Why are so few analytics experts freely sharing their knowledge? Is it a competition thing?
Whenever I hear of people closely guarding their analytics strategies, I can’t help thinking about the Utah Jazz in the days of “Stockton to Malone.”
Every team knew that the Jazz were going to continually run the pick and roll with Stockton and Malone. If fact, I remember being at one game, watching John Stockton come down the court, holding up one finger, and all the opposing players started shouting out “pick and roll, they are running the pick and roll,” yet they couldn’t stop it.
Did the Utah Jazz offensive system with Stockton and Malone work so well because their game plan was a closely guarded secret? NO! It worked, despite the fact that the other team, the announcers, the ball boys, and everyone else in the arena knew their plays. It worked because they executed to near perfection.
If you are not openly sharing your knowledge, if even just within your own organizations, I suggest your start asking the question ‘why?’
REMEMBER: Your game plan, your frameworks, your secret sauce is all worthless unless you can execute!