126 - Designing a Product for Making Better Data Products with Anthony Deighton

126 - Designing a Product for Making Better Data Products with Anthony Deighton

Author: Brian T. O’Neill from Designing for Analytics September 19, 2023 Duration: 47:38

Today I’m joined by Anthony Deighton, General Manager of Data Products at Tamr. Throughout our conversation, Anthony unpacks his definition of a data product and we discuss whether or not he feels that Tamr itself is actually a data product. Anthony shares his views on why it’s so critical to focus on solving for customer needs and not simply the newest and shiniest technology. We also discuss the challenges that come with building a product that’s designed to facilitate the creation of better internal data products, as well as where we are in this new wave of data product management, and the evolution of the role.

 

Highlights/ Skip to:

  • I introduce Anthony, General Manager of Data Products at Tamr, and the topics we’ll be discussing today (00:37)
  • Anthony shares his observations on how BI analytics are an inch deep and a mile wide due to the data that’s being input (02:31)
  • Tamr’s focus on data products and how that reflects in Anthony’s recent job change from Chief Product Officer to General Manager of Data Products (04:35)
  • Anthony’s definition of a data product (07:42)
  • Anthony and I explore whether he feels that decision support is necessary for a data product (13:48)
  • Whether or not Anthony feels that Tamr qualifies as a data product (17:08)
  • Anthony speaks to the importance of focusing on outcomes and benefits as opposed to endlessly knitting together features and products (19:42)
  • The challenges Anthony sees with metrics like Propensity to Churn (21:56)
  • How Anthony thinks about design in a product like Tamr (30:43)
  • Anthony shares how data science at Tamr is a tool in his toolkit and not viewed as a “fourth” leg of the product triad/stool (36:01)
  • Anthony’s views on where we are in the evolution of the DPM role (41:25)
  • What Anthony would do differently if he could start over at Tamr knowing what he knows now (43:43)
Links

For enterprise data and product leaders, the real challenge often isn't building the technology-it's getting people to actually use it. Experiencing Data w/ Brian T. O’Neill digs into that persistent gap between creating powerful ML, AI, and analytical tools and seeing them drive genuine business value and informed decisions. Host Brian T. O’Neill, from Designing for Analytics, moves past pure technical discussion to explore how design, product thinking, and strategic management can bridge that divide. This podcast lives at the intersection of data and human experience, making it essential for anyone who has ever wondered why a technically sound data product failed to gain user adoption or secure stakeholder buy-in. Across conversations with practitioners and through Brian’s own analysis, episodes unpack what a "data product" approach truly means in practice. You’ll hear concrete strategies for designing analytics that people want to use, framing data work in terms of business outcomes, and leading teams to create not just outputs, but impactful solutions. It’s a resource for rethinking how data work connects to the arts of communication, design, and leadership, all to ensure that data investments lead to tangible results. Tune in for a pragmatic, human-centered perspective that is often missing from the tech conversation.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Experiencing Data w/ Brian T. O’Neill
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