Internal data platforms have lots of different users
Internal data platforms have lots of different users
Not just data producers and consumers; if we use just that model, we’re not gonna build a successful platform.
Instead, it helps to consider at least four types of groups:
The direct data producers like software teams.
The data wranglers, that turn existing data into new data, like data engineering teams that build models, or data scientists that produce recommendation systems or churn predictions.
The analysts who need data to prepare decisions
Decision-makers need data to make decisions directly, like a PM or a manager.
Those user groups come with very different needs and different value propositions associated with your platform. Direct data producers want an easy live simply shoving their data into your platform, but their data can be invaluable to other users. Your job is to make the data shoving as easy as possible!
On the other hand, data wranglers are fine with taking their time because they wrangle anyhow. Instead, they need flexibility and good access to upstream sources.
Analysts need curation of data and tooling to create and analyze with ease.
Decision makers want to make effective decisions, and they need the information to do so.
Don’t get stuck in a simple producer-consumer model, any internal data platform will serve a diverse set of users you need to manage individually!
