Data Darts

“There is only one Phil Taylor”. That’s the slogan for the man also known as (aka) “The Power”. Phil - The Power - Taylor was a professional darts player who once took the world by storm winning amazing 16 world titles, 85 majors and 214 tournaments over two decades. I knew more about darts because of Phil’s phenomenal impact. The game of darts is quite interesting. It’s played by opponents (typically two) focused on reducing their tally - from say 301 or 501 down to 0 - while taking turns throwing three sharp pointed darts aimed as specific spots on the dartboard. The most fascinating aspect is when a player hits triple sixties (one hundred and eighty) or the bull’s eye on the last throw to win the set/match.

On hitting the bull’s eye, there literally comes key moments when we must have clear, concise, and moment(s) defining outcomes. An example would be in “life and death situations” like stemming the tides of pandemic, anarchy, banditry, war, or other life-threatening issues. In such situations, political correctness must give way for honest “root cause identification/analysis” and forthright “problem resolution” no matter whose ox is gored. Another example would be in “making critical business decisions”. Exceptional information gathering and data mining are essential enablers for success as we can see in today’s worldview. More and more professionals will continue to delve into the new frontiers where applications of “cutting edge technology” is being deployed to transform big data into “actionable insights”. Well-being of human race must be at the heart of progressive but "cyclical" technological advancements.

The idea that data is the new oil has been credited to Clive Humby – a reputable mathematician and data science entrepreneur. In 2006, he stated that “Data is the new oil. It’s valuable but if unrefined it cannot really be used”. The point being made is that data in its raw form (or format) is not useful until it is ‘refined’, ‘processed’ or ‘transformed’ into useable form for analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). The competing “technological race” driven by AI is between contending super-powers with US and China at the fore front. The “darts competition” will be fiercer as AI replaces crude oil in terms of relevance, dominance, and value realization.

At personal level, whether you are "rolling a dice" (riding on luck) or "throwing darts" (desperately focused) big data is a constant denominator. Virtually all your actions or inactions are being “logged in the memory of time”. It’s the reason leaders crave for ownership and accountabilities. Whatsoever you do online, think about humongous data trail or darts of data you are leaving behind for posterity. In all you do, remember the “data darts” and let it shape your future endeavours. Lastly, I submit that data is more than the new oil. It is digital attributes towards advancement of human race beyond subsisting comprehension. I may expatiate this further in a future write-up.

I wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance!

                                 Ref -  https://sportsdean.com/what-is-a-bust-in-darts/