724 I'm gonna have to add him to my list of folk to try and connect 758 00:46:56,724 --> 00:46:58,744 with, the, 759 00:47:00,325 --> 00:47:03,765 yeah, the current well, now as soon as I name one 760 00:47:03,765 --> 00:47:06,819 person, people I leave out are gonna be really disappointed. 761 00:47:07,599 --> 00:47:10,559 You know, it's not for what it's worth, maybe this is just a chance for 762 00:47:10,559 --> 00:47:14,285 me to plug. Go badgers. Big 10 University of Wisconsin, 763 00:47:14,425 --> 00:47:18,265 Madison. I mean, one of I had statistics with a 764 00:47:18,265 --> 00:47:21,865 former member of the White House Council of Economic Advisors as my 765 00:47:21,865 --> 00:47:25,690 professor. at Wisconsin. Right? So that's a big deal. Right? And and 766 00:47:25,690 --> 00:47:29,450 you can say similar things about other professors teaching stats 767 00:47:29,450 --> 00:47:33,244 at other important schools. But it 768 00:47:33,244 --> 00:47:36,685 it it surprises me, not at 769 00:47:36,685 --> 00:47:40,145 all that a superstar like David Duett was at Wisconsin. 770 00:47:41,799 --> 00:47:45,559 Yep. Yep. Cool. Okay. I'll I wanna jump back into our questions here. 771 00:47:45,559 --> 00:47:49,355 So another complete this, sentence, is I think the coolest 772 00:47:49,355 --> 00:47:53,195 thing in tech today is blank. coolest 773 00:47:53,195 --> 00:47:56,990 thing in tech today is Oof. This is the tough 774 00:47:56,990 --> 00:48:00,610 one because there's so many choices. I have analysis paralysis 775 00:48:00,750 --> 00:48:03,090 and decision paralysis on this one. 776 00:48:04,715 --> 00:48:08,555 I you know what? Can we I'm still can we come back to this one? 777 00:48:08,555 --> 00:48:12,290 Sure. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Let's come back that one? Well, we haven't gotten feedback that, 778 00:48:12,450 --> 00:48:15,810 you know, we should mix up the questions a bit. So, we're doing that right 779 00:48:15,810 --> 00:48:19,625 here in real time. Sure. So I'll skip to 780 00:48:19,945 --> 00:48:23,545 I look forward to the day when I can use technology to 781 00:48:23,545 --> 00:48:27,050 blank. Do nothing. I look forward to the day where I can 782 00:48:27,050 --> 00:48:30,890 completely unplug. I I won't have to worry about 783 00:48:30,890 --> 00:48:34,270 email anymore. I won't have to worry about text messages anymore. 784 00:48:34,395 --> 00:48:38,234 wanting to worry about social media notifications anymore. I look 785 00:48:38,234 --> 00:48:41,535 forward to the day where I can completely get away from technology. 786 00:48:43,090 --> 00:48:46,470 I mean, it has been my livelihood now for many years, 787 00:48:48,050 --> 00:48:51,830 and I'm grateful for the livelihood that technology has provided me. 788 00:48:52,835 --> 00:48:56,674 And I will be happy in tech career, probably for the rest 789 00:48:56,674 --> 00:49:00,295 of my professional life. but I also 790 00:49:00,355 --> 00:49:04,050 do look forward 791 00:49:04,050 --> 00:49:07,350 to the day where I can unplug. So maybe there's a configurate 792 00:49:07,490 --> 00:49:11,145 answer. I'd be interested if anybody else has given a similar 793 00:49:11,145 --> 00:49:14,984 answer on the show. Hi, Dev. I think, a lot of it has been 794 00:49:14,984 --> 00:49:18,430 around auto around so they could do more things they would enjoy. 795 00:49:18,569 --> 00:49:22,089 Although the idea of an Adam GPT bot that you could 796 00:49:22,089 --> 00:49:25,565 email back and forth with and converse with, that would be pretty cool, actually. I 797 00:49:25,565 --> 00:49:28,785 could be cool. Sorry. alright. 798 00:49:29,085 --> 00:49:32,925 Andy, you wanna take the next one? Yeah. I can do that. or 799 00:49:32,925 --> 00:49:36,580 whatever. Yeah. We'll, we'll go to share something different 800 00:49:36,580 --> 00:49:40,420 about yourself, but we remind every guest that it's a family 801 00:49:40,420 --> 00:49:43,325 podcast. Family show? Yeah. Yeah. I, 802 00:49:44,285 --> 00:49:47,424 so my first job, full time, 803 00:49:48,444 --> 00:49:52,040 adult job, after high school, but before 804 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:55,880 college, believe it or not, was teacher of English as a foreign language in 805 00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:59,240 Budapest, Hungary, really like telling this story 806 00:49:59,240 --> 00:50:03,025 because from then on, it was in the late 807 00:50:03,025 --> 00:50:06,865 nineties, a little bit older than I look. It was in the late 808 00:50:06,865 --> 00:50:10,540 nineties, and, getting that 809 00:50:10,540 --> 00:50:14,079 foundation of managing a classroom, planning, 810 00:50:14,619 --> 00:50:18,315 you're planning the fates of other people in this constrained 811 00:50:18,455 --> 00:50:21,735 way because you're in charge of what they're learning. They're