Small Data Group

At the beginning of the year it looked like 2014 was shaping up to be a year when Small Data moved out of the shadows and into the mainstream (or maybe even THE Year of Small Data as I predicted in this op-ed for ZDNet). Judging by the volume of articles, social chatter, and casual conversation I’ve had at numerous industry events, Small Data has arrived. But it still means different things to different people. And that’s cool, since there’s a lot we’ve learned over the past couple years about why it’s important – not only as an alternative to Big Data – but also as a design philosophy and movement that shifts the conversation from processing power…to people!

So if you’re new to the topic, or just curious how Small Data has grown up, I’ve collected my “Top 10” articles for sampling the early concepts as well as the latest thinking. There are many more pieces I’ve left off, but this might serve as a core reading list. And yes, I’ve included just 2 of my own articles, but if you like them you can find many more on this blog or on the Actuate buzz page.

Enjoy!

The Early Days – Foundations

Forget Big Data, Small Data is the Real Revolution – Rufus Pollock’s (@rufuspollock) original post on the power of Small Data, collaboration and “decentralized data wrangling” from April 2013. Consistently one of the top 5 most cited pieces on the topic, it’s a great companion to my Forbes piece below.

These Smart, Social Apps Bring Big Data Down to Size – my piece with Mark Fidelman (@markfidelman) from October 2012 that introduced the pillars of small data design: make it simple, be smart, think mobile (be responsive) and predicted a new wave of user-centric business intelligence.

What happens when each patient becomes their own “universe” of unique medical data? – Prof. Deborah Estrin (of @cornell_tech) talk at TEDMed 2013 has key ideas around managing our own personal Small Data. Especially relevant to not only privacy discussions but also those pondering the next wave of wearables and fitness tracking devices.

Data-driven Marketing – 3 Perspectives

Small Data Can Help Businesses Be More Human – great post on the need for “human scale” in marketing by Brand Networks CEO Jamie Tedford (@jamietedford).

What the “Small Data” Revolution Means for Marketers – it’s all about delivering more targeted, more personalized and all-around more intelligent marketing campaigns says CommandIQ (@CommandIQ) CEO Noah Jessop. Right on!

What’s The Big Deal About ‘Small Data’? – recent roundup of perspectives on the marketing front (yup, including my own) by my friends at CMO.com.

Is Small the New Big? – Mainstream Thinking and New Voices

Focus on data value, not its ‘bigness’ – one of my recent op-eds on data value, decentralization and the new CRM. Good overview piece if you want to get a high level perspective and stir up thinking within your own organization.

In Praise of ‘Small Data’: How Targeted Analytics — Not ‘Big Data’ — Are Transforming Education Today – new post by Brian Kibby (@BrianKibby), President of McGraw-Hill’s Higher Education Group.

Your Sushi May Be Getting Smarter – new piece in The Atlantic by Tech Editor Adrienne LaFrance (@AdrienneLaF) on “smart objects,” food safety and the power of Small Data (and IoT).

How To Create Incredible Customer Service Through The ‘Small Data’ Advantage – new piece by customer service speaker and author Micah Solomon (@micahsolomon). While a lot of my focus to-date has been on marketing use cases, I think there are some great ones in customer service/loyalty as well as this post suggests.

What articles did I miss? What would you add if I made it a “top 20” list instead?