A data scientist's job is all about details, but a data scientist's career path is much more ambiguous. When you're working in a hot, brand new field, the traditional career ladder just doesn't apply. So how do you succeed when there is no clear path for success? How can you be amazing at your job when "amazing" is still being defined? It starts with knowing exactly why your job is so different from others (there are no right answers), and learning how to explain your complicated work in an uncomplicated way. In this talk, you'll learn how to achieve success by leveraging your unique role to create the career you really want.

1. The Science of a great
career in data science
K a t e M a t s u d a i r a
C E O , P o p f o r m s
@katemats

5. What’s your number?

6. What do you
need to be
great?
image source https://www.flickr.com/photos/kwg73/4642433571/sizes/z/

7. imagine your
monday
morning…

8. D o t h e y
w o r k m o r e
h o u r s ?

9. D o t h e y
w o r k m o r e
h o u r s ?
D o t h e y
k n o w
s o m e t h i n g
y o u d o n ’ t ?

10. D o t h e y
w o r k m o r e
h o u r s ?
D o t h e y
k n o w
s o m e t h i n g
y o u d o n ’ t ?
H o w a r e
t h e y
d i f f e r e n t ?

11. It’s not just what you do,
it’s how you do it

12. why doesn’t recognition
correlate with merit?

13. data science is different
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/34558813@N07/3502250317/sizes/o/

14. people don’t
understand
what you do

15. How do you create
that Ah-ha Moment?

16. 1) Communication

17. craft clear
messages

18. put things in a
business context
image source: h!ps://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinpoulton/4535814351/sizes/l

19. Before
P r e c i s i o n : 8 0 %
R e c a l l 2 5 %

20. After
F o r t h e t o p s e a r c h t e r m s * a c c e s s o r i e s a p p e a r
2 5 % o f t h e t i m e o n t h e f i r s t p a g e .
!
F o r t o p s e a r c h t e r m s t h e h e a d p r o d u c t s a r e
p r e s e n t 9 0 % o f t h e t i m e i n t h e t o p 3 r e s u l t s ,
9 8 % o f t h e t i m e i n t h e t o p 5 .
!
* T o p s e a r c h t e r m s a r e t h e 1 0 0 0 m o s t p o p u l a r q u e r i e s o n o u r w e b s i t e
o v e r t h e l a s t 3 0 d a y s .

21. measure with data
that matters
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gardner67/9159875478/sizes/l

22. how do you get
things done?

23. collect data
do we have the
infrastructure to
analyze the data?
build it....
get results run experiments
are we finished or
do we need
more.....?
start here
yes
no
no
yes
research
data
do we have the
right data?

24. share your progress
image source https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinpoulton/4331601741/sizes/l

25. show before & after
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/legojeff/5464802716/sizes/l/

26. do they know
what you
really mean?

27. there are three kinds of falsehoods:
lies, damned lies, and statistics.
!
mark twain

28. use
analogies &
examples

29. this is a really
hard problem

30. constructing model lineages for
products is really difficult

31. Macbook Air
Macbook
Macbook Pro
? Bravia
EX500 LCD
Bravia
EX523 LCD
?
Bravia
EX620 LED
be specific

32. take it up a level
product evolution
we are
building a
lineage

33. !
we know it is hard…
!
!
!

34. we know it is hard…
!
but we don’t know
why it is hard.

35. what can you do to
communicate better?

36. 2) Make sure
your work
matters

37. Tie every Analysis to a
business decision

38. where can you fill
in the gaps
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gardner67/10559917655

39. manage your
manager
image source: http://cbs1037litefm.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/113257831.jpg image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kwg73/4291698418/sizes/l

40. you should send your
status in email every week

41. share with your whole team
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zedthedragon/4494168312/sizes/o/

42. creative problem solving
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/93123479@N00/6823941239/sizes/l/

43. hard: value estimation
1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core
i5 $300
256GB flash storage
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Apple premium
$250
8GB SDRAM
$100
$200
$200
Estimated Value: $1050

44. easier: comparing products

45. focus on your speed
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gardner67/10333462023/sizes/l

46. get deliberate
i n s t i t u t e a w e e k l y n i n j a
p l a n n i n g s e s s i o n

47. how can you be sure
your work matters?

48. 3) create
career capital

49. what you know +
who you know +
what you produce
=
career capital

50. image source:image image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/xjohns/6785555314/sizes/l
success comes
from people

51. what are
they doing
all day?
image source: http://cbs1037litefm.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/113257831.jpg image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jys07/8426549548/sizes/o/

52. trust
image source: http://redditlurker.com/funny/Post/t3_1152wx

53. what is
trust?

54. build trust
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinpoulton/4320490368/sizes/l

55. elements
of trust
relationship
architecture
reputation
contribution
Elements are based on Kay’s framework from the “Foundations of Corporate Success”

56. think about your coworkers….
Who is the person you admire most at work?
!
What do they do differently?
!
How do they make you feel?

57. be the model teammate
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/templar_tan/9427894521/sizes/l

58. help people make
things happen

59. be amazing
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zedthedragon/5694561428

60. dependable
r e m e m b e r t h a t r e p o r t y o u
r a n f o r m e l a s t m o n t h …

61. Make your work reproducible
image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30045765@N07/5595745081/sizes/o/

62. know your timing
estimate
incorporate
analyze actual
validate
confidence

63. relationship architecture
Make 2 ordered lists:
!
1. The most important people on your team
2. The people with whom you have the best relationships
How can you improve your relationships on the team?
How will that impact your work and happiness?

64. relationships are
like filmstrips
r e l a t i o n s h i p s a r e l i k e f i lms t r i p s

65. what can you do to build
your career capital?

66. communication +
!
!
!

67. communication +
work that matters +
!
!

68. communication +
work that matters +
career capital
!

69. communication +
work that matters +
career capital
=
greatness

70. Where do you
want to go
from here?

71. Thank you!
h t t p s : / / p o p f o r m s . c o m
h t t p : / / k a t e m a t s . c o m