For the Love of Data

E035 – Your Data and an Announcement

December 03, 2018 03:53 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

Announcement: Celebrating FTLOD’s 3 year anniversary this month Covered a diverse range of topics from BBQ and chocolate to alogorithms and graph databases Future episodes will be much more ad-hoc and when I come across a topic that is interesting Please stay subscribed Please reach out on Twitter or LinkedIn to let me know what […]

E034 – Using Data to Make Perfect Chocolate – Part 2

October 31, 2018 11:38 - 31 minutes - 22.9 MB

In the second part of this two-part episode, we do a data deep dive into a decadent vat of chocolate. We talk about various stats and data with Brian Mikiten, former process engineer and founder of Casa Chocolates in San Antonio, TX. We also cover the types of chocolate and how much of chocolate making […]

E033 – Using Data to Make Perfect Chocolate – Part 1

October 24, 2018 19:37 - 1 hour - 44.9 MB

In the first part of this two-part episode, we do a data deep dive into a decadent vat of chocolate. We talk about history and how to make chocolate. In part two, we will talk about various stats and data with Brian Mikiten, former process engineer and founder of Casa Chocolates in San Antonio, TX. […]

E032 – 2018 State of DevOps Report

September 30, 2018 04:50 - 45 minutes - 33.7 MB

Intro Greg’s Background Intro to DevOps Tools you’ve used Intro to the report & this year vs. previous years Feels more general and high-level than some of the previous reports (no MTTR mentioned for instance) Who took the survey? Surveyed over 30,000 people in 7 years (~4,300 / yr) Technology is overrepresented – 38% of […]

E031 – Data Collaboration with Cursor

August 30, 2018 23:50 - 40 minutes - 5 MB

Learn about Cursor, a new platform for collaboration around data, hosted platforms and BI artifacts. I sat down with Adam Weinstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Cursor, to learn about the platform. About Cursor Cursor offers a data search and analytics hub that makes disparate data accessible and actionable, enabling technical and business users alike to […]

E030 – July 2018 News Roundup

July 31, 2018 01:49 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

July 2018 News Roundup This month’s episode is a roundup of news from a variety of sources covering three main topics: BI / Dataviz Tools Databases and Platforms Tools and Frameworks Note: Most of the text extracts below are direct quotations from new sources cited in the source list at the bottom of these show […]

E29 – Is Data The New Oil?

June 29, 2018 11:56 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MB

Is Data the New Oil? Concept originated by Clive Humby, the British mathematician who established Tesco’s Clubcard loyalty program. Humby highlighted the fact that, although inherently valuable, data needs processing, just as oil needs refining before its true value can be unlocked. Why it is the new oil Valuable commodity Different uses among many applications […]

E028 – Bimodal BI and Data Virtualization

May 27, 2018 04:31 - 48 minutes - 42.2 MB

Today we’re back with another guest from the Netherlands. I’m not sure what it is about the Dutch, but they’ve been on a roll with some helpful thought leadership when it comes to data. My guest is Rick van der Lans, a highly-respected analyst, consultant, author, and international lecturer specializing in data warehousing, business intelligence, big […]

E027 – The Data Quadrant

April 28, 2018 19:18 - 55 minutes - 52.4 MB

My guest in today’s episode is Ronald Damhof (@ronalddamhof), the creator of the Data Quadrant. This quadrant is a sense-making framework in the complex word of data that enables a common frame of reference between managers, domain experts and engineers. This model is used by many organisations to formulate data strategy and justify investments in […]

E026 – The Four Types of Automation

March 30, 2018 05:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

Introductory Product Models: Only partner implementations (BluePrism) Limited Features (WorkFusion) Customer Revenue Limited (UI Path) Single License (Softomotive) Music Deep Sky Blue by Graphiqs Groove via FreeMusicArchive.org Sources: https://irpaai.com/definition-and-benefits/ https://www.edgeverve.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/forrester-wave-robotic-process-automation.pdf https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=1-3U26FK2&ct=170222&st=sb http://www.uipath.com/hubfs/News_photos/Forrester...

E025 – The Hype of AI

February 28, 2018 05:28 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB

Thank you my friend and fellow Capco cohort, Daragh Fitzpatrick, for joining me on this episode of FTLOD where we cut through the Hype of AI to understand some of the key challenges and opportunities facing consumers and businesses alike when working with or alongside AI. Given that we’re talking about AI, I also have […]

E024 – Will machine learning kill traditional database indexes?

