Dayta: Don’t Forget the Why

[ianwi]

Data is everywhere. [reader: checks bottom of shoe, then looks up skeptically]

source: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/futurama-fry-not-sure-if

Ok, maybe it isn’t super obvious, but it really is everywhere. If you think about it, data has always been everywhere, but we tend to make a bigger deal out of it these days. That’s got something to do with the fact that we are capturing and using that data like never before. [reader: yawns and thinks, “tell me something I don’t know.”]

Yeesh, tough crowd…

source: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/RodneyDangerfield

If you’ve ever tried to explain to someone who doesn’t deal with data why it’s important for them to learn about data, you know that those conversations can be fraught with yawns and eye-rolls. The fact is, most people still think data is “crunching the numbers” and that there is a special department of people wearing ties who are the only ones who should perform such tasks. In reality, data is a big part of everyday life, and companies continue to look for employees who understand data. Still, getting everyone to come around to the notion that they could perform data analysis can be tough.

At Alteryx, and particularly in the SparkED program, we’ve got a soft spot for helping data newbies “see the light,” as it were. In case you missed it, we are creating the Data Essentials interactive lessons to help all learners understand what data is and all of the technologies we use to turn data into information. As part of that effort, we’ve recently released a lesson that addresses the elephant in the room; Why should I care about data?

Decisions with Data helps to highlight just how much data plays a part in our everyday lives (from checking weather apps to finding the best route to our destination) and the benefits of learning to work with data, both personally and professionally. Take five minutes to give it a watch, send it to someone you think might be ready to begin their analytics journey, or let us know what you think. Look for more interactive lessons as we release them in the coming months, including lessons on databases and the cloud!