
Data Chats Podcast
Pragmatic Institute‘s data podcast, where we cover emerging and relevant topics in data science, data analytics, data engineering and pretty much all things data.
Latest episodes

Jul 15, 2022 • 52min
How to Earn a Full-Tuition Scholarship to Attend TDI
Are you worried about the next step in your data career? Or whether or not you can afford what you want in a data bootcamp?
What if we told you that you can attend The Data Incubator's Fellowship programs for free? Yes, we said free!
We offer full-tuition scholarships to the best and brightest that apply to our programs - and the best news is, this episode is dedicated to telling you how to earn that free spot and attend our world-class bootcamp for exactly zero dollars. (we're not kidding, pay nothing, no strings!) Instructor Robert Schroll will be going over:
The best ways to make your application stand out
How to prepare for the program before you even apply
The tips and tricks you'll need to earn one of those limited free spots.
Apply before the July 29th Deadline: https://www.thedataincubator.com/apply/

Jul 1, 2022 • 50min
Empowering Collaboration Between Data Practitioners and Product Managers
As data practitioners and product managers strive to gain actionable insights with the data at hand, it’s important for both roles to work collaboratively.
In this webinar hosted by Pragmatic’s Director of Community Georgina Donahue, discover:
The intersection between data science and product management
How data can be better integrated into the product development cycle
Decision making models based on insights from data practitioners
How to create strong partnerships between data practitioners and product managers
Pragmatic Institute’s data practice helps organizations leverage data to drive business success through practical, high-impact training. We provide individuals and teams with actionable guidance, hands-on practice and a business-oriented approach so they can solve problems and propel decision making with data. Pragmatic Institute builds expertise within data teams and stronger collaboration with their stakeholders. Explore courses such as Business-Driven Data Analysis and Data Science for Business Leaders.

Jun 17, 2022 • 36min
AMA with Michael Li
Ever pondered a random data science fact? Been intrigued by data bootcamps? Wanted to know how to get hired in data science? Or what skills you must have to start? Maybe you're dying to know more about TDI?
Wonder no more! All your burning questions about data and TDI are answered in our most recent ask me anything with TDI Founder Michael Li.
Have a question that didn't get answered? Pop us an email at admissions@thedataincubator.com and we'll make sure Michael answers it next time. Don't hold back - we want to hear all your serious, wacky or challenging questions that you can't get answered anywhere else.

Jun 3, 2022 • 40min
How AI Can Support Healthcare and Improve Lives
“It is game-changing technology, and we’re excited to bring that to market” - Awais Bajwa
In this episode of Data Chats, Chris Richardson interviews Awais Bajwa founder and CEO of Ophthalytics, an applied artificial intelligence company specializing in Artificial Intelligence-based medical diagnostics.
His company is using AI to help detect diabetic retinopathy, which affects millions of people globally. And nearly 1 million people will experience blindness because of the disease each year. More importantly, there aren’t enough retina specialists who can diagnose patients and establish a treatment plan for them.
Using AI, his company is helping primary care physicians and diabetic centers detect the disease.
They discuss:
Where Awais sources the data for his company and ensures its accuracy
How he finds valuable feedback that informs its development
Ways to approach the architectural side of data
Continued Learning
Data Science for Business Leaders
This course teaches you how to partner with data professionals to uncover business value, make informed decisions and solve problems. Learn More
Business-Driven Data Analysis
This course teaches a proven, repeatable approach that you can leverage across data projects and toolsets to deliver timely data analysis with actionable insights. Learn More

May 20, 2022 • 59min
Alumni AMA (Ask Me Anything)
Do you have unanswered questions about any of the TDI bootcamps and what they might entail? Do you want to hear from real people who have been through our bootcamps and have them spill the details on what they really think?
Listen to our most recent alumni AMA (ask me anything) to get all the nitty-gritty! TDI's fantastic alumni have a candid discussion about their time here and chat about everything from the application, to the coding challenge, to how they aced their interviews and what happened once they graduated.

