The joyless world of data-driven startups
> Sometimes it works. Sometimes it’s critical. But sometimes it fails, or results in unintended consequences that we may not notice for years.<p>> Data-driven journalism gave us Buzzfeed<p>> Data-driven music gave us X-Factor and Pop Idol<p>> Data-driven movies gave us 25 Hollywood sequels planned for this year<p>> Data-driven education gave us Key Performance Indicators and Teaching to the test<p>These first three examples are awful examples. A ton of people love all of those things. The only failure of data-drivenness here is the failure to generate content that <i>the author</i> wants. Now, the author can attempt to make some argument about how websites, TV shows, and movies have a moral obligation to strive for whatever objectives the author prefers, but that's a separate issue to settle.<p>The fourth example is a little different, because we're talking about mandatory education programs for children, rather than products that people choose to pay for or consume. Also, I don't think that data-drivenness itself is a significant contributor to those problems in education.