What’s in a title?

After joining the Yalo tribe, the Ratu (chief/CEO) asked what I would like my title to be? My choice of “data scientist” seemed a bit dated to him, so I began to wonder if it was. And as wonderers do, I wandered onto the Interweb for some data on the name I selected. 

In an environment where assets and ideas are readily sharable, being thoughtful and intentional with the digital data we share is often overlooked. That’s where I come in. Deciphering all the data my new tribe captures on the regular and challenging them to think through it a little differently. 

“Data engineer” was the leading alternative title with “machine learning engineer” worthy of consideration, given the AI craze currently gripping the business world. At the same time, the definition of the work being like a three-legged stool has not changed. It requires skills in mathematics/statistics, computer science and business acumen. I needed a title that balanced the importance of business acumen with an emphasis on the tools and computer science. 

Data analytics is about the data. But it is more than cleansing and isolating what’s relevant. Many can be trained to make the tools deliver an answer. But deciphering the answer is entirely different. Filtering through the sea of data to determine the answer is a business solution that delivers value to our clients. 

Alas, I found an article that confirmed that Data Scientist continues to have some cache. I considered the derivation of this choice. “Data” comes from the Latin word dare, meaning give. “Scientist,” or science, comes from the Latin word scire, meaning knowledge. Data Scientist gives knowledge. 

That works for me and my tribe.