in charge of what they're 812 00:50:21,735 --> 00:50:25,470 learning too. It's a collaborative thing. huge 813 00:50:25,470 --> 00:50:29,230 professional development opportunity for someone in their late teens, which is 814 00:50:29,230 --> 00:50:32,865 what I was. when I did that, One more. 815 00:50:33,025 --> 00:50:36,545 here's a fun one. I also was, I did a short 816 00:50:36,545 --> 00:50:40,225 stint as a professional speaker for mothers against 817 00:50:40,225 --> 00:50:43,340 drunk driving. Really interesting. Okay. I 818 00:50:43,740 --> 00:50:47,420 yep. I was the guy who came to your high school. I did middle schools 819 00:50:47,420 --> 00:50:51,224 too. We had a different show from middle schools, different talk from middle schools, But 820 00:50:51,224 --> 00:50:54,525 I was the guy who came to your show, talked about healthy decisions, 821 00:50:55,545 --> 00:50:58,685 a little bit of some life planning, a little bit of relationship 822 00:50:58,905 --> 00:51:02,620 stuff, Believe it or not, we didn't touch so much on 823 00:51:02,620 --> 00:51:06,300 drugs and alcohol. We talked more about general wellness. And 824 00:51:06,300 --> 00:51:09,895 then for, the middle schoolers. We really were in the wellness, 825 00:51:10,435 --> 00:51:14,195 in the wellness, topics, to be more age 826 00:51:14,195 --> 00:51:18,020 appropriate for the middle schoolers. I spoke to tens 827 00:51:18,020 --> 00:51:21,620 of thousands of students at 100 of schools in that -- Wow. -- 828 00:51:21,620 --> 00:51:25,195 roughly a year. I was with them. So Wow. You were 829 00:51:25,195 --> 00:51:28,895 doing coaching even then? Yeah. In a way. 830 00:51:29,035 --> 00:51:32,790 Yeah. Although I was doing group coaching sessions, for, 831 00:51:33,109 --> 00:51:36,550 I think the smallest group was maybe 50 students at a small 832 00:51:36,550 --> 00:51:40,070 school. You know, my largest audience, I think it was 833 00:51:40,070 --> 00:51:43,865 the, Oh, god. What was the name of this? National it was a 834 00:51:43,865 --> 00:51:47,465 National Association meeting of 1 of the 1 of the high 835 00:51:47,465 --> 00:51:51,299 school, Oh, gosh. What was I can't remember the name. Anyway, 836 00:51:51,299 --> 00:51:54,680 there were, like, 6000 students in this convention 837 00:51:54,819 --> 00:51:57,640 hall. So that was my largest audience ever. 838 00:51:58,925 --> 00:52:02,125 that I didn't draw them to the let's be clear. I didn't draw them to 839 00:52:02,125 --> 00:52:05,810 the convention center. Motors against what Driving did. but that 840 00:52:05,810 --> 00:52:09,330 was also a really powerful experience. I I really enjoyed the time 841 00:52:09,330 --> 00:52:12,770 speaking, being a professional speaker. Very cool. That's 842 00:52:12,770 --> 00:52:16,305 cool. Yeah. Alright. So we're gonna check-in on that background 843 00:52:16,305 --> 00:52:19,905 thread. Have you, thought about what the coolest thing in technology 844 00:52:19,905 --> 00:52:23,559 is? You know, I'm gonna go with the low 845 00:52:23,559 --> 00:52:27,079 hanging fruit. I'm really trying not to do this, but I gotta go with 846 00:52:27,079 --> 00:52:30,385 generative AI. Yeah. Yeah. It's 847 00:52:30,605 --> 00:52:33,425 it's really prescient right now. 848 00:52:34,685 --> 00:52:36,705 it's pervading everyone's thoughts. 849 00:52:38,330 --> 00:52:41,850 coolest thing in technology right now. Could I also give you the 850 00:52:41,850 --> 00:52:45,390 most worrying worrisome thing in technology is related 851 00:52:46,015 --> 00:52:48,595 It's all of the folks who are resisting 852 00:52:49,535 --> 00:52:52,914 generative AI, just 853 00:52:53,454 --> 00:52:57,160 absolutely gosh. I I I just, 854 00:52:59,160 --> 00:53:02,845 I'm I'm I'm I'm worried that folks are 855 00:53:02,845 --> 00:53:06,525 gonna resist generative AI in a way that's going to inhibit our 856 00:53:06,525 --> 00:53:09,825 ability to adopt AI in thoughtful 857 00:53:10,260 --> 00:53:13,480 humanistic, productive, ethical 858 00:53:13,619 --> 00:53:17,220 ways. I'm really worried that that's going to get in the 859 00:53:17,220 --> 00:53:20,845 way. Yeah. The knee jerk reactions have been interesting. 860 00:53:21,545 --> 00:53:24,045 And and and to be clear, like, 861 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:29,119 It's really around the the text generation. Right? Like -- Yeah. -- you know, 862 00:53:29,119 --> 00:53:32,880 the the art generation stuff, you know, there were some dust ups because 863 00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:36,385 it won, I think, the Colorado state there. Right? But but nobody 864 00:53:36,385 --> 00:53:40,225 flipped the bleep out. Right? and 865 00:53:40,225 --> 00:53:43,730 the reason why we we choose the family friendly thing is because I listen to 866 00:53:43,730 --> 00:53:47,330 cancel the kids in the car. I'm assuming others will too. So that's why. 867 00:53:47,330 --> 00:53:51,109 So they they literally lost everybody lost their lid when 868 00:53:51,365 --> 00:53:55,045 you know, when when when in the text generation, I thought that that says something 869 00:53:55,045 --> 00:53:58,825 interesting about kind of how we communicate as human beings, personally. 