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Hi friends 👋

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Still working on my consistency, but I'm also still writing.

Thanks for being here, and if you like it don't be shy about forwarding to your friends.

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Passable Prose

What I have written

​Analytics: the mixed bag​

Working in the data space is confusing. The confusion spans companies, careers, tools, and delivering our work. This article attempts to parse those challenges and reframes them for why there is no better place to be.

Curated Columns

What I found interesting

​1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly

Last week I shared the a16z article on NFTs and a Thousand True Fans. The gist of the article is NFTs provide a channel for more creators to be supported by their 1000 True Fans. If you were unfamiliar with NFTs or Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans concept - like my dad - then the a16z article probably sounded like garbled gook on both ends.

Let’s fix that, tackling the easier one first.

Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans lays out a vision, made possible by the Internet, where nearly everyone can make a living in their niche by finding their 1000 True Fans that will pay for anything you produce. You have likely heard a similar concept before. The “Creator Economy,” “Sovereign Writers,” Tim Ferriss’ “muse,” even Instagram Influencers share conceptual roots with Kelly’s 1000 True Fans piece.

I believe this idea is here to stay, so this article is essential to help understand the opportunities the Internet can open up.

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​The Ladders of Wealth Creation by Nathan Berry

Last week my mom sat me down and asked, “What are your intentions with this blog?” Goodness, Mom, I did not have as tough a conversation with my father-in-law when I asked to marry his daughter!

While I do think this question was jumping the gun, it’s good to keep in mind. I’m leaving the doors open to the serendipity of online writing, but I do hope to make a buck off the site someday. I used Nathan Berry’s Ladders of Wealth concept to walk through how that might play out.

The key insight for me was - you can skip the rungs or jump ladders, but you must learn the lessons from each step. In my first venture, I jumped straight for the 3rd rung on the most advanced ladder, and I did not have all the lessons learned to succeed at that level.

​The Sequel Show from Census

Finally, I have a link to share from my craft. This podcast had me vigorously nodding my head in agreement for the first 45 mins. There is a transformation occurring in analytics space. These four CEOs are working to drive that change. Data warehousing is no longer used solely for analytic workloads; it can drive operational workloads too. With the increased criticality of our work, analysts must improve their tooling and skillset to meet the demand. We need to do away with “spreadsheet ambassadors” and replace them with a collaborative mindset.

"I would see these people who are the custodians of the mega Spreadsheet. And they're like, 'Don't touch it. It computes the perfect number somewhere in there. Good luck ever being able to iterate on it.'"

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- Boris Jabes - Census Founder

Featured Forecast

What you can look forward to next

My writing bootcamp - Write of Passage - came to an end this week. I am both sad and relieved.

Sad because I’ll lose the structured sessions that brought the community together. The live sessions were incredible. I would beam into a room with a few other strangers. I was never sure who I would meet. It ranged from Wharton business school professor and eclectic creatives that argued eating boogers improves our immune system. The diversity and talent in this program was astonishing. The thread that tied us all together was our desire to write online as a creative outlet. It will be sad to let go of this shared space.

Yet, I am relieved. Shoo! I can take a breath and follow my intellectual curiosity instead of the weekly assignment.

So, I’m unsure what to tell you next week’s article will cover. Some seeds of ideas I have are “Protocols over Programs,” “From Flywheel to DAG,” “In Defense of Black Boxes,” and “The Promise of Analytics.” If any of these pique your interest or you have suggestions for topics, I’d love to hear from you. Otherwise, stick around till next week.

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