I would like to tell you

a story about Rock Projects. >> Bring me a rock.

>> The stake holder says. >> I'll spend a lot of money
on the great big mountain. And I need you to bring me a rock from
the mountain that makes the expense worthwhile. >> Cool. A rock, I can do. I'm all
about rocks, the analyst says. What kind of rock are you looking for? >> Oh, I
don't know. A rock. A rock that will change
the way we see things. An important rock. >> Important rock. Check. Coming right
up, the analyst agrees. So, the analyst goes off to the mountain. She hammers at
it,
bashes at it with the pick axe, and washes away the dust and gravel. Until finally,
she finds it. An important rock. Delighted, she picks up
the important rock and races down the mountain
to show the stake holder. I'm back, the analyst cries. I've returned from the
mountain with an
important rock, just like you asked for. The stakeholder takes the rock and
inspects it, looking unsatisfied. We can do a lot of great and interesting things
with this important
rock, the analyst continues. Don't you think it's a good one? >> Well. >> The
stakeholder turns
the rock over in his hands. >> I'm not sure. It's just,
it's not quite what I have in mind. It may be that this is an important rock,
but I think I would like a different rock. Could you go back to the mountain and
bring me another one? >> Ahh, of course. I can do that right away,
the analyst agrees. Eager to please. Could you, maybe, tell me a bit more
about the rock you want this time? Are we talking a sedimentary rock,
metamorphic? Maybe a crystal? >> Oh, you know? I'm not exactly sure. But you'll
find it. I know you will. I bought this whole mountain, after all. >> The analyst
packs up her tools and
returns to the mountain. She hammers, and she chisels,
and she blows up some boulders. Until finally,
she finds another important rock. It is different than that first important
rock, and she thinks it's even better. Yes, this is the rock that
the stakeholder wants. Off she goes, back down the mountain
to show the stakeholder. Check out this important rock,
the analyst cries. It's significantly more
awesome than the first one. Look at all of its great
rock like features. >> This is a very good rock. >> The stakeholder agrees. >>
Under other circumstances,
it might even be the rock that I need. But things being what they are,
I'm not sure this is the rock for me. Did you find any other good
rocks while you were up there? Umm, would you mind going back to check? >> Well,
this rock is a very good rock,
the analyst says, a bit crestfallen. I'm not sure that the mountain is going
to produce many more rocks this good. But I'll go back up and take a look. The
analyst packs up her tools and
returns the map. By now, she's familiar with the mountains. So, she decides that
the only
way to find another great rock would be to invest in
some major infrastructure. She digs a mine deep into the mountains. She hammers
away at the heart of the
mountain, over and over and over again. Her headlamp the only light illuminating
potential rocks as she inspects them. Not that rock. Not that rock. Nope, not that
one either. [SOUND] She'd just about
given up hope when the circle of light from her headlamp passed over it. Oh, my
gosh. It was the perfect rock. I mean perfect. It's so far superior to
the rocks she found previously. That now, she's a little embarrassed that
she even thought she should even consider bringing those other
rocks to the stakeholder. This rock? This rock is a truly amazing rock. Down the
mountain she races. Cradling the perfect rock
in her outstretched palms. Stake holder,
the analysts shouts exuberant. Have I got a truly amazing rock for you. Check out
its ultra find rock qualities. It is so
much better than the previous rocks. It is an all out rock star. >> Wow. That is a
nice rock. >> The stakeholder says. >> But, well, I'm still not sure
that this is the rock I had in mind. The mountain was really an investment, I just
wanted to make sure that
we're making the most of it. Perhaps, try the other
side of the mountain. I heard that other people were
having good luck finding rocks on that side of the mountain range. >> The analyst,
dejected, packs up her
tools and returns to the mountain. And this is how it goes on for eternity. The
cycle continues with the analyst
bringing new important rocks to the stakeholder, only to see
the rocks get dejected once again. Until one day, the analyst snaps and
pelts the stakeholder with rocks. Or the stakeholder sells the mountain
to the prospectors for a loss. First of all, I think we can
all agree that story rocked. The rock story you just
heard was a parable for what happens when a data analyst agrees to
take on an analysis project, without first defining very clearly what value
the data analysis is supposed to create. What happens is that the analyst keeps
trying new things, the clients and stakeholders keep asking for something different
because they don't
feel like their needs are being met. And the project goes on and on, and everybody
on all sides becomes
increasingly frustrated. The good new is,
you can prevent this from happening. On next few videos,
you're going to find out how.