870 00:53:59,444 --> 00:54:03,030 you know, obviously people have been kind of you know, biting their fingernails 871 00:54:03,170 --> 00:54:07,010 over deep fakes and stuff, but you're right. Like, you know, the knee 872 00:54:07,010 --> 00:54:10,484 jerk reaction of the New York City public school system and again, on 873 00:54:10,484 --> 00:54:14,325 another rant soapbox I could go on with the the New 874 00:54:14,325 --> 00:54:18,099 York City public education system as a as a wouldn't say an alum 875 00:54:18,099 --> 00:54:21,060 because I didn't graduate from there because I went to a different school, but, 876 00:54:22,020 --> 00:54:25,474 you know, for them to ban it was was kind of I understand the 877 00:54:25,474 --> 00:54:29,075 reasoning is kind of over overstepping. Right? It's kind of like if I if I 878 00:54:29,075 --> 00:54:32,830 have a mosquito on my arm, I I I slap it away. 879 00:54:33,050 --> 00:54:36,810 I don't get a mallet or hammer and just start smacking my my my 880 00:54:36,810 --> 00:54:40,375 my my my arm. that's kinda what it was. I think 881 00:54:40,375 --> 00:54:44,214 Italy now is is trying to ban it. I think banning things 882 00:54:44,214 --> 00:54:47,575 is 1 should really be the option of last 883 00:54:47,575 --> 00:54:51,339 resort. Yep. Because, I mean, look at this, 884 00:54:51,339 --> 00:54:54,400 look around you. Like, you know, there are a lot of things that are banned. 885 00:54:54,460 --> 00:54:58,105 They are specifically illicit narcotics. I wouldn't say 886 00:54:58,105 --> 00:55:01,305 they're easy to get, but you can still get them. You -- Well, what I 887 00:55:01,385 --> 00:55:05,224 you know, what I think about when I hear stories like that, especially of the 888 00:55:05,224 --> 00:55:08,780 of the banning stuff, I'll I'm I'm 59. 889 00:55:09,000 --> 00:55:12,760 I'll be 60 in 3 minutes. And so when I went 890 00:55:12,760 --> 00:55:16,540 to, went to high school, calculators weren't new, 891 00:55:17,145 --> 00:55:20,444 We were about a generation. Yeah. We were a generation 892 00:55:20,825 --> 00:55:24,345 beyond the the the ones that were that did that or a 893 00:55:24,345 --> 00:55:28,099 fraction of that work, and they were huge. And 894 00:55:28,099 --> 00:55:31,859 we didn't have as far as we didn't have graphing calculators at that time, they 895 00:55:31,859 --> 00:55:35,595 did show up when I was in in college. But I went 896 00:55:35,595 --> 00:55:39,295 to college about 10 years after I graduated, so we had graphic calculator 897 00:55:39,355 --> 00:55:43,055 soon. But that that's what I think about it. The teachers would, you know, 898 00:55:43,810 --> 00:55:47,650 the it's an old joke. It's all over social media, but it's true. They would 899 00:55:47,650 --> 00:55:51,490 say, you know, in calculus class, the teacher would allow us to do later 900 00:55:51,490 --> 00:55:55,275 tests with the calculators. Once Once he knew we understood 901 00:55:55,275 --> 00:55:58,575 the principles. But before then, it was by hand. 902 00:55:58,955 --> 00:56:02,075 Mhmm. I learned how to use a slide rule, but not really well. I just 903 00:56:02,075 --> 00:56:05,030 gave. It was kind of like Here's a slide rule, and this is how we 904 00:56:05,030 --> 00:56:08,730 used to use them. And, you know, you watch that scene in Apollo 13 905 00:56:09,030 --> 00:56:12,710 where he's chained everybody's checking the calculations, and they're all doing the slide rule 906 00:56:12,710 --> 00:56:16,545 stuff. So I don't remember how to do slide rules. I didn't do it enough, 907 00:56:16,605 --> 00:56:20,285 but the teacher would ask that question. Are you gonna have a calculator with you 908 00:56:20,285 --> 00:56:23,839 the rest of your life? And I'm like, You know, now the joke is 909 00:56:24,079 --> 00:56:27,220 I am gonna have to get the way it is. And a and a television 910 00:56:27,279 --> 00:56:30,819 studio. Yep. Right. Right. Right. You know, 911 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:34,635 it's so I and I wonder how much of it is kinda down 912 00:56:34,635 --> 00:56:38,335 at that same vein. And I'm not against that. I mean, 913 00:56:39,650 --> 00:56:43,010 You know, I I want people to be able to, to do the 914 00:56:43,010 --> 00:56:46,530 math. You know, it's as much as you 915 00:56:46,530 --> 00:56:50,295 can because there's something about putting a pencil to the piece 916 00:56:50,295 --> 00:56:53,655 of paper and walking through the exercise, and 917 00:56:53,655 --> 00:56:57,390 and I'll just I'll just say this. Even