January 31, 2018 07:47 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MB

In this episode my friend Vikas Popuri and I chat about Google’s paper comparing ML models to traditional DB indexes. Background: Google used learned indexes , machine learning models, to access data and compared these to B-Tree, Hash, and Bloom Filter indices Trained a model using multiple stages where the earlier stages could approximate a location […]

E023 – 2017 Data Digest

December 30, 2017 07:12 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MB

This episode reflects on some of the hottest topics from 2017 and their impact their data has on our lives this year and into 2018. Cryptocurrency Many of these data points come from here. Since the year began, the aggregate market cap of all cryptocurrencies combined has increased by more than 3,200% as of Dec. […]

E022 – Tech Spec – Tableau Project Maestro Data Prep

November 30, 2017 10:34 - 22 minutes - 21 MB

Zip file of all the sample data, Maestro flows, and Tableau workbook I used to get a first impression: E022_maestro_demo_files. Screenshots Sample Flow from Tableau Field Selection Data Profiling Filters Join Clause Refresh / Run Flow File Output Options Pros: Has the clean, intuitive feel of Tableau. I did my hands-on test with no training or […]

E021 – Data Deep Dive – Halloween Spending and Candy

October 31, 2017 04:29 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MB

Just in time for Halloween this year, we take a look at the way people will spend their money on Candy and other goods during this spooky time. Spending People in the US are expected to spend $9.1 billion on Halloween this year, according to a study by the National Retail Federation. Several predictions about this year’s Halloween […]

E020 – How Crisis Text Line uses data to save lives

September 27, 2017 02:13 - 1 hour - 66.2 MB

If you’re in crisis, text 741741 if you’re in the US to talk with a counselor now. In this episode we speak with the people behind Crisis Text Line and Crisis Trends, two services that use data to make a difference for those going through a crisis or looking for someone with whom to talk. […]

E019 – Tech Spec – Cognos Analytics (11.0.6)

August 20, 2017 22:09 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MB

Join me as I chat with my colleague and Cognos guru John Frazier about the latest release of Cognos, leading up to the anticipated release of the next version, 11.0.7, near the end of Q3. The latest version of Cognos (11.0.6) debuted on March 21, 2017. You can sign up for a perpetually free trial […]

E018 – Tech Spec – Sia, ultimate blockchain file storage

July 30, 2017 03:25 - 16 minutes - 14.6 MB

What if you could store your data in the cloud, encrypted, for a fraction of the cost of Amazon S3, Google, or Azure? With Sia, a decentralized file storage solution that leverages blockchain, you can. Learn more about how it works in this episode. Blockchain Overview A blockchain is a permissionless distributed database that maintains […]

E017 – Tech Spec – Tableau 10.3 New Features

June 29, 2017 11:19 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MB

In this episode we cover the new features in Tableau 10.3. This version debuted on May 31st, and a 10.3.1 update was released on 6/21/17. Data Driven Alerts Only on Tableau Server Receive an alert when a mark crosses a visual threshold Can use on any viz with a continuous numeric axis Can sign up […]

E016 – For the Love of Sunscreen

May 31, 2017 07:59 - 31 minutes - 29 MB

In this episode, data sheds some (sun)light on what Rob did wrong on a recent trip to the Caribbean and explains the terrible sunburn he has right now. Just in time for Memorial Day and Summer, we take a look at many recent findings and how they will lead us to a healthier outdoor lifestyle. […]

E015 – BBQ Showdown (Pellet Grill vs Big Green Egg)

April 30, 2017 02:48 - 1 hour - 56.2 MB

Join me and my special guest, Colby “meat whore” Pritchett (@colbypritchett) on this BBQ showdown where we pit the Big Green Egg against the Green Mountain Grill Pellet Smoker. We also cover the history, styles, stats, and health facets of different types of BBQ. History Bbq evolves from the spanish word ‘barbacoa’, but where the […]

E014 – For the Love of Allergies

March 28, 2017 03:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MB

Achooo! Did you know that seasonal allergies affect about 50 million people in the US, penicillin kills about 400 people/year, and some people are allergic to cockroaches?! Learn all about allergies in this episode. A note about this episode’s content: Most of the allergy information in this episode is very short statistics that were commonly […]

013 – For the Love of Graph Databases

February 21, 2017 17:30 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MB

Where did graphs come from? (Graph Theory History) In its simplest form, Graph Theory defines a graph as a construct made up of vertices, nodes, or points which are connected by edges, arcs, or lines.1 The connections may be directed, indicating a direction from one node to another, or undirected. Properties are attributes associated with […]

012 -For the Love of Guns

January 27, 2017 10:15 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MB

Sheer Quantity 3% of gun owners own almost 50% of all civilian guns. These 7.7mm “super owners” own between 8-140 guns (on average 17)15 In 2013, U.S. gun manufacturers built 10,844,792 guns, and we imported an additional 5,539,539; the number dropped slightly in 2014.16 There are over 300 million guns owned by civilians (legal and […]

