Welcome to Data Fluent – the place where the Ones & Heroes team will write and post about various topics and interests related to data, using data, and understanding it.
I figured a great way to kick off Data Fluent is to discuss why we’re doing it. More specifically, we’ve been meeting lots of amazing people this year to tell them about Ones & Heroes, and we get one question coming up all the time:
Does the world need another data consultancy?
TL;DR – we think so.
A little backstory
Harmony and I started this business back in Feb of 2019. In hindsight it’s clear [to me] that we had the right idea but the wrong focus. We launched as “Deedy” which was an archaic British adjective meaning “industrious, effective, or earnest.” It was a great word to describe us but a terrible company name – and that’s 100% on me. I’m trying not to name things anymore!
We met at POSSIBLE (merged into Wunderman-Thompson merged into VML). Neither of us had strong marketing backgrounds prior to joining; she came from the brand side, and I from business & tech consulting. Joining a digital agency from other perspectives, we were confused by many of ad-land’s traditions and ways of working. We didn’t think it worked for clients as well as it could, and most of the explanations as to why things are that way amounted to, “because that’s how it’s always been”. So… If you don’t know us, here’s a tip: the most reliable way to get under the skin of Harmony or me is to answer any question with “because that’s how it’s always been.” So we launched Deedy with no ties to advertising traditions or classic operating models. The core concept for Deedy in 2019 was “Agency 2.0”- delivering marketing and media via a data-first approach.
We got some great clients and were humming along – until we realized that while we were competent at plying data to deliver media and marketing excellence, we were drifting farther away from what we really loved: the data. We’d been operating in semi-stealth mode at the time (no marketing or promotional activity, referral business only) and again, in hindsight, I suspect that was our subconscious telling us we weren’t quite ready to “go live” (- even after three successful years of operations).
So at the end of 2021 we had the opportunity to cleanly wrap up all our engagements and made sure all our existing clients were well situated. We shut the doors and decided to do some work on ourselves. We brought in March Branding to help us with the rebrand, which includes getting renaming us to Ones & Heroes™ (for which we’re eternally grateful), the visual identity, tone, etc. We also worked on focusing our proposition and offering on all things data. Specifically: data operations, automation, and insights/modelling/advanced analytics.
back to that question...
We did all this knowing that data consulting is a crowded space these days, made worse by the plume of businesses chasing all things machine learning & AI over the last two years. The truth is the world already has plenty of data consultants. So why would Harmony and I decide to start another one? All the teams we’ve seen or heard of so far follow a timeless engagement model that can be summed up [albeit rather crudely] in a three-pronged model:
- look as smart as possible
- be as cheap as possible
- complete work as fast as possible
As far as goals for a data engagement goes, those aren’t bad selling points. In fact, there are entire companies who set these as the KPIs by which they run and optimize their businesses. These are so “tried and true” in data consultancies that I can’t think of one who is an exception. Not one.
Here’s the thing though: there’s nothing in that list talking about a client’s joy of using the final product or the client’s fun collaborating on the project. Isn’t that a little messed up? There aren’t many industries left where their primary KPIs aren’t at least including client or customer experience. Harmony and I are both huge advocates of trust being fundamental to business relationships, and traditional consulting models are more focused on reputation and social proof than relationships. That’s why some teams develop “nerd baggage”1. We think we can be different. We think putting your experience at the root of everything, and building around that makes us different. It’ll shape how we scope and design projects, it’ll determine how we speak with and engage with you, etc. To operationalize this (i.e. make sure it scales beyond just Harmony and me) we onboard everyone on our team through the values we think drive this new data consulting model:
| Our values | Real-life impact to you | How we think about it |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation | We’re at the forefront of where data and business collide. We never sit still and always move forward with the latest ground-breaking tech. | There is always a solution to every problem – sometimes we get to do what hasn’t be done before. |
| No bullshit | You can always rely on us to be candid; we’ll deliver news – good or bad – with respect and always bring recommendations for next steps. | Don’t f**k around with trust. |
| Inclusivity | We’re friendly, inclusive, and inviting. We genuinely care for you and our team. | Everyone is welcome. |
| Simplify | We’re clear and transparent. We’ll share with you relatable concepts, not specifications. | If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself. – Albert Einstein [or maybe Richard Feynman] |
| Democratization | Everything is accessible, everything feels within your reach. | Data for all. |
The world may have lots of data consultancies, but I haven’t seen any other brand that has made [and stands behind] the statement that your experience before, during, and after a data project is more important than anything else. So yes, despite the vast number of data consultancies, we think there’s room for Ones & Heroes™ to be your friendly, no-bullshit data specialists. Our hypothesis is that there’s a market for a data consultancy that prioritizes your experience over its own reputation or mystique. One that makes data work look and feel friendly & easy. One that has simple and candid conversations, and always brings clarity and relief to every conversation (even the tough ones). Whether you work in front-desk reception, are tucked away in some research lab, or are on your way to the next board meeting – we adamantly believe you can & should love working with your data. Delivering great work on time should be table stakes – frankly no one is going to build a successful business on the basis that they do what they’re obligated to!
So if you’re looking for support or advice in data operations, automation, or insights I think we should have a chat. No expectations or commitments needed. We want to be the team you look forward to seeing and hearing from and the team you trust and rely on to always give you simple and candid answers to all your questions.
If that sounds interesting to you – or even if it doesn’t – we’d love to hear from you. We’re always looking to get feedback; and of course, we’re eager to help you fall in love with your data!
Footnotes
- Nerd baggage is a term I’m coining which lumps together any number of negative stereotyped behaviors such as: god complex, telling you “it’s too technical to explain” or “you wouldn’t understand”, using shitty language to sound smart or important, giving roundabout and indirect answers to basic questions, avoiding hard or displeasing conversations, etc.