though I can't do 918 00:56:57,390 --> 00:57:01,070 it, I'll just say this that, you know, type in 6 letters 919 00:57:01,070 --> 00:57:04,815 into Excel, with an equal sign in front of it hitting it 920 00:57:04,815 --> 00:57:08,255 again per end and having it pop up the parameters is not the same 921 00:57:08,255 --> 00:57:11,880 thing. And, you know, we're We're living in an 922 00:57:11,880 --> 00:57:15,640 age, and I don't wanna I'm not gonna say I'm not gonna clarify what I'm 923 00:57:15,640 --> 00:57:18,920 about to say. I'm gonna be intentionally vague here. But we're living in an age 924 00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:22,565 where things may go away. That's not you know, 925 00:57:22,565 --> 00:57:26,005 it's more a distinct possibility than it 926 00:57:26,005 --> 00:57:29,750 was 10 years ago. And so what if? you 927 00:57:29,750 --> 00:57:33,370 know, what if we lose the ability to do, some tech, 928 00:57:33,430 --> 00:57:37,110 or we lose it for a while, you know, math is still gonna be a 929 00:57:37,110 --> 00:57:40,734 thing that we need to do. So I I agree with the intention, 930 00:57:41,115 --> 00:57:44,395 and I I'll say it this way. I respect the intention. That's a better way 931 00:57:44,395 --> 00:57:48,150 to say it. And and especially when it comes 932 00:57:48,150 --> 00:57:51,830 to to that, I'm and having spoken 933 00:57:51,830 --> 00:57:55,510 to a parents, we talked in the, you know, the electronic green 934 00:57:55,510 --> 00:57:59,205 room about all all the kids and grandchildren I have. The, you 935 00:57:59,205 --> 00:58:02,965 know, I could get it as as that point. I'm but being 936 00:58:02,965 --> 00:58:06,670 a data engineer, I don't and don't 937 00:58:06,670 --> 00:58:10,510 quite connect all of the dots to banning the, the AI 938 00:58:10,510 --> 00:58:14,145 stuff. I don't I don't get it. I understand the fear. I I 939 00:58:14,145 --> 00:58:17,745 get that part of it, and I think some of it is is justified. Maybe 940 00:58:17,745 --> 00:58:21,505 more than people are, you know, willing to give it credit 941 00:58:21,505 --> 00:58:25,200 for. And I'm I'm about to order a t shirt that says 942 00:58:25,200 --> 00:58:28,880 I need new conspiracy theories because my things have all come 943 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:31,540 true. Is that from is that from the WIFILs? 944 00:58:32,785 --> 00:58:36,005 No. I don't think that I think it's a it's a it's 945 00:58:36,705 --> 00:58:40,245 a reporter online. I'm trying to remember which one, but 946 00:58:40,400 --> 00:58:44,080 Yeah. That's that's a that's a cool, cool t t 947 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:47,840 shirt that I need to get as well. But, anyway, it's just, you know, I'll 948 00:58:47,840 --> 00:58:51,285 I'll stop. I'll re I could ramble, but Awesome. Well, I wanted to say your 949 00:58:51,285 --> 00:58:55,045 experience is, the there's a story behind your 950 00:58:55,045 --> 00:58:58,810 story. The story behind your story is that Event, yeah, 951 00:58:58,810 --> 00:59:02,590 calculators were a controversy when they first became available. 952 00:59:03,610 --> 00:59:07,230 but now calculators are integrated into the curriculum. 953 00:59:07,994 --> 00:59:11,775 Right. Right. So so I think about this because the PhD again is in education 954 00:59:12,075 --> 00:59:15,914 policy. Right. Right. And policy is pedagogy or 955 00:59:15,914 --> 00:59:19,470 pedagogy. depending on how you wanna right. But anyway, 956 00:59:21,610 --> 00:59:25,285 eventually eventually, it's inevitable generative AI 957 00:59:25,285 --> 00:59:28,825 will have to be integrated into the current curriculum. Yeah. 958 00:59:29,445 --> 00:59:33,225 and there were districts that banned graphing calculators. 959 00:59:33,660 --> 00:59:37,180 Yeah. That's right. There were schools and districts that banned 960 00:59:37,180 --> 00:59:40,859 graphing calculators just the way generative AI is now 961 00:59:40,859 --> 00:59:44,655 banned in some districts. Yeah. It will pass. Hopefully, it will 962 00:59:44,655 --> 00:59:47,795 pass. Yeah. No. I I could see that. And I think that there's 963 00:59:49,295 --> 00:59:53,140 I think that one of the things that I 964 00:59:53,140 --> 00:59:56,260 learned when I was doing tech policy. And for those in the outside of the 965 00:59:56,260 --> 01:00:00,040 Beltway, when we say policy, we're kind of mean lobbying, 966 01:00:00,260 --> 01:00:04,005 kind of. Okay. Don't wait. Would you agree with that, Adam? Kind 967 01:00:04,005 --> 01:00:07,765 of. Yeah. Well, there's different flavors in the DMV area, but I get it 968 01:00:07,765 --> 01:00:11,079 when you say policy and lobbying. your 969 01:00:11,380 --> 01:00:15,160 your your working to influence statute and, 970 01:00:15,940 --> 01:00:19,735 administrative regulations and funding and granting from 