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CHAPTER 15Using Data Analytics

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So now that we understand what data analytics is and why it's important and what we need to survive, let's talk about some simple use cases to get you started.

Before we go there, I think it's important to understand “the why” of our members. Not too long ago, I was watching a TED Talk by Simon Sinek. He was talking about understanding the why of what you do and he describes a golden circle. In the center of the circle is the word “why.” The next ring of the circle has “how.” And the final ring says “what.” Sinek talks about how most people communicate from the outside in. They'll start with the what, tell you the how, and then get to the more fuzzy why. Then, he gave an example of what would happen if Apple were to communicate this way. Apple would start with the what: “We sell great computers.” Then, they'd move onto the how: “We use only the best parts and are really careful to make them user friendly so people want to buy them.” But the why is where things get murky in this process.

Sinek says he's noticed that really effective communicators and really effective companies start with the why and work from there to the what. In the case of Apple, the why would be: “We think differently at Apple.” Then, the how would be tied to how they think differently. Perhaps the response would ...