Most organizations are drawn to data science by the tantalizing prospects of competitive advantage and disruptive capabilities. Yet many organizations are finding that their data science teams are not providing the expected business impact, and some are beginning to question the ROI of these teams altogether. This course works to bridge the gap between the technical training that data scientists spend years mastering and the role they must play in their companies to successfully drive business impact. Drawing on inside accounts, case studies, and academic research, this course identifies the key capabilities that data science teams and their business partners must develop to successfully drive business impact. We explore how impactful data science teams have made a fundamental shift toward business understanding and impact accountability, even while ensuring that their statistics are pristine. This course lays out a practical "how to" guide for designing and enabling impact-driven data science teams, including templates and exercises for applying these practical insights in any organizations. Limited enrollment.
3 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
Most organizations are drawn to data science by the tantalizing prospects of competitive advantage and disruptive capabilities. Yet many organizations are finding that their data science teams are not providing the expected business impact, and some are beginning to question the ROI of these teams altogether. This course works to bridge the gap between the technical training that data scientists spend years mastering and the role they must play in their companies to successfully drive business impact. Drawing on inside accounts, case studies, and academic research, this course identifies the key capabilities that data science teams and their business partners must develop to successfully drive business impact. We explore how impactful data science teams have made a fundamental shift toward business understanding and impact accountability, even while ensuring that their statistics are pristine. This course lays out a practical "how to" guide for designing and enabling impact-driven data science teams, including templates and exercises for applying these practical insights in any organizations. Limited enrollment.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.