New post: 'Data, AI, humans, and climate: Carving a consulting niche'

content/posts/2024-09-09-data-ai-humans-and-climate-carving-a-consulting-niche/index.md

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+---
+title: 'Data, AI, humans, and climate: Carving a consulting niche'
+author: Yanir Seroussi
+type: post
+date: 2024-09-09T00:30:00+00:00
+url: /2024/09/09/data-ai-humans-and-climate-carving-a-consulting-niche/
+cover:
+  relative: true
+  image: data-dojo-podcast-yanir-seroussi-cover.webp
+  alt: cover image of the Data Dojo podcast episode with Yanir Seroussi
+summary: 'Podcast chat on the reality of Data & AI and my consulting focus: Helping climate & nature tech startups ship data-intensive solutions.'
+tags:
+  - artificial intelligence
+  - business
+  - career
+  - consulting
+  - data science
+  - environment
+  - video
+---
+I recently joined [Adam Massey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amasseyadam/) on the Data Dojo podcast to chat about my career journey and consulting focus.
+You can check it out on YouTube:
+
+<p>
+  {{< youtube 6a-xYwKzCFA >}}
+</p>
+
+## Episode summary
+
+AI-generated summaries are getting better, as is the ease of generating them. For the following summary, I: (1) expanded the transcript on YouTube; (2) copied the entire text from the YouTube page (not just the transcript); and (3) threw it into Google AI Studio (with Gemini 1.5 Pro). I didn't even bother prompting the model &ndash; it figured out I wanted a summary by itself.  
+
+**Key Takeaways:**
+
+* **Bridging the Gap:** Startups often struggle to bridge the gap between data science theory and practical implementation.
+* **Managing Expectations:** Over-excitement about AI's potential often leads to disappointment. Realistic goals and iterative project scoping are crucial.
+* **Data Quality:** As always, data quality remains paramount. Startups must ensure their ambitions align with available data.
+* **Communication is Key:** Success hinges on effective communication with stakeholders, both internally and externally.
+* **Niche Expertise:** Focusing on a niche, like climate tech, helps build a strong brand and attract relevant clients.
+* **AI's Evolving Landscape:** AI tools are rapidly evolving, demanding adaptability and a willingness to learn new technologies.
+* **Human Skills Remain Essential:** Technical expertise alone isn't enough. Strong communication, business acumen, and stakeholder management remain crucial.
+* **Future of AI:** While predicting the future is difficult, AI will likely continue to automate tasks and transform industries in unforeseen ways.
+
+**Actionable Insights:**
+
+* For data professionals:
+  * Stay updated on new tools and technologies.
+  * Focus on communication and business skills.
+  * Learn to effectively manage stakeholder expectations.
+* For business owners:
+  * Carefully assess your data and AI readiness.
+  * Start with small, achievable projects.
+  * Partner with experts to bridge the skills gap.
+
+**Overall:**
+
+The episode offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, particularly for startups in the climate and nature tech space. It emphasises the importance of a balanced approach, combining technical expertise with human skills and a focus on delivering tangible business value.
+
+---
+
+**Note to self:** I should speak slower in complete sentences. I definitely write better than I speak (especially off the cuff), but that's a good reason to keep practising. 😉

content/presentations/index.md

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 ---
 Talks and podcast appearances, saved here for future reference and for public benefit.
 
+  * [Podcast interview on my consulting focus and the reality of Data & AI projects](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-xYwKzCFA) with [Adam Massey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amasseyadam/) ([summary post](https://yanirseroussi.com/2024/09/09/data-ai-humans-and-climate-carving-a-consulting-niche/))
   * [Your first Data-to-AI hire](https://yanirseroussi.com/talks/first-data-hire/#/) (presented to [Climate Salad members](https://members.climatesalad.com/event/receSv3NcyUVs4Z2o)); see posts with practice recordings: [part 1](https://yanirseroussi.com/2024/07/15/learn-about-dataland-to-avoid-expensive-hiring-mistakes/) & [part 2](https://yanirseroussi.com/2024/07/22/your-first-data-to-ai-hire-run-a-lovable-process/))
   * [Podcast interview on my career path](https://open.spotify.com/episode/1aXcalabXgCgXwSF1LAHyr) with [Eli Gündüz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eligunduz/) of [Careersy Coaching](https://www.careersycoaching.com/) ([summary post](https://yanirseroussi.com/2024/08/12/keep-learning-your-career-is-never-truly-done/))
   * [Lessons from reluctant data engineering](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/100GiDkp3UKfQtWtxZOF4CaJWTuSYtkEYxkI0_INdqq8/edit) (presented at [DataEngBytes](https://dataengconf.com.au/) Brisbane 2023; see [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE6e7Xx7OLQ) and [post](https://yanirseroussi.com/2023/10/25/lessons-from-reluctant-data-engineering/))