011 – Top 10 Data Predictions for 2017

December 30, 2016 22:12 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MB

Happy New Year! Thank you to all listeners and subscribers for your support this past year. 10 – Data borders will break down – logical data lakes and logical data warehouses will grow as companies embrace data virtualization products like Denodo. Data preparation tools, like the new Project Maestro from Tableau, will allow people to […]

010 For the Love of Thanksgiving – For the Love of Data

November 25, 2016 07:40 - 5 minutes - 5.37 MB

Holiday Weight Gain Studies Studies are very mixed on whether holiday eating causes weight gain. The Good1 In several studies over the last thirty-one years, subjects gained approximately 3/4 to 2 lbs. during the holiday season However, in one study participants felt they had gained 4x as much weight as they actually gained Two other […]

009 For the Love of Algorithms – For the Love of Data

October 31, 2016 03:30 - 35 minutes - 33 MB

Worst Pun Ever: Today, we are talking about Al… Al Gore… Al Gore Rhythms… Algorithms! Definition: a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer1 Inputs: Many algorithms use census data or FICO score as one of their prime inputs Plus any custom information you give a website Plus […]

008 For the Love of Politics – For the Love of Data

September 28, 2016 15:27 - 5 MB

History of Data in Politics First off, 538’s podcast, What’s the Point did a great four part series on the data of politics that covered the history of politics from the late 1800s through the primaries. So please check out the above links for more context behind this. A brief history of data in politics […]

007 For the Love of Olympics – For the Love of Data

August 25, 2016 07:30 - 26 minutes - 24 MB

Fun Fact: The main riff in NBC’s Olympic them is from Bugler’s Dream (1958) by Leo Arnaud. History Most believe games started in 776 BC as part of a religious festival in Greece to honor Zeus; however, some evidence suggests it could have started as early as the 10th century BC The stadion race was the […]

006 For the Love of Cheesecake – For the Love of Data

July 30, 2016 03:32 - 6 minutes - 6.26 MB

National Cheesecake Day! June 30, 2016 is National Cheesecake Day, a likely commercially driven holiday to which I, for one, am happy to fall victim. Adam’s PB Cup Fudge Ripple is one of my favorites and also one of the worst (go figure). History (#4) Believed to have originated around 2,000 BC in Greece […]

005 For the Love of Fireworks – For the Love of Data

June 28, 2016 13:11 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MB

News: Big Data falls off the hype cycle: http://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/big-data-falls-off-the-hype-cycle Tableau 10 in beta: http://www.tableau.com/about/blog/2016/4/10-reasons-join-tableau-10-beta-53165 http://www.tableau.com/coming-soon Fireworks! NOTE: Overall, statistics are hard to follow across sites and even different reports from the same groups. 2015 Consumption Statistics: Consumption: 260.7 Million lbs. (Consumer), 24.6 million lbs. (Display) (#5 APA) *** The ...

004 The History of Hadoop – For the Love of Data

May 25, 2016 03:17 - 7 minutes - 7.32 MB

Let me set the stage for you… It’s 2003: Chicago just won the Oscar for Best Picture and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the top selling video game. Apple iPods still have scroll wheels and iTunes just started selling music for the first time. From a tech standpoint, Windows XP is all the rage […]

003 The Data of Taxes – For the Love of Data

March 31, 2016 22:06 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MB

Huge thanks to @Deepak90Mittal for hanging out with me on this episode! News Prologue: Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for BI is out – overhauled methodology, Oracle is out; Tableau and Microsoft (PowerBI) reign supreme! https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=1-2XXET8P&ct=160204&st=sb) SQL Server on Linux! = millions of geeks rejoice and it may spell the end of Windows in the data center. […]

002 What Hot Models Look Like – For the Love of Data

February 29, 2016 07:04 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

Summary: Hot models…data models that is. A survey of many of the most popular data modeling approaches in the news today. Third Normal Form, Anchor Modeling, Data Vault, Data Lakes, Data Swamps. What do they do well, what do they do badly, and which is the one true data model to rule them all? (Hint: it depends, as usual.) Third […]

001 The Data of Church – For the Love of Data

December 11, 2015 22:04 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MB

Churches have a wealth of data that other organizations could only dream about–a weekly stream of attendees and donors who also participate in a wide variety of activities around the organization. In this episode, I sit down with Glen Brechner, the Executive Director of Chase Oaks Church in Plano. Chase Oaks is one of the top […]

000 Introducing “For the Love of Data with Robert Furr” (and what it means for you)

October 19, 2015 04:53 - 6 minutes - 5.74 MB

Data, Analytics, Business Intelligence… how do I keep track of what is going on in this ever-expanding technology realm? “For the Love of Data” is a monthly podcast covering data, big data, huge data, tiny data, analytics, and business intelligence trends across the industry. Join the discussion, write a review, or give us your feedback on our […]