971 01:00:19,735 --> 01:00:23,495 all of the science foundations, etcetera. Yeah. Right. It's kind of 972 01:00:23,575 --> 01:00:27,115 it's not exactly the same thing, but it's in that same orbit. Right? Okay. 973 01:00:27,200 --> 01:00:30,640 Though, I I would say, like, I mean, I certainly the the the the food 974 01:00:30,640 --> 01:00:34,400 options in the lobbying, world are much better than 975 01:00:34,400 --> 01:00:38,055 than anywhere else I've ever worked. But, but 976 01:00:38,055 --> 01:00:41,575 that's a story for another show. but yeah. So 977 01:00:41,734 --> 01:00:44,535 but, I mean, this is kind of like just something that you only really see 978 01:00:44,535 --> 01:00:48,290 around largely around DC, probably other state capitals 979 01:00:48,350 --> 01:00:51,550 and stuff like that. But when we I the other thing I wanna point out 980 01:00:51,550 --> 01:00:54,369 is I mentioned the WY Files, the WY Files is a funny 981 01:00:55,455 --> 01:00:58,815 YouTube channel. And you have to check it. It's 982 01:00:58,815 --> 01:01:02,575 hilarious. Like, they they they the hecklefish is kind 983 01:01:02,575 --> 01:01:06,280 of this talking goldfish. which I realize, as I say it out loud, 984 01:01:06,579 --> 01:01:09,060 you have to see it. You have to see it. And and there's a pin 985 01:01:09,060 --> 01:01:11,800 foil hat on the on on the on on the on the on the fishbowl. 986 01:01:12,245 --> 01:01:15,925 Right. It just it's just funny. And, like, he the 987 01:01:15,925 --> 01:01:19,685 fact that he talks is act he's he I guess, 8, the the host is 988 01:01:19,685 --> 01:01:23,190 from New York or whatever, but, like, the way that the fish talks hounds exactly 989 01:01:23,190 --> 01:01:26,869 like my relatives who who lived in Queens, New York sounded. So 990 01:01:26,869 --> 01:01:30,665 he's like -- I I had meetings. I I jumped in late, because 991 01:01:30,665 --> 01:01:33,944 I had a meeting run long, and I'm wearing my consulting costing. This is what 992 01:01:33,944 --> 01:01:37,625 I said. But underneath this, there is a crab cat, a fear of the crab 993 01:01:37,625 --> 01:01:41,450 cat t shirt, with a diagram of a crab cat. 994 01:01:41,589 --> 01:01:45,349 That is a WAV file's merch. sure. And you can 995 01:01:45,349 --> 01:01:49,075 check it out on, on YouTube. And it's kind of a play on the X 996 01:01:49,075 --> 01:01:52,855 Files. They do fringey stuff. And what's really interesting 997 01:01:52,915 --> 01:01:56,375 about it, though, is he's the the host list. He does his research. 998 01:01:56,680 --> 01:02:00,520 and he starts with a bunch of things about some conspiracy theory type 999 01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:04,104 thing. And he kind of plays through the 1000 01:02:04,104 --> 01:02:07,645 conspiracy theory from the conspiracy theorists standpoint. 1001 01:02:08,105 --> 01:02:11,865 And he doesn't mention -- -- response. He doesn't actually respond yet. -- at the 1002 01:02:11,865 --> 01:02:15,599 end, he does, like, a debunk. And what's interesting about it 1003 01:02:15,599 --> 01:02:19,359 is sometimes it's just that. But then other times, he'll get to the end of 1004 01:02:19,359 --> 01:02:22,935 it and he'll say, you know, I can debug all of this. but I get 1005 01:02:22,935 --> 01:02:26,615 to this piece and I can't. And and then the other times, he'll 1006 01:02:26,615 --> 01:02:30,375 get to that. And he'll say, and it changed my mind. I don't now I 1007 01:02:30,375 --> 01:02:34,180 don't know. And it's he's a first off, he's an interesting character. 1008 01:02:35,260 --> 01:02:39,075 Are you watching it? No. But -- Oh. -- I I I am googling 1009 01:02:39,075 --> 01:02:42,115 for while you're telling me about it. This is -- Oh, okay. Yeah. This is 1010 01:02:42,115 --> 01:02:45,875 great. I also found a data visualization product called 1011 01:02:45,875 --> 01:02:49,539 WY Files. Oh, interesting. Yeah. So check that out. Now we gotta 1012 01:02:49,539 --> 01:02:53,299 check that out too. Yeah. So I always love hecklefish. Hecklefish is 1013 01:02:53,299 --> 01:02:54,595 awesome. Yes. 1014 01:02:57,375 --> 01:03:01,055 Free free shout out there to Wifi. It's not a sponsor, but maybe 1015 01:03:01,055 --> 01:03:04,870 one day we'll be. I'm gonna throw this in because we keep forgetting 1016 01:03:04,870 --> 01:03:08,710 it. where can people learn more about you, Adam, and work 1017 01:03:08,710 --> 01:03:12,505 that you do? So LinkedIn and Twitter are 1018 01:03:12,505 --> 01:03:16,025 my most active social media platforms. Please 1019 01:03:16,025 --> 01:03:19,244 connect with me if you have any inter yeah. 1020 01:03:19,840 --> 01:03:23,620 I, and the listeners love connecting with new people. 