Fully agree on this. When I was at Google we built a Chrome extension that would insert a customer flag directly in the support tool (i.e. high potential customer, try upselling). Bringing this data from a database or dashboard directly into the tool that they use at just the right time makes all the difference.
Really enjoyed the post Benn, as many previous ones. One thing that comes to mind about the experience though, is that sometimes building data as an experience embedded on the operational tool is not possible.
Marketing teams comes to mind when optimizing or building new campaigns or ads. They usually always like to have all the data from all their ad platforms in one place, yes, but regardless of that they either have different agencies who then use each ad platform to do the operational task, or they have to go not each ad platform for each change.
So what I’m trying to get to is, given that most companies now rely on different “apps”, “vendor software”, “SaaS” , for each specific task, and sometimes even for the same task, how would one approach to embed data I the way you describe here?
Great post Benn. How do you think about addressing the nuance of business meaning associated with enterprise data as it pertains to the buffet? I think you start to touch on this, with diners mixing their peas in their pudding, so how do we balance a crowded buffet line with 4 types of puddings and limitless toppings + veggies (i.e the rise of citizen data scientists getting the right data)?
Another great post Benn. I really enjoy your writing. The Yelp analogy is great.
I find I'm often asking teams and leaders the same question: "what is the product the team is offering?" I think this fits along the same lines as your point in this post. I receive a lot of funny looks when I ask this while leading teams that were labeled data platform teams. People think that is a ridiculous question, but I believe you need to crawl before you walk. You need to understand what you are providing and who your customer is. Offer your data as a singular product first. Then if users want to build something off of that data you iterate and expand to being a platform. I see many teams that are associated with data head down the path of providing the data with no context, shape or reason other than offering it. Whether that is access to the date lake, an API, etc. To your point, that is not the Yelp experience. That is Yelp existing as a list of restaurant information that you have to slice and dice to make useful. I believe many teams should shift their mindset and ask themselves what product they are offering and stop trying to sound more grandiose by being a platform.
Your Yelp analogy explains that really well. I'm going to borrow that!
Fully agree on this. When I was at Google we built a Chrome extension that would insert a customer flag directly in the support tool (i.e. high potential customer, try upselling). Bringing this data from a database or dashboard directly into the tool that they use at just the right time makes all the difference.
Really enjoyed the post Benn, as many previous ones. One thing that comes to mind about the experience though, is that sometimes building data as an experience embedded on the operational tool is not possible.
Marketing teams comes to mind when optimizing or building new campaigns or ads. They usually always like to have all the data from all their ad platforms in one place, yes, but regardless of that they either have different agencies who then use each ad platform to do the operational task, or they have to go not each ad platform for each change.
So what I’m trying to get to is, given that most companies now rely on different “apps”, “vendor software”, “SaaS” , for each specific task, and sometimes even for the same task, how would one approach to embed data I the way you describe here?
Great post Benn. How do you think about addressing the nuance of business meaning associated with enterprise data as it pertains to the buffet? I think you start to touch on this, with diners mixing their peas in their pudding, so how do we balance a crowded buffet line with 4 types of puddings and limitless toppings + veggies (i.e the rise of citizen data scientists getting the right data)?
Another great post Benn. I really enjoy your writing. The Yelp analogy is great.
I find I'm often asking teams and leaders the same question: "what is the product the team is offering?" I think this fits along the same lines as your point in this post. I receive a lot of funny looks when I ask this while leading teams that were labeled data platform teams. People think that is a ridiculous question, but I believe you need to crawl before you walk. You need to understand what you are providing and who your customer is. Offer your data as a singular product first. Then if users want to build something off of that data you iterate and expand to being a platform. I see many teams that are associated with data head down the path of providing the data with no context, shape or reason other than offering it. Whether that is access to the date lake, an API, etc. To your point, that is not the Yelp experience. That is Yelp existing as a list of restaurant information that you have to slice and dice to make useful. I believe many teams should shift their mindset and ask themselves what product they are offering and stop trying to sound more grandiose by being a platform.
Your Yelp analogy explains that really well. I'm going to borrow that!
As usual a thought provoking piece, Benn. Great work!