Lately, I’ve been feeling extremely proud of my team. Of course, I’ve always been proud and happy to spend my workdays with such talented people, but recently, I’ve found myself reflecting on this more deeply. The Data Science and AI initiative is also growing in its impact on the company, a journey that has been far from easy. As is often the case when companies embrace change and introduce new roles or functions, the path has been filled with challenges.
In the past every team member has faced some degree of frustration in their careers. I’m talking about the usual hurdles a Data Science team might encounter: lack of stakeholder buy-in, understaffed projects, slow engineering integrations, lack of high-quality data, underinvestment in data governance, outdated systems for managing data, and constant shifts in priorities. Sound familiar? If you’re a data leader reading this, these challenges probably sound all too familiar. But at the micro level, when you’re deep in the mud, I know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel.
Despite these typical struggles, in 2024, things started rolling in the right direction. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how well we’re now aligning with the company culture. Even more satisfying is watching us build mutual trust with other teams and stakeholders, a bidirectional trust that’s driving us to new heights in terms of results. But what makes me happiest of all is seeing how resilient and strong my team has become.
New hires might not fully appreciate this transformation because they’re stepping into a greener landscape, they don’t have the context of just how tough those early days were. Yet for those who have been here a while, or even those who’ve moved on, it’s gratifying to witness how far we’ve come over these past four years.
There’s still plenty to do if we want this initiative to reach its full potential. But today, I’m pausing to appreciate our progress, and even more so, our people. Watching my team members’ resilience and [growth](notes/Growth mindset.md) through all these challenges fills me with immense pride and optimism for what lies ahead.