1021 01:03:25,040 --> 01:03:28,400 the, book is available, how to become a data 1022 01:03:28,400 --> 01:03:32,244 scientist. is available on Amazon. It barnes and Noble pretty much 1023 01:03:32,305 --> 01:03:35,605 wherever books are sold. There's an ebook, a hardcover, a paperback, 1024 01:03:36,280 --> 01:03:40,040 Nice job. And then there's another book coming out in September, which I 1025 01:03:40,040 --> 01:03:43,880 encourage folks to pre order. You can get that on Amazon. It's called Confident Data 1026 01:03:43,880 --> 01:03:47,515 Science. Nice. Okay. Adam Ross Nelson, and Covenant 1027 01:03:47,515 --> 01:03:51,275 Data Science is a tech book. It's -- Cool. -- op code. But the interesting 1028 01:03:51,275 --> 01:03:54,940 thing about that book, it, you know what? If you'll have me, Well, I should 1029 01:03:54,940 --> 01:03:57,820 come back and talk about that book too once it comes out because we should 1030 01:03:57,820 --> 01:04:01,660 set that up. That would be awesome. It it covers the history 1031 01:04:01,660 --> 01:04:05,445 of the field. the philosophy of of the field, the there's a 1032 01:04:05,685 --> 01:04:09,365 I I hit ethics really hard in that book. Ice. 1033 01:04:09,365 --> 01:04:13,000 And I hit culture really hard in that book. so 1034 01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:16,599 even though it's a technical book, I hit those non 1035 01:04:16,599 --> 01:04:20,280 tech aspects really hard, because I don't know any other 1036 01:04:20,280 --> 01:04:24,065 tech book that does that. You can't separate them. I mean, you can't. If 1037 01:04:24,065 --> 01:04:27,765 you're talking to an LLM, right? 1038 01:04:28,065 --> 01:04:31,750 And and I see You know, I I keep up with a 1039 01:04:32,690 --> 01:04:36,450 I keep up with some of this stuff around culture, especially. And I 1040 01:04:36,450 --> 01:04:40,165 see the the first thing I saw was the thing about bias. And 1041 01:04:40,165 --> 01:04:43,705 I can't remember that guy's name. I had to I I gifted Frank, 1042 01:04:44,645 --> 01:04:48,470 a a subscription to his sub stack. And he wrote about that and how 1043 01:04:48,470 --> 01:04:52,310 it slants. It's it's not skewed. You know, it's not when 1044 01:04:52,390 --> 01:04:55,830 but he's he's doing a vertical chart on it. He definitely sees a slant in 1045 01:04:55,830 --> 01:04:59,465 there. And the way he approached it, which I thought 1046 01:04:59,465 --> 01:05:02,535 was fair, is that this is a reflection of us. 1047 01:05:06,089 --> 01:05:09,770 So when people talk, I was here 20 years ago when the 1048 01:05:09,770 --> 01:05:13,290 internet came out, oh, there's all of this bad stuff on the internet. Right. And 1049 01:05:13,290 --> 01:05:16,984 I'm like, It's us. People, you're looking at 1050 01:05:16,984 --> 01:05:20,585 us. Get yourself. Wow. I don't know. Reminds me of that South Park 1051 01:05:20,585 --> 01:05:23,940 episode. The inter the internet didn't invent. Go ahead. Park 1052 01:05:23,940 --> 01:05:27,300 episode? No. Where they they they they see the architect of 1053 01:05:27,300 --> 01:05:30,740 Walmart. You ever see that one? I don't know this 1054 01:05:30,740 --> 01:05:34,474 one. Oh, it's a it's a it's a play on the and basically 1055 01:05:34,615 --> 01:05:37,401 Walmart. There you go. Air met. Yeah. And it was, and, the Walmart, becomes like 1056 01:05:37,401 --> 01:05:37,915 this self sentient, 1057 01:05:41,734 --> 01:05:45,370 like, things takes over all the town and stuff like that. And then the 1058 01:05:45,370 --> 01:05:48,970 kids go to the back. Sorry, spoiler alert, but the episode's been out 10 1059 01:05:48,970 --> 01:05:52,585 years. So -- Yeah. -- just for the listeners, And then the the the 1060 01:05:52,585 --> 01:05:56,345 kids see the kids talk to the Colonel Sanders looking 1061 01:05:56,345 --> 01:06:00,025 architect, like, from the matrix. And, and he's 1062 01:06:00,025 --> 01:06:03,330 like, well, here's the secret if you're ready and, like, they open the door and 1063 01:06:03,330 --> 01:06:06,870 it's a mirror. Right? It's a reflection of themselves. 1064 01:06:07,250 --> 01:06:10,005 That's good. the kids the kids look each other and say that. And then, like, 1065 01:06:10,005 --> 01:06:12,964 the architect jumps in a typical song. See, don't you get the symbolism? Don't you 1066 01:06:12,964 --> 01:06:16,404 get symbolism? It's like, yeah, we do shut up. Like, it was it that was 1067 01:06:16,404 --> 01:06:20,070 a very soft park moment. But it it's that. And that's good. you 1068 01:06:20,070 --> 01:06:22,904 you feed in how many, you know, how many how many tons of data and 1069 01:06:22,904 --> 01:06:23,450 text did chat GPT read to be trained? It 1070 01:06:28,470 --> 01:06:32,235 was It's seeing us. Right. It's 1071 01:06:32,375 --> 01:06:36,055 spitting back at us us. Thanks for putting it that way. You 1072 01:06:36,055 --> 01:06:39,880 know, yes, we're biased. We're we're never gonna be neutral. We're never gonna 1073 01:06:40,000 --> 01:06:42,960 it's not a 0 sum game. We're never