The world generated 120 zettabytes of data in 2023, on track for a 1.5x growth over two years to exceed 180 zettabytes in 2025. Unfortunately, data management strategies have not kept pace with the evolution and expansion of data, largely continuing to work with old-world processes and structured information stored in historical databases. There is an […]
Businesses today are drowning in data. The sheer volume and complexity of information available have made it increasingly difficult for organizations to extract meaningful insights using traditional business intelligence (BI) tools and the expertise of specialized data scientists. This is where augmented analytics comes in. This game-changing technology combines the power of artificial intelligence (AI) […]
In the rush to adopt AI across diverse sectors, today’s enterprises face a common hurdle: efficient data labeling at scale. Numerous enterprises are grappling with generating usable data despite having huge amounts of raw information. Organizations are overwhelmed by the influx of image data, highlighting the need to process and label it for practical use. Data […]
If you’ve worked in data long enough, then you’ve likely come across the term change data capture. Often called CDC, change data capture involves tracking and recording changes in a database as they happen, and then transmitting these changes to designated targets. This can be crucial because some pipelines, in particular batch pipelines, don’t capture… Read more
To progress and achieve new goals, we must let go of old mindsets, habits, and behaviours that no longer serve us.
Holding onto our past experiences and some historical knowledge can hinder our growth and keep us stuck in familiar but unfulfilling behavioural and mindset patterns. As one evolves and matures and takes on new challenges, one should adapt one’s approach accordingly.
As the saying suggests, trying to use the same “keys” from the past to unlock the doors of the future can be very frustrating and even futile.
To open new doors of opportunity, work, and endeavour, one must be willing to sometimes embrace radical change and embrace new ways of thinking and acting. This may require completely unlearning some of our old and potentially limiting beliefs about ourselves, those around us, and their and our potential. We should not let yesterday’s experiences and mindset dictate today’s possibilities.
Discarding the “dead weight” of a bunch of old keys that jangle our lives, creates cognitive and emotional space for the new keys we need to succeed. This discard could mean breaking old habits, ending toxic relationships and associations, or adopting a fresh perspective.
This all takes work, but the potential rewards in terms of personal growth and new opportunities often make it very worthwhile. The key is to focus on the new vision you have for your life, and take small daily actions to make it a reality.
Swapping out unproductive habits for ones that serve your goals with growth integral to your mindset, accompanied by a consistent effort can often open doors to a better future.
To embark upon this change is not easy, but it may well be necessary for your growth and to release you from being stuck in a rut or dissatisfied with your current circumstances. If these characteristics encumber your daily life, then it’s a sign that it’s time to let go of the old and embrace the new.
It’s important to take an honest look at one’s life and identify the areas that need improvement. Dead-end job, unfulfilling relationship, bad habits? Once we pinpoint the issues, we can start to develop a plan for change.
Letting Go
One of the biggest obstacles to change is our attachment to the past. Humans by their very nature are mostly nostalgic and sentimental.
Nostalgia is such a common human experience, with most people reflecting on the past as often as once a week, according to some studies. This involves sentimentally longing or having an affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. This is often triggered by something reminding an individual of a positive experience from the past, such as songs, smells, photographs, or loneliness. Often it is characterized by bittersweet or even painful memories of the past.
The most nostalgic of us do tend to have certain personality traits, such as daydreaming frequently, being sentimental, overthinking, romanticizing the past, and not liking change. Nostalgia peaks during transitional age ranges like the teens through 20s and over 50. This nostalgia can have both positive and negative effects, positively boosting one’s mood, increasing self-esteem, providing a sense of social support, and helping one cope with difficult life transitions. Excessive nostalgia and dwelling too much on the past may have corrosive negative consequences.
We may cling to old habits, relationships, or beliefs because they feel comfortable and familiar. However, this attachment can prevent us from moving forward and reaching our full potential. It’s important to acknowledge that the past is gone and that we can’t change it but what we can change is our perspective on it.
Instead of viewing the past as a burden, we can see it as a learning experience that has shaped us into who we are today. Letting go of the past, we create space for new opportunities and experiences. We free ourselves from the weight of old baggage and can focus on the present moment and the future.
Growth and Rewards
To open new doors in life, we need to adopt a growth mindset.
