Hi ,
How do you make your data science results report a runaway success?
One that has your stakeholders forwarding it to their entire teams and still discussing it for days
afterwards.
It's not about flashy visuals...
Nor about sophisticated analysis techniques...
And definitely not about being a data science rockstar
like Andrew Ng.
It's about understanding your audience and delivering your results in a way that's tailored specifically for them.
Want to see what I mean?
Check out the Uplevel report on the impact of GenAI on developer productivity, which went viral across 75 global media outlets.
I did and here's what I
learned.
1. Get straight to the point
The Uplevel report is targeted at engineering business leaders who are likely very busy in their jobs. To allow for this, the report is only 2 pages long and doesn't waste any time in getting to the point. After a
few short paragraphs to provide context on the data analysis behind the report, the authors get right to the most interesting findings, ensuring few readers are lost along the way.
2. Insights first, evidence second, technical details buried at the end
Most business leaders don't want to know "how the sausage gets made". They just need to know the headline results, followed by enough evidence required to support them. This is what the Uplevel report provides. Technical details are also given, for those who really want to know, but those are positioned right at the end, ensuring they don't dilute the impact of the report.
3. Finish with a clear "so what?"
In the words of data storytelling expert Brent Dykes, "without action, insights are just empty numbers." The Uplevel report doesn't just share the most interesting findings of the analysis, it provides clear next steps to allow business leaders to create value from these results - transforming the findings from "nice to have"
facts to actionable insights.
Give them a try when you next write a report and see what a difference they make.
And if you want more advice on presenting data science results, I recently sat down with two of the authors of the Uplevel report, Senior Data Analyst Dr
Matt Hoffman and Director of Content Lauren Lang, to record a (9 minute) Value Boost episode where we discuss the essential questions you can ask yourself to ensure your presentations never fall flat.
You'll walk away knowing:
- The critical business context most data scientists overlook when presenting their work.
- How to ensure your technical content works as hard as you do - whether presented live or shared asynchronously.
- The "so what" framework that instantly makes your analysis more compelling to leaders.
Listen to it now and transform your next data presentation. You can find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or by
clicking the link below.
Episode 57: 3 Game-Changing Questions to Save Your Data Science Presentations From Falling Flat
Apply these questions to your next presentation and watch your stakeholders' eyes light up with understanding instead of glazing over with boredom.
Talk again soon,
Dr Genevieve
Hayes.