gonna go down the middle. And if 1074 01:06:42,960 --> 01:06:46,480 you'd had done it a 100 years ago, it would have been slanted the other 1075 01:06:46,480 --> 01:06:50,154 way. because we were there a 100 1076 01:06:50,154 --> 01:06:53,515 years ago. different other ways. Right? Like, there are things that Frank, I lost your 1077 01:06:53,515 --> 01:06:57,180 audio. Oh, no. Maybe it's me. I still have it. Yep. It 1078 01:06:57,180 --> 01:07:01,020 is me. Okay. And I hate this. No. It's a it's an interesting point because, 1079 01:07:01,020 --> 01:07:04,620 you know, and and standards change change the team's fault. This is It's not even 1080 01:07:04,700 --> 01:07:08,494 it's an Andy fault. Every and it it's not because I it happened to me 1081 01:07:08,494 --> 01:07:12,255 on Zoom earlier. Okay. Now Honey, we hear you. Okay. No. It's interesting because 1082 01:07:12,255 --> 01:07:15,660 if you look at, like, movies, like, a Mel Brooks movie, a mailbox movie could 1083 01:07:15,660 --> 01:07:19,360 not be made today. Right? Alright. I didn't hear you. 1084 01:07:19,580 --> 01:07:23,144 Oh, now I can. Okay. Can you hear me? Yeah. I ended up 1085 01:07:23,144 --> 01:07:26,825 getting 3 things in my speakers, and they're all the same. They're the same 1086 01:07:26,825 --> 01:07:30,505 headphone brand. And I'm like, what are you doing? And it does it in 1087 01:07:30,505 --> 01:07:34,180 zoom, It's not just teams. Oh, okay. So we're not 1088 01:07:34,180 --> 01:07:38,019 fashion teams? No. No. I mean, it's just, you know, standards change over 1089 01:07:38,019 --> 01:07:41,435 time. what what constitutes bias or what constitutes the idea of 1090 01:07:41,435 --> 01:07:44,735 neutral, I think, is is is a moving target. 1091 01:07:44,955 --> 01:07:47,530 Absolutely. That's a great point. It's, 1092 01:07:48,810 --> 01:07:52,590 I was gonna make a analogy about Mel Brooks movies, but, you know, 1093 01:07:53,369 --> 01:07:56,894 like, I think we lost Andy's audio 1094 01:07:56,894 --> 01:08:00,494 now. No. Am I back? You're back. I was 1095 01:08:00,494 --> 01:08:04,240 laughing, but but yeah. So so here's a question, Adam. It kinda dovetails nice 1096 01:08:04,240 --> 01:08:08,000 to our final question. Is there gonna be an audible book audio book 1097 01:08:08,000 --> 01:08:11,760 version of this? You know, I I, for those who know a little bit about 1098 01:08:11,760 --> 01:08:15,355 Book Publishing, there's an ESPN for the audio version. Mhmm. 1099 01:08:15,355 --> 01:08:19,194 So once we get that recorded, we'll we'll, have So you are gonna do it. 1100 01:08:19,194 --> 01:08:22,880 Cool. Yeah. Are you gonna read it? Yeah. I 1101 01:08:22,880 --> 01:08:25,920 I I believe so. I just think that's the way to go. I mean -- 1102 01:08:25,920 --> 01:08:29,359 I agree. Yeah. I I audio books read by the 1103 01:08:29,359 --> 01:08:32,945 authors are just incredible. Although, There are some really good 1104 01:08:32,945 --> 01:08:36,385 audiobooks out, some new Star Trek that that are in the 1105 01:08:36,385 --> 01:08:39,825 Bacard, you sub universe of Star Trek, not read by the 1106 01:08:39,825 --> 01:08:43,609 author. Incredible. oh, and I know you're looking 1107 01:08:43,609 --> 01:08:47,370 for recommendations, book recommendations. That's probably your next question. Yeah. 1108 01:08:47,370 --> 01:08:51,024 That's right. Yeah. So I wasn't planning. I did my homework, 1109 01:08:51,345 --> 01:08:55,024 thought ahead. I wasn't planning on recommending those Star Trek books, but 1110 01:08:55,024 --> 01:08:58,680 they are absolutely incredible prequels and pickles 1111 01:08:58,680 --> 01:09:02,220 and post c post quals? What's the, sequels? 1112 01:09:02,439 --> 01:09:05,800 SQL. There you go. Yeah. To the Picart 1113 01:09:05,800 --> 01:09:08,875 show. But -- Okay. Oh, wait. I also wanna recommend 1114 01:09:09,814 --> 01:09:13,575 one of the shows that this this show today's show has really 1115 01:09:13,575 --> 01:09:17,290 reminded me of is halt and Catch fire. Do you know it? I do. I 1116 01:09:17,290 --> 01:09:20,750 was a TV show, wasn't it? Yep. Yeah. And on Audible 1117 01:09:21,050 --> 01:09:23,790 is, follow-up to halt and Catchfire. 1118 01:09:24,694 --> 01:09:28,375 worth your time. Okay. And then my classic book 1119 01:09:28,375 --> 01:09:31,814 recommendations, I know these are unaudible, are weapons of 1120 01:09:31,814 --> 01:09:35,609 math destruction, Kathy O'Neil, algorithms 1121 01:09:35,670 --> 01:09:39,210 of pre oppression, Sophia Noble, and superintelligence 1122 01:09:39,670 --> 01:09:43,064 by Nick Bostrom. All three of those are also on audible. And 1123 01:09:43,064 --> 01:09:46,904 there, as far as I'm concerned, any reference list and data science that 1124 01:09:46,904 --> 01:09:50,205 doesn't include those three books is incomplete. Nice. 1125 01:09:50,510 --> 01:09:54,350 Awesome. I love that dovetailing into you now that you're writing about ethics. I 1126 01:09:54,430 --> 01:09:57,870 I'm really I'm really curious to see, where you 1127 01:09:57,870 --> 01:10:01,715 come how how you approach Escal AI because having this 1128 01:10:01,715 --> 01:10:05,175 other background that also involves ethics, the law, 1129 01:10:05,640 --> 01:10:09,320 Sure. Yeah. I I think you have something to add to that conversation. There may 1130 01:10:09,320 --> 01:10:13,080 be other stuff. I write extensively about that background in the book as 1131 01:10:13,080 --> 01:10:16,845 well. Well, not extensively, but I I make sure I mention that because you're right. 