Why 90% of Data Science Fails—And How to Fix It -- With Eric Colson

In this episode of High Signal, Eric Colson—former Chief Algorithms Officer at Stitch Fix and VP of Data Science and Machine Learning at Netflix—breaks down why most companies fail to unlock the full potential of their data science teams. Drawing from years of experience leading data functions at top tech companies, Eric shares how organizations can shift from treating data scientists as a service function to empowering them as strategic drivers of business impact.

Key topics from the conversation include:

• Data Science as a Strategic Function: Why many companies limit their data teams to answering business requests instead of leveraging their ideas for competitive advantage.
  
• Beyond Skills—The Power of Cognitive Repertoires: How data scientists' unique ways of framing problems can lead to breakthrough innovations.
  
• Trial and Error as a Competitive Advantage: Why most experiments fail—but scaling experimentation is the key to big wins.
  
• Decoupling Algorithms from Applications: How separating data science from engineering enables rapid iteration and direct business impact.
  
• Shifting from Cost Center to Revenue Generator: Practical steps for structuring data teams to drive measurable value and long-term success.
  

💡 Tune in to learn how leading companies structure their data teams for impact, why experimentation beats rigid planning, and how treating data science as a strategic function can unlock new business opportunities.

You can find more on our website: https://high-signal.delphina.ai/

SHOW NOTES

• Eric on LinkedIn
• Beyond Skills: Unlocking the Full Potential of Data Scientists by Eric Colson
• MultiThreaded: Technology at StitchFix
• A/B Testing with Fat Tails by Azevedo et al.