Malcolm Gladwell on the Limit of Data's Answers

Does gathering data guarantee you more success? Malcolm Gladwell does think so. Author of books such as The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers, is known for being outspoken about his opinion in market trends. In his article, Gladwell speaks about the limits of data – further, the questions that would not be able to be answered regardless of how much data were collected.

Gladwell uses some modern day references to illustrate an issue that arises from data. He gives examples of developmental changes against generational changes; developmental topics have not changes the course of history, such as the horror genre of film against hip hop music, which is deep rooted in culture. He then brings up other topics to ask which category they fall under, which he proves data can’t answer for us.

Skipping the bulk of further details, Gladwell brings up very valid points about how humans are needed, at an intelligent level, to be properly interpreted or else it is essentially meaningless. It’s easy to lose the point of data collection when immersed in the details, but we are looking to improve our business decisions at the end of the process. Although the industry of digital data collecting will continue to grow, it’s important to also recognize the capability of what we are doing.

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/author-malcolm-gladwell-more-data-doesnt-mean-you-know-everything/