1132 01:10:16,845 --> 01:10:20,525 There's a connection there. we we could do a whole show on 1133 01:10:20,525 --> 01:10:24,280 ethics, maybe. That'd be awesome. That'd be awesome. Actually, where 1134 01:10:24,280 --> 01:10:28,060 I really cut my teeth on ethics is is in consulting. 1135 01:10:28,765 --> 01:10:32,205 Because for those of you who've done consulting work, for the 1136 01:10:32,205 --> 01:10:35,885 listeners, you know you have these conflicted interests. You 1137 01:10:35,885 --> 01:10:39,680 have your company you have your client, you have your 1138 01:10:39,680 --> 01:10:42,340 interests, you get pinched in a way. 1139 01:10:43,440 --> 01:10:47,065 and, anyway, so I I've got I think some really good maybe that's 1140 01:10:47,065 --> 01:10:50,105 another book I should put on my to do list. I think I've got some 1141 01:10:50,105 --> 01:10:53,465 really good advice for consultants who who want to 1142 01:10:53,465 --> 01:10:56,800 engage specifically proactively 1143 01:10:57,580 --> 01:11:00,940 avoid ethical dilemma in the 1144 01:11:00,940 --> 01:11:04,545 consulting setting. So I'll just leave the teaser there. Oh, I like 1145 01:11:04,545 --> 01:11:08,245 it. Yeah. I do too. Yeah. I'd I'd read that book. I am a consultant. 1146 01:11:08,785 --> 01:11:12,580 So, we get totally, totally get that. And -- However, 1147 01:11:12,580 --> 01:11:16,260 you're self employed, so you do have, like, one less character in that. I 1148 01:11:16,260 --> 01:11:20,100 do. Sure. Yep. -- thing. I mean, it's still I'm sure there's still a dilemma 1149 01:11:20,100 --> 01:11:23,845 because And it's you know, I it you know, and there's so there's 1150 01:11:23,845 --> 01:11:27,605 so many as I kinda think about what you could write about, 1151 01:11:27,605 --> 01:11:31,220 Adam. there are so many places where you can be pinched. 1152 01:11:31,220 --> 01:11:34,520 There's not it's not just it's not just customer 1153 01:11:34,580 --> 01:11:38,385 and the consultant. It can be the the consulting 1154 01:11:38,525 --> 01:11:42,285 company and the consultant. there can be 1155 01:11:42,285 --> 01:11:45,810 personal things that come into play in you know, 1156 01:11:45,810 --> 01:11:49,250 conflicts of interest to lower. Mhmm. So, yeah, 1157 01:11:49,250 --> 01:11:52,915 it's it's a it's a difficult thing, and I I 1158 01:11:53,075 --> 01:11:56,595 Again, love to write that book as soon as you're done with this one. Okay? 1159 01:11:56,595 --> 01:12:00,435 Yeah. And I'll definitely I'll definitely provide you a quote for that. So with that, 1160 01:12:00,435 --> 01:12:03,910 we'll let the nice we'll let Bailey finish the show. 1161 01:12:04,050 --> 01:12:07,890 Thanks for listening to data driven. Have you checked out data driven 1162 01:12:07,890 --> 01:12:11,330 magazine yet? We are looking for writers for the autumn 1163 01:12:11,330 --> 01:12:14,775 2020 3 issue. Please check out data driven 1164 01:12:14,775 --> 01:12:18,455 magazine.com for more information. Thanks for listening and 1165 01:12:18,455 --> 01:12:21,860 be sure to rate and review a on whatever podcasting app you are 1166 01:12:21,860 --> 01:12:23,160 listening to us on. 1167 01:29:09,085 --> 01:29:12,840 You know, and there's so there's so many as I kinda Think 1168 01:29:12,840 --> 01:29:16,520 about what you could write about, Adam. There are so many places 1169 01:29:16,520 --> 01:29:20,195 where you can be pinched. There's not it's not just It's 1170 01:29:20,195 --> 01:29:23,875 not just customer and the consultant. It can be 1171 01:29:23,875 --> 01:29:26,535 the the consulting company and the consultant. 1172 01:29:28,070 --> 01:29:31,430 there can be personal things that come into play 1173 01:29:31,430 --> 01:29:35,110 and, you know, conflicts of interest go lower. Mhmm. 1174 01:29:35,110 --> 01:29:38,775 So, yeah, it's It's a it's a difficult, thing. 1175 01:29:38,775 --> 01:29:42,455 And I'd I'd, again, love to write that book as soon as you're done with 1176 01:29:42,455 --> 01:29:46,160 this one. Okay? Alright. And I'll definitely I'll definitely provide you a quote for that. 1177 01:29:46,400 --> 01:29:50,080 So with that, we'll let the nice we'll let Bailey, finish the 1178 01:29:50,080 --> 01:29:50,580 show.