In the world of data

Data is more available to more people than ever before in human history. Anyone can dig in and really understand any topic of choice. Just look at what is being tracked for MLS and the NBA these days. There is more information available than any one person can consume in a lifetime.

I have said it many times on this blog, if you read a book on a subject, you are above average in domain knowledge. 10 books you have something to say. And if you read 100, you can be a world expert. I think this is still true because most media consumed is at a micro level. Whereas books, they have all your attention. Even in 15-minute stretches that is a big deal when we are used to the seconds it takes to read a tweet. The difference now is that with the amount of data we have, getting a better, more complete picture has never been easier. At the same time, it has never been easier to create your own narrative.

For better or worse, if you torture the numbers enough, they will confess to anything.