No room for romance
Yesterday, I posted a piece on Smart Data Collective called “Analytics: What’s Passion Got to Do with It?” If it isn’t obvious enough from the title, let me paraphrase myself:
The point of analytics is to bring reason into decision-making. Passion does not add value to the process.
That was a bit of a fork in the side of some readers. One response that I enjoyed came from Rob Saker (@robsaker), who tweeted:
I couldn’t disagree more with the author. Idealistic.
Rob is a Chicagoan and so am I, so maybe I’ll get to meet him one day soon. Here’s his bio:
Advanced Analytics leader, presently with MillerCoors. Tweets & opinions here are my own. And yes, I get free beer.
Let me lay it on the line: I’m a romance-killer. Analytics is utilitarian. Apply it to things that matter to you, be passionate about them if it suits the situation. Analytics itself is merely a set of tools, no more a matter of passion than a boxful of hammers and screwdrivers.
On that note, a little quote from Billy Beane, of the Oakland As and Moneyball fame:
There’s no room for romance in baseball or business.
[You can read more of Mr. Beane's advice in Miranda Miller's "5 'Moneyball' Tips for Search Marketers from Billy Beane."]
Date: February 15, 2012