This means embracing challenges, learning from mistakes, and continuously striving for improvement.A growth mindset allows us to see obstacles as opportunities for growth rather than roadblocks. When we face a challenge, we can approach it with curiosity and a willingness to learn rather than fear and resistance.Developing a growth mindset also requires us to be receptive to feedback and criticism despite it being hard to hear and accept. That feedback can provide valuable insights into areas where we can improve and inform our growth, we can accelerate our progress and open new doors more quickly with new keys.
Change is tied to action, so it’s not enough to simply think about the changes we want to make; we need to take concrete steps to make them happen – one way is with setting clear goals for ourselves. Understanding where we want to go and what we want to achieve. Understanding what we think success looks like. By setting specific, measurable goals, we can create our own personal roadmap for growth to help us stay focused on the path ahead.
Another important action is to develop a support system; seeking out supportive friends, family, or mentors who can make a difference in terms of providing emotional support and perhaps other kinds of support too. These people can provide encouragement, advice, and accountability as we work towards our goals.
Finally, it’s important to celebrate one’s progress and successes along the way; since change is a journey, it’s important to acknowledge the small wins that keep us motivated and inspired and celebrate our achievements, from which we can build momentum and stay focused on the bigger picture.
I am often asked about the role of intercepts in linear regression models – especially the negative intercepts. Here is my blog post on that topic in simple words with minimal statistical terms.  Regression models are used to make predictions. The coefficients in the equation define the relationship between each independent variable and the dependent variable. […]
Artificial intelligence is here to change the world, and it is up to us to embrace this technology and use it responsibly to reap its full potential. Although critics have expressed some valid concerns about the potential harm that AI technology could bring about, fostering an AI-human collaboration can allow us to use this powerful […]
Pretectum’s Composable Customer Master Data Management (CMDM) platform is a strategic solution that helps organizations centralize and manage customer data to deliver personalized experiences, ensure data accuracy and compliance, and drive revenue growth
The platform provides a centralized repository that integrates customer information from various sources
This enables businesses to have a holistic view of each customer, facilitating better organizational decision-making, customer interaction, and more personalized experiences
Key features of Pretectum CMDM include data modeling, enrichment, maintenance, quality management, golden record management and data stewardship
It serves diverse stakeholders including sales, marketing, service and partners
The composable architecture allows configuring the solution to specific business needs
It follows five core principles: collection, consolidation, cleaning, control, and compliance
Pretectum recommends a centralized implementation approach for maximum control, while also supporting registry, consolidated and co-existent deployment models
The architecture enables both vertical and horizontal scalability to accommodate growing data volumes and business expansion
The platform provides tools for defining data governance policies, quality rules, and ownership responsibilities
It enables active data governance with clear ownership and accountability for customer data across the organization
Pretectum CMDM is a strategic solution that helps organizations centralize and manage customer data to deliver personalized experiences, ensure data quality and compliance, and drive revenue growth through a flexible, scalable and composable platform.
Visit https://www.pretectum.com/datasheets/ to learn more
As data increased in volume, velocity, and variety, so, in turn, did the need for tools that could help process and manage those larger data sets coming at us at ever faster speeds. As a result, frameworks such as Apache Spark and Apache Flink became popular due to their abilities to handle big data processing… Read more
With a La Niña watch issued for the summer, businesses operating in hurricane-prone regions face heightened concerns about the impending storm season. La Niña heavily impacts the wind shear and atmospheric conditions over the Atlantic, where most hurricanes form thanks to its warm waters. It’s rare to go a year without a hurricane hitting some part of […]
In tech circles these days, one topic drives every conversation: artificial intelligence (AI). Whether discussing the potential benefits of increased productivity or the potential risks, the role of AI in business is on the minds of everyone, from C-suite leaders to recent college graduate hires. AI is a hot topic because while people can see […]
In the real-time software world, 24×7 uptime is critical for core software where millions of transactions occur every second. In 2018, Amazon’s Prime Day event experienced a 13-minute outage that, according to some estimates, may have cost the company up to $99 million in lost sales. Reliability is paramount when the business depends on it […]
You wouldn’t build a house without a concrete foundation. So why are many technology leaders attempting to adopt GenAI technologies before ensuring their data quality can be trusted? Reliable and consistent data is the bedrock of a successful AI strategy. Incomplete or inconsistent data prompts GenAI models to propose equally unreliable outputs, calling the basic […]
Cloud computing has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade.
