Episode 5 - Avoiding the pitfalls of data projects part 1

In this session, Collin & I explore a made-up data heavy project. It is based on projects that Collin and I have experienced previously in our careers. It is very typical of many digital projects.

In this session, Collin and I are interested in exploring is the interplay between ways of working, power dynamics and the pressure to conform to the thinking of the group, within the context of a real-world delivery project.

As Collin highlights in this session, these types of projects are rife with latent assumptions, which run the risk of getting baked into delivery. This problem is exacerbated by the mental model that guides the approach to delivery. Power dynamics and group think suppress the ability to bring those risks into the open in a way that allows a team to have a coherent constructive discussion.

Our hope is that by unpacking this somewhat real-world case you will be in a better position to minimise the risk in a future project or a project that may be currently in flight.

This is the first part of a three part exploration of this project.