So many gems in this article…<p>> You notice a a lot of the code starts with very complicated preprocessing steps, where data has to be fetched from many different systems. There appears to be several scripts that have to be run manually in the right order to run some of these things.<p>> “We need to focus on delivering business value as quickly as possible”, you say, but you add that “we might get back to the machine learning stuff soon… let's see”.<p>So so relatable. But the key insight is a really really key insight.<p>> What I think makes most sense to push for is a centralization the reporting structure, but keeping the work management decentralized. Why? Primarily because it creates a much tighter feedback loop between data and decisions. If every question has to go through a central bottleneck, transaction costs will be high. On the other hand, you don't want to decentralize the management. Strong data people want to report into a manager who understands data, not into a business person.<p>I have the same role at a non-software company, and to me this is nothing short of a complete reimagining of IT. It’s not just, “make sure everyone’s computer works and help them install software,” it’s, “build a model of the business, determine what information flows and metrics are crucial to success, and build an IT and analysis infrastructure around that model.” The CIO will soon be better thought of as the Chief Optimization Officer.