What was once hailed as a panacea for companies struggling with the high costs and unsustainability of on-premise IT infrastructure has now become a more nuanced and complex landscape. Businesses continue to grapple with the decision to migrate to the cloud or maintain a hybrid approach, the complexity, costs and risk are essential to understand the evolving dynamics and the potential pitfalls that lie ahead.
The initial appeal of cloud solutions was undeniable.
By offloading the burden of hardware maintenance, software updates, and data storage to cloud providers, companies could focus on their core business activities and enjoy the benefits of scalability, flexibility, and cost optimization. The cloud promised to revolutionize the way organizations managed their IT resources, allowing them to adapt quickly to changing market demands and technological advancements.
However, not all businesses have fully embraced the cloud, especially when it comes to their mission-critical systems. Companies that handle sensitive or proprietary data have often been more cautious in their approach, opting to maintain a significant portion of their operations on-premise. These organizations may have felt a sense of vindication as they watched some of their cloud-first counterparts grapple with the complexities and potential risks associated with entrusting such critical systems to third-party providers.
The recent news from Basecamp, for example, was driven by spiraling costs, irrespective of the cloud provider (they tried AWS and GCP). Thus, Basecamp decided to leave the cloud computing model and move back to on-premise infrastructure to contain costs, reduce complexity, avoid hidden costs, and retain margin. This way they felt that they had more control of the delivery and sustainment outcomes.
The Ongoing Costs of Cloud-First Strategies
Cloud bills, for example, can comprise hundreds of millions or billions of rows of data, making them difficult to analyze in traditional tools like Excel and cloud computing reduces upfront startup costs, including setup and maintenance costs, with 94% of IT professionals reporting this benefit. Accenture for example, found cloud migration leads to 30-40% Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings.
As many as 60% of C-suite executives also cite security as the top benefit of cloud computing, ahead of cost savings, scalability, ease of maintenance, and speed.
The private cloud services market for example, is projected to experience significant growth in the coming years. According to Technavio, the global private cloud services market size is expected to grow by $276.36 billion from 2022 to 2027, at a CAGR of 26.71%.Â
The cloud of course supports automation, reducing the risk of human errors that cause security breaches and accoridnly the platforms help capture the cost of tagged, untagged, and untaggable cloud resources, as well as allocate 100% of shared costs. For those organizations that have wholeheartedly adopted a cloud-first strategy, the operational budgets for cloud technologies have often continued to climb year-over-year.
Instead of fully capitalizing on the advances in cloud technology, these companies may find themselves having to maintain or even grow their cost base to take advantage of the latest offerings. The promise of cost savings and operational efficiency that initially drew them to the cloud may not have materialized as expected.
As this cloud landscape continues to evolve, a critical question arises: is there a breaking point where cloud solutions may become unviable for all but the smallest or most virtualized cloud-interwoven businesses?
This concern is particularly relevant in the context of customer data management, where the increasing number of bad actors and risk vectors, coupled with the growing web of regulations and restrictions at local, regional, and international levels, can contribute to a sense of unease about entrusting sensitive customer data to cloud environments.
The Evolving Regulatory Landscape & Cyber threats
The proliferation of data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, has added a new layer of complexity to the cloud adoption equation.
These regulations, along with a growing number of industry-specific compliance requirements, have placed significant demands on organizations to ensure the security and privacy of the data they handle, regardless of where it is stored or processed.For businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, navigating the web of regulations can be a daunting task, as the requirements and restrictions can vary widely across different regions.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines, reputational damage, and even legal consequences, making the decision to entrust sensitive data to cloud providers a high-stakes proposition.
Alongside the evolving regulatory landscape, the threat of cyber attacks has also intensified, with bad actors constantly seeking new vulnerabilities to exploit.
Cloud environments, while offering robust security measures, are not immune to these threats, and the potential for data breaches or system compromises can have devastating consequences for businesses and their customers.
