I attended my latest \u2018data\u2019 conference last week, getting a pass from the team to go to \u2018Big Data London\u2019.<\/p>\n
Given this was my first time at Big Data LDN (not London!) I didn\u2019t really know what to expect, so the things I walked away with are perhaps not news to some, but they are a reflection of what I heard from speakers, observed at stands and took from chats with several folk.<\/p>\n
Lesson 1<\/strong> – There are so many vendors in this data space, for anyone coming into it can be mind boggling. How can someone who is responsible for data in their business (let alone a business manager who does not have the time to be a dedicated expert) decipher all of this? It\u2019s a mine field! The answer to potential confusion is get back to basics and focus on making steady progress and capturing the quick wins.\u00a0 It was a repeated message I heard several times so I think it has a ring to truth.<\/p>\n Lesson 2 <\/strong>– In spite of all the shiny tech\u2026.it\u2019s NOT all about the shiny tech. A session that seemed to resonate with a large following was the CDO Playbook. This presentation talked about the real-world considerations that are required if businesses are to exploit their data. \u00a0As always, making sustained change comes back to a complex mix of people, culture, processes and (lastly) tools. \u00a0People who are equally comfortable in the Boardroom and in the Tech Project Team are going to become increasingly valuable.<\/p>\n Lesson 3 <\/strong>– This is a community that is worth being part of! Everybody from Analysts to Data Scientists, CDOs to Operations Directors, entrepreneurs to students. There was such a buzz and sense of being part of the future. Definitely a world of people that seem to be in it together and can find a combination of skills and technology to solve real world problems.<\/p>\n