May 6, 2022 • 49min
The Grammar of Data Visualization
“The whole point of data visualization today is to see a large amount of data rapidly, but I think it also includes interaction. Modern data visualization lets people explore.” — Lee Feinberg
In this episode of Data Chats, Chris Richardson interviews Lee Feinberg, president at DecisionViz, a management consulting company specializing in data literacy and data visualization, also a certified Tableau software services partner.
They discuss:
How to alter data visualization approaches based on the audience
Why organizations should standardize simple data visualization elements like color
Why data doesn’t start with a conversation about software
What is wrong with using pie charts
Continued Learning
Data Science for Business Leaders
This course teaches you how to partner with data professionals to uncover business value, make informed decisions and solve problems. Learn More
Business-Driven Data Analysis
This course teaches a proven, repeatable approach that you can leverage across data projects and toolsets to deliver timely data analysis with actionable insights. Learn More

Apr 22, 2022 • 49min
How to Become a Data-Guided Business
There is data and there is business. If we think of these in a concentric circles diagram, we often see them exist in their separate circles with some overlap. A data-guided business won’t be able to distinguish between data activities and business activities because it is embedded so closely together.
In this episode of Data Chats, Chris Richardson interviews Jason Foster, founder & CEO of Cynozure, host of the Hub & Spoken podcast, and co-author of Data Means Business: Level up your organisation to adapt, evolve and scale in an ever-changing world.
They discuss the process of becoming a data-guided business. And during the conversation, Jason explains the importance of
Capturing the data your business is creating
Identifying data signals
Utilizing the iterative approach to business-driven data analysis
Using collaboration as a way to create a data culture
Continued Learning Data Science for Business Leaders This course teaches you how to partner with data professionals to uncover business value, make informed decisions and solve problems. Learn More
Business-Driven Data Analysis This course teaches a proven, repeatable approach that you can leverage across data projects and toolsets to deliver timely data analysis with actionable insights. Learn More

Apr 8, 2022 • 37min
Put Down the Pie Chart and Other Data Visualization Strategies
“It's a mistake to think that creating information from data is easy.” - Jose Berengueres
In this episode of Data Chats, Chris Richardson interviews Jose Berengueres. He is an associate professor in design thinking, data visualization and computer science at the United Arab Emirates University. He is also the author of Data Viz and Sketch Thinking
They discuss
Why you should think beyond excel for creating graphs and charts
The importance of the DIKW pyramid (Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom)
How culture influences communication, specifically visualization decisions
The problems with pie charts and color decisions
Recommended Resources
Tableau on Twitter
Email: jose@uaeu.ac.ae to receive a free PDF copy of the book Data Viz.
** Write DATAVIZ in the subject line of the email
Continue Learning
Data Science for Business Leaders
This course teaches you how to partner with data professionals to uncover business value, make informed decisions and solve problems.
Learn More
Business-Driven Data Analysis
This course teaches a proven, repeatable approach that you can leverage across data projects and toolsets to deliver timely data analysis with actionable insights.
Learn More

Mar 25, 2022 • 53min
Thinking about a data science career? Start here.
This episode was recorded during our recent Data Webinar.
Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions: What is data science? What does a data scientist even do? What’s the best way to launch a data science career? Skip the vague google search and get the answers you’re looking for from The Data Incubator's data science instructor and Data Chats guest host Rich Ott, who’s been in your shoes before. Through this podcast, Rich discusses:
What data science means nowadays and what a data scientist really does
Which skills you should know before you start
What skills you’ll learn in the middle of your journey
How to break into the data science field and land an interview
What TDI brings to the table in all of this

Mar 11, 2022 • 56min
How to Integrate Market Knowledge with Data-Driven Decision Making
Once you have data, it’s smooth sailing and straightforward decision-making, right? Not so fast. There are many ways data projects go wrong because data work requires human input and can have human errors.
In this episode of Data Chats, Chris Richardson interviews Ben Jones, founder & CEO of Data Literacy and author of Avoiding Data Pitfalls: How to Steer Clear of Common Blunders When Working With Data
They discuss:
The relationship between the human realm and the data-realm
Common data blunders and how to spot them
How to effectively layer qualitative and quantitative data
The gap between data and reality
Continued Learning
Data Science for Business Leaders This course teaches you how to partner with data professionals to uncover business value, make informed decisions and solve problems. Learn More
Business-Driven Data Analysis This course teaches a proven, repeatable approach that you can leverage across data projects and toolsets to deliver timely data analysis with actionable insights. Learn More
Other Recommended Resources
Thinking Fast and Slow
Mind in Motion: How Action Shapes Thought
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