Are your data science projects failing to deliver real business value?

What if the problem isn’t the technology or the organization, but your approach as a data scientist?

With only 11% of data science models making it to deployment and close to 85% of big data projects failing, something clearly isn’t working.

In this episode, three globally recognised analytics leaders, Bill Schmarzo, Mark Stouse and John Thompson, join Dr Genevieve Hayes to deliver a tough love wake-up call on why data scientists struggle to create business impact, and more importantly, how to fix it.

This episode reveals:

1. Why focusing purely on technical metrics like accuracy and precision is sabotaging your success — and what metrics actually matter to business leaders. [04:18]
2. The critical mindset shift needed to transform from a back-room technical specialist into a valued business partner. [30:33]
3. How to present data science insights in ways that drive action — and why your fancy graphs might be hurting rather than helping. [25:08]
4. Why “data driven” isn’t enough, and how to adopt a “data informed” approach that delivers real business outcomes. [54:08]

Guest Bio

Bill Schmarzo, also known as “The Dean of Big Data,” is the AI and Data Customer Innovation Strategist for Dell Technologies’ AI SPEAR team, and is the author of six books on blending data science, design thinking, and data economics from a value creation and delivery perspective. He is an avid blogger and is ranked as the #4 influencer worldwide in data science and big data by Onalytica and is also an adjunct professor at Iowa State University, where he teaches the “AI-Driven Innovation” class.

Mark Stouse is the CEO of ProofAnalytics.ai, a causal AI company that helps companies understand and optimize their operational investments in light of their targeted objectives, time lag, and external factors. Known for his ability to bridge multiple business disciplines, he has successfully operationalized data science at scale across large enterprises, driven by his belief that data science’s primary purpose is enabling better business decisions.

John Thompson is EY’s Global Head of AI and is the author of four books on AI, data and analytics teams. He was named one of dataIQ’s 100 most influential people in data in 2023 and is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Michigan, where he teaches a course based on his book “Building Analytics Teams”.

Links

• Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
• Connect with Mark on LinkedIn
• Connect with John on LinkedIn
• Connect with Genevieve on LinkedIn
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