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

Experiencing Data w/ Brian T. O’Neill - Data Products, Product Management, & UX Design

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

• Tamr: https://www.tamr.com/
• Innovating: https://www.amazon.com/Innovating-short-guide-making-things/dp/B0C8R79PVB
• The Mom Test: https://www.amazon.com/The-Mom-Test-Rob-Fitzpatrick-audiobook/dp/B07RJZKZ7F
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonydeighton/