A 3-Part Series: Thriving Across the Worlds of Finance, Business, Data, and Technology

Part 1: Framing the problem - why silos are not viable anymore

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Welcome to the Data Score newsletter, your go-to source for insights into the world of data-driven decision-making. Whether you're an insight seeker, a unique data company, a software-as-a-service provider, or an investor, this newsletter is for you. I'm Jason DeRise, a seasoned expert in the field of alternative data insights. As one of the first 10 members of UBS Evidence Lab, I was at the forefront of pioneering new ways to generate actionable insights from data. Before that, I successfully built a sell-side equity research franchise based on proprietary data and non-consensus insights. Through my extensive experience as a purchaser and creator of data, I have gained a unique perspective that allows me to collaborate with end-users to generate meaningful insights.

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Finance/Business Professional: “This isn’t what I asked for.”

Data/Technology Professional: “You’re moving the goal posts.”

Finance/Business Professional: “It should be easy to make this improvement.”

Data/Technology Professional: “This will take many more months of work and still might not be possible.”

Finance/Business Professional: “This is not usable as is.”

Data/Technology Professional: “We wasted our time on this.”

Both: “How did this happen?”

These one-liners back and forth could be from any data project that has broken down. While I’m not quoting any specific conversation, I suspect many readers of The Data Score are filling in the blanks with their own past difficult experiences when stakeholders across finance, business, data, and technology realized they were not actually aligned… Unfortunately, much time and hard work have passed. This scenario speaks to the universal nature of this occurrence across business, finance, data, and technology professionals trying to make an impact.

In this multi-part entry in The Data Score newsletter, we’re going to explore how to break down the silos between data, technology, and business to more easily get to the good part of a data insights practice: actionable, accurate decisions.

Part 1: Framing the problem: why silos are not viable anymore.

1. Original silos and problems to be solved are mostly self-contained.

2. Problem complexity is accelerating.

Part 2: What goes wrong when the worlds collide?

1. Talking past each other

2. Smartest person in the room syndrome

3. Fear of failure

Part 3: How to break down the silos and align around outcomes

1. Build empathy.

2. Create proactive rituals.

3. Top-down culture

What I hope to offer here is a benchmark of the ideal for setting up the best possible outcomes when the worlds of business and finance come together with the worlds of technology and data.

I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in my experience working across all these worlds. But I want to be super clear on this: I don’t have all the answers. I’m human, so I make mistakes too. I can’t promise that I’ve been perfect at following these ideals in the past. Nor can I promise that in the future there will not be times when communication will break down while I’m involved in the project.

The benchmark I put forward is to stimulate conversation. I’m keen to hear how everyone who reads this newsletter feels. Finance professionals, business leaders, data professionals, and technologists: how do you break down these silos to generate positive outcomes, even in difficult situations?

Part 1: Framing the problem: why silos are not viable anymore