The growing sophistication of cyber attacks, coupled with the increasing value of customer data, has heightened the need for robust security measures and comprehensive risk management strategies. Companies must carefully evaluate the security protocols and safeguards offered by cloud providers, as well as their own internal security practices, to ensure the protection of their most valuable assets.
Balancing Innovation and Risk Management
In light of these challenges, many businesses are exploring hybrid approaches that combine on-premise and cloud-based solutions.
This strategy allows organizations to maintain control over their mission-critical systems and sensitive data, while still leveraging the benefits of cloud computing for less sensitive or more scalable workloads.
Some companies are also taking a more selective approach to cloud adoption, carefully evaluating which workloads and data sets are suitable for cloud migration.
By adopting a risk-based approach, they can balance the potential benefits of cloud solutions with the need to maintain a high level of control and security over their most critical assets.
As the cloud landscape continues to evolve, it is essential for businesses to carefully evaluate their cloud strategies and adapt them to the changing circumstances.
This may involve regularly reviewing their cloud usage, cost optimization strategies, and the evolving regulatory and security landscape to ensure that their cloud solutions remain aligned with their business objectives and risk tolerance.Regular monitoring and assessment of cloud performance, cost-effectiveness, and security posture can help organizations identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about their cloud investments.
Collaboration with cloud providers and industry experts can also provide valuable insights and best practices to navigate the complexities of the cloud ecosystem.
As the cloud landscape continues to evolve, it is clear that the path forward will not be a one-size-fits-all solution.
Businesses must be careful in weighing the potential benefits of cloud adoption against the risks and challenges that come with entrusting their critical data and systems to third-party providers.The future of cloud solutions will likely involve a more nuanced and balanced approach, where organizations leverage the power of cloud computing selectively and strategically, while maintaining a strong focus on data security, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
Collaboration between businesses, cloud providers, and regulatory bodies will likely be crucial in shaping the next chapter of the cloud revolution, ensuring that the benefits of cloud technology are realized in a secure and sustainable manner.
How data is structured, managed and processed will continue to grow in importance as the demand for AI and machine learning increase. It’s unavoidable that as businesses demand that their data teams implement AI, they will also realize that data engineers are a crucial piece of the data pipeline. That means, if you’re looking for… Read more
Leaders are often driven by a deep, unwavering passion for their cause, political position, product, or objective.
This dedication can be a powerful force, fuelling determination and propelling them towards their goals. However, this very passion can also become a source of frustration when others fail to share the same level of enthusiasm.
It can be disheartening for leaders when employees are not as excited about new initiatives, when family members do not fully support their efforts, or when outsiders seem disinterested in engaging with the leader’s agenda.
Such a lack of shared passion can leave the leader feeling alone, angry, misunderstood, and under-appreciated. While it is tempting to argue, debate, or pressure others into aligning with one’s vision, this approach often proves counterproductive.
Overcoming this frustration lies in the one’s ability to inspire others, rather than simply asserting their own desires. Inspiring leaders understand that the most effective way to achieve their goals is to focus on what others want, rather than solely on their own agenda.
By explaining one’s passion in the language and perspective of those you seek to influence, you can create a shared vision that resonates with the needs and desires of your audience.
Connecting the collective’s needs and dsires
One of the hallmarks of an inspiring leader is often their ability to shift the conversation focus from themselves to that of the collective.
Instead of simply extolling the virtues of their own position or product, they take the time to understand the needs, concerns, and aspirations of those they wish to engage. In the absence of this, you have tghe master-serf relationship where employees in particular are just wage-slaves; or in clubs or societies where the leader is the prophet and the others are just acolytes or disciples.
By doing so, a leader can craft a narrative that speaks directly to the interests and motivations of those around them; but it needs to be grounded in everyone’s reality.
“The more scarce and valuable commodity is cold-shower-self-honesty”
 Joel Runyon
Rather than relying just on passion alone, inspiring leaders are willing to step back and critically examine their own circumstances, their assumptions, biases, and communication strategies. They recognize that their personal enthusiasm, while genuine, may not be enough to sway others who have different priorities and perspectives.
The Shared Vision
By focusing on the needs and desires of the team, an inspiring leader is able to craft a shared vision that aligns with the goals and personal and collective aspirations of those around them.
