The hottest Data products Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

25 Unpopular and Contradictory Opinions on Data and Engineering

The Data Jargon Newsletter • 138 implied HN points • 23 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Engineering Business Intelligence Data Strategy Data products
  1. If your data product isn't making money, it's really just an internal tool. It's important to focus on projects that add real value.
  2. Having a good Business Intelligence team can often bring more benefits than trying to make fancy data products. Simple tools can lead to effective data use.
  3. More data engineers can improve your data platform, but just adding analysts might not directly make your data team better. It's all about how the team fits with the organization.

How an acquisition fails

benn.substack • 715 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
💼 Business Acquisitions Data products Tech industry Company strategy Market Trends
  1. Tech acquisitions can be risky due to various challenges like incompatible technology stacks and cultural differences.
  2. Strategic fit doesn't guarantee success in acquisitions, as seen in the example of Sisense buying Periscope.
  3. Future success in the modern data suite industry may depend on adapting to AI advancements and evolving customer needs.

The Data-Conscious Software Engineer

Data Products • 3 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Data science Software Engineering Data Management Data products Machine Learning
  1. Data teams need to learn best practices from software engineering, but that's not enough. They also need engineers who understand how data works and can work well with them.
  2. Collaboration between data teams and software engineers is really important for success. If they don't communicate well, they can struggle to implement necessary changes and solve issues together.
  3. The idea of a 'data-conscious software engineer' is becoming essential. These engineers understand the value of data and can help improve how both teams work together, making both sides more efficient.

Assessing the ROI of Data

The Data Score • 98 implied HN points • 03 Jan 24
💼 Business Data Analysis Data products
  1. Raw data is a cost; insights have value. The process of transforming raw data into insight-ready data is crucial for generating value.
  2. Assess the return on investment in data by considering how many decisions can be influenced and understanding the limitations of the data. Data that positively impacts decisions increases its value.
  3. Understand the cost of data investment, including sourcing, loading, and transforming data. Consider the ease of integrating data and the importance of insights generated over time.

Why you need a Data Catalog to build Data Products

The Orchestra Data Leadership Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 26 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Data products Data Engineering BI Tools
  1. Data catalogs are not just for enterprises but also benefit startups by driving business value.
  2. Data catalogs help organizations manage and present their data assets in a user-friendly way for better adoption and value extraction.
  3. Using data catalogs can simplify data access, encourage collaboration between technical and business users, and potentially enhance BI functionalities within organizations.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Avoid "Basket Case" Data Products Through Iteration

The Data Score • 39 implied HN points • 11 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Data products Development Process User Experience
  1. In both music and data product development, iterate continuously to refine and improve the final outcome
  2. Feedback is crucial in the iterative process - share, adapt, and repeat until achieving product/market fit
  3. The final product should not be the minimum viable product; be willing to discard prototypes and embrace scalability for long-term success

Why You’re Missing The Point Of Analytics

Three Data Point Thursday • 19 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Data Analytics Data Management Data products Data Storage
  1. Analytics and Business Intelligence are about turning data into actionable insights, not just analyzing historical data.
  2. Separating data into 'hot' and 'cold' categories can lead to cost savings and less complexity in data management.
  3. Be cautious of the term 'data product' as it can have different meanings to different people, and ensure clarity in hiring, marketing, and tool usage.

What Alt Data Should Learn from Alt Rock

The Data Score • 19 implied HN points • 14 Jul 23
💼 Business Data insights Financial Markets Product Development Data products
  1. The success of alternative rock band Nirvana in the 1990s can be seen as a tale of achieving product-market fit, blending novelty with familiarity, and capturing lightning in a bottle
  2. Just like how Nirvana and alternative rock made their way into the mainstream, alternative data companies need to craft unique, valuable products that merge novelty with familiarity to cater to a wider audience
  3. Challenges in adopting alternative data include aligning products with client needs, making data accessible, and building a narrative around data products to drive adoption and ensure impact

Data Contracts Book - Early Release

Data Products • 2 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data products Data Contracts Data Engineering Data Quality Data Governance
  1. Chad Sanderson announced an upcoming book on Data Contracts with O'Reilly, covering topics like what data contracts are, how they work, implementation, examples, and the future implications. The book will delve into Data Quality and Governance.
  2. The first two chapters of the book are available for free on the O'Reilly website. They cover the importance of data contracts and the real goals of data quality initiatives, totaling about 45 pages of content.
  3. Chad Sanderson is currently selecting technical reviewers for the book. Interested individuals can reach out to him to share their thoughts on an advance copy.