71: SafeGraph CEO Auren Hoffman - unlocking innovation by democratizing data

Data is nothing more than a collection of facts spliced by rows and columns. Yet, this simple concept is the single most important driver of innovation. SafeGraph provides Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) about physical places. The company is in a constant search for truth and lives to provide others with data to build innovative solutions. According to CEO Auren Hoffman, working in such a company requires humility and veracity. As he puts it, data is like high-quality butter that a baker uses to make a croissant- it often goes unnoticed, but it is essential. Auren joined hosts Scott and Andrei on the podcast to elaborate on the democratization of data and how it can be used to do good in the world.   Here are some quick takeaways: Data needs to meet different thresholds of accuracy depending on its use (eg marketing vs modeling), ranging from directionally correct to nearly 100%.  Data science as a field is growing as more and more students are pursuing this discipline. As accessibility to reliable data increases, so does the capacity to address issues across areas such as healthcare, economic mobility, and more. The trend of perfectly optimizing your most valuable resource (time) is misguided- it is ok to allocate time to interests outside of work. Treat your past self as a separate person and as someone that you don’t mind disagreeing with.  

Om Podcasten

In this podcast, we are here to discuss the challenges high growth companies face and how to overcome them. We will be focusing on the human parts of work and how you can create a culture that brings out the best in your people and unlocks their full potential.