Advice for those building out their own analytics team
Many of my good friends and successor staff are off to build their own analytics or marketing science practices abroad. Some are going technology side. Two are going agency side. I’m happy for all of them.
Those companies chose wisely because they’re all starting off with a solid keel.
Here’s what I tell them:
On Hiring
- Your first hire is critical and most strategic – choose somebody with strengths that complement your weaknesses.
- You’re building an orchestra: each ones strengths will have incrementally complement each others weaknesses, when you get to a team of 4 or 5, hiring strengths to reinforce existing strengths really pays off. (Architect your orchestra.)
- If you can’t eat with them or have a beer with them, then you won’t be able to spend 9 hours a day with them.
On Learning
- Reading a book about analytics doesn’t make one proficient in analytics any more than reading a cookbook makes anybody a Michelin Star chef.
- The first Michelin Star in analytics or marketing science has yet to be awarded.
- Get your team out to industry events and get them to talk to others regardless of how hyper-introverted they are. They’ll be stronger for it, and besides – everybody will try to poach your best talent – so you’re really not protecting anybody from anything.
On Day-To-Day
- Get used to repetition. 95% of those you encounter aren’t stupid. They just don’t happen to understand analytics the same way you do.
- Say it three times for auditory learners. Draw it three times for visual learners. Say it and draw it for combo chaining and bonus points.
- Keep a log. Note what major decisions you made and why. You’ll need those notes to optimize your own performance over time. (And you will screw up. Oh boy! Will you ever screw the pooch!)
Finally
- Bullet points.
Good luck!
Anything to add, analytics people who manage analytics people?
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I’m Christopher Berry.
I tweet about analytics @cjpberry
I write at christopherberry.ca