Leaning into complexity when it comes to product is often the roadmap less traveled. Yet, for Kendra Clarke Senior Vice President Data Science & Product Development at sparks & honey, it’s the road she’s on.

From her lens, building a platform that supports complexity requires a different way of thinking for both the team behind it and the users it’s for. As the conversation unfolds, Christian and Anna get Kendra’s insights on the bias inherent in data. While the objective is a platform pulling in different viewpoints and perspectives, for this better product it’s about embracing the variables while enabling users to think differently.

Takeaways: 

• Understanding data is an evolutionary process 
• Why documentation is critical both for product and society 
• Balance complexity by training users on how to think differently
• Bias begins with the source not the model 
• Software is more intuitive so the need for specific training has declined

Things to Listen For:

• [03:00] Understanding sparks & honey and the Q platform
• [06:14] Data is a process 
• [09:10] How Kendra handles training for users 
• [11:45] Training is more about translating information 
• [16:10] How Kendra conceives of bias in data 
• [23:26] Breakdown with Christian and Anna 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
• Q Platform