Blog
I am much more of a fox than a hedgehog. Although, I don’t blog every day with my new professor job, it’s fair to say that I’m pretty prolific. On this site alone, you’ll find a boatload of posts on higher education, Big Data, technology, management, communications, platforms, analytics, and other topics. They generally fall into the following buckets: insights, provocations, musings, predictions, and rants. I prefer writing about big ideas than listicles and snackable content. Finally, I inject humor often into my posts and despise jargon.
My Ideal Speaking Client
Thoughts on a recent gig.
Finding Teachable Moments in Survey Courses
At least in one regard, Jeff Bezos’ letter couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune time.
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Publication of Why New Systems Fail
A decade ago, my first book hit the shelves.
Audiobook of Too Big to Ignore Now Available
File this under ‘better late than never.’
Carnegie Mellon Alumni Interview
Thoughts on the lessons that the school imparted, critical thinking, and the interdisciplinary nature of higher education.
Why All College Students Need to Know the Basics of Coding
Even finance, accounting, and marketing majors should understand what makes software tick.
What College Professors Can Learn from Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act
His Netflix show takes a unique and informative approach that should make instructors reconsider their methods.
Teaching Highlights from 2018
A look back on two things that made me smile this past year.
Thoughts on Reaching 500 Google Scholar Citations
Reflections on achieving a professional milestone.
Reflections on Carnegie Mellon 25 Years Later
Thoughts on the most important skills and abilities that I picked up at CMU.
Reflections on Supervising More than 100 Capstone Projects
Thoughts on some of my students’ best work.
The Five Best Books I Read in 2018
The texts that rocked my world this past year.
Chemonics Receives Innovation Award
Recognition for good work never gets old.
Making Class Memorable with Basketball-Inspired Python Example
A little program to calculate game logs and stimulate student interest.
Having Fun with Python in the Classroom
Using pop-culture references to make potentially boring coding exercises more interesting.
In Defense of Using PowerPoint in the Classroom
When you see horrible slides, blame the Indian, not the arrow.
My New Book
Analytics: The Agile Way—my eighth book—is out.
Featured Talk: How to Create a Culture of Analytics
A 50-minute talk about Big Data and what we can learn from Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, and Google.
Comment Policy
I welcome and even encourage critical discourse on this site. I will, however, douse comments with hydrochloric acid if they descend into inappropriate language, disrespectful behavior, excessive self-promotion, or personal attacks.