I’ve been working in data and computational science in various capacities in geophysics, finance, civic tech, social good, business analytics, and numerous hobbies for nearly 20 years. In that time, one universal truth I’ve found is that data work can get complicated fast. Even the so-called easy things like counting, time, measurements, and naming things aren’t always easy, but sometimes we make them harder than they need to be. It’s a constant battle to remember that a complicated solution might be fun to build, but it’s better to start simple and only add complexity where it’s merited.

NormConf, the coolest conference to ever be tweeted into existence, is coming! The main event, with live talks, happens across 15+ glorious hours on 2022-12-15, but the Lightning Talks (prerecorded 5 minute presentations) will be released ten days earlier - that’s the day after tomorrow. I’m giving a meme-loaded Lightning Talk titled Minimizing the Cost Function in Data Projects (or, Keep it Simple, Stupid). Five minutes isn’t much time, and I’ve definitely got more thoughts, so I’m looking forward to continuing the discussion afterward - here, on the NormConf Slack, and anywhere else I find someone willing to listen to me rant about data product design and maintenance.