This shared vision becomes a powerful tool for overcoming the frustration that can arise when others do not immediately embrace the leader’s passion.Rather than simply pushing their own agenda, inspiring leaders take the time to understand what motivates their employees, family members, or external stakeholders. They then weave these insights into a narrative that highlights how the leader’s vision can help others achieve their own objectives.
Such an approach creates a sense of mutual investment and shared purpose, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels invested in the success of the endeavor.
Empathy and Emotional Connection
Inspiring leaders often understand that passion alone is not enough to drive meaningful change.
Recognizing the importance of empathy and emotional connection in engaging others and cultivating a shared vision, they actively listen to the concerns and perspectives of others, they are able to tailor their message in a way that resonates on a deeper level.
An emotional connection is crucial in overcoming the frustration that can arise when others do not immediately share the same passion. By demonstrating a genuine understanding of the challenges and aspirations of their audience, inspiring leaders are able to build trust and foster a sense of shared purpose. This, in turn, helps to overcome resistance and create a collaborative environment for all.
The Art of Inspiration
Inspiring leaders understand that the role is not to simply assert their own desires, but to create a compelling vision that aligns with the needs and aspirations of those they seek to influence.
This requires a delicate balance of passion, empathy, and strategic communication.
A focus on “them” speaks directly to the concerns and motivations of others. The most valuable commodity is not just passion, but the willingness to engage in that “cold-shower-self-honesty” – critically examining own assumptions, biases, and communication strategies.
A process of self-reflection and audience-centric communication, inspiring leaders are able to overcome the frustration that can arise when others do not immediately share their passion and potential impatience.
A shared vision that resonates with the needs and desires of their audience fosters collaborative environment where everyone feels invested in the success of the endeavor.
Ultimately, the art of inspiration is not about forcing others to conform to the leader’s agenda, but about cultivating a shared sense of purpose and mutual investment and having everyone else naturally come together on the journey of exploration, discovery and execution. Only through connecting with the needs and desires of others, inspiring leaders are able to achieve greater success and create lasting change.
To embark on data governance in an enterprise that spans divisions and diverse stakeholders, a well-defined operating model plays a vital role in achieving expected business benefits. Data mesh is a new concept that encourages data democratization within an organization in a decentralized way by promoting data products. Unlike the vintage architecture, which is centralized, data mesh […]
Major business setbacks due to risk management failures happen every year. They are also some of the costliest, adding up to millions of dollars in regulatory fines, lawsuits, payouts, and lost brand value. Leaders want to avoid these types of issues and rely on sound internal data management to mitigate risk and maintain confidence and […]
In the world of data management, the focus often zeroes in on the performance, scalability, and reliability of database systems. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is a crucial aspect that should hold equal – if not more – importance. TCO isn’t just a financial metric; it’s a comprehensive assessment that can significantly impact a business’s […]
In the first article, I laid out the basic premise for this series: an examination of how Agile has gone from the darling of the application development community to a virtual pariah that nobody wants to be associated with, and an exploration of the very important question of what we should replace it with. We […]
The use of data worldwide for business and recreation has exploded in the last decade, with an estimated 328.77 million terabytes of data created every single day globally. In 2024, experts predict that nearly 120 zettabytes of new data will be created. All of this data creation has also created a substantial storage problem for […]
The focus of my last column, titled Crossing the Data Divide: Data Catalogs and the Generative AI Wave, was on the impact of large language models (LLM) and generative artificial intelligence (AI) and how we disseminate knowledge throughout the enterprise and the future role of the data catalogs. Spoiler alert if you have not read […]
Those of us in the field of enterprise data management are familiar with the many authors contributing their knowledge and expertise to the data management body of knowledge.[1] We are also very familiar with the many, varied, and often conflicting ways in which data management terms are used. “Data architecture,” “data integration,” and even terms […]
In my work with the EDM Council’s Data Management Capability Assessment Model (DCAM) 3.0 development group, we are adding a capability that has remained under the radar in our industry: the responsibility of the Data Management Program to determine concept and knowledge gaps within its staff resources. The organization should then plan, organize, and make […]
I call it a “data crime” when someone is abusing or misusing data. When we understand these stories and their implications, it can help us learn from mistakes and prevent future data crimes. The stories can also be helpful if you have to explain the importance of data management to someone. The Story After a series […]
