I have been doing analytics consulting for all of my professional life and I have been baking only in the past year, that too only on weekends. I love baking as long as my results are sweet and I like my job on most of the good days. The similarities between these activities goes much further to me when I think about it. So here's one of those ridiculous lists which lists out why:
1. Baking is neither an art nor a science. Same goes for analytics. They deceive you into thinking it's a science and numbers game. But you need a feel, otherwise known as common sense for both. For example, you cannot add 100g of flour that the recipe calls for and say but it s not supposed to be this liquid. Just like you can't say you don't know why your numbers fell off a cliff.
2. There are some things you only learn by doing. These are two of them. There are siren like recipes which seem so super easy for a complicated sounding cake or biscuit. Theoretically, we are all on the same page and then your oven steadfastly refuses to yield results. While you may give an awesome theoretical spiel on a math model, you might see them all come tumbling down when you actually get to work.
3. Half baked results can always get you in trouble, though you may try to spin it otherwise. It is not easy to eat a half baked cake. You will choke just like you would when you eat one, if you try to deliver half baked results.
4. You need to follow instructions, step by step. Missing an instruction or mixing up order of events can prove to be costly mistakes. Procedure and quality checking at each step is important.
5. All measurements need to be accurate. Guessing and approximation isn't always the best idea.
6. Practice! Practice! Practice. The longer you do it, the more number of hours you put in practicing initially, the better you get at it. Soon you are almost perfect and hardly make any mistakes at all.
7. It's easier to explain to others how to execute something- whether a cake or an analysis, It becomes difficult only when you have to do it yourself and then you might have to ask the person you explained it to for help
8. An extra pair of hands is always a good thing. Delegation helps you get to timely and accurate (read tasty) results.
9. Stirring the pot too much isn't always a good idea, Like an over-beaten cake, over analysis only falls flat on its face.
10. Appearance is more important than you think. The shape and embellishments of the cake make the first impression before it is even tasted. Your content and analysis may very likely go for a toss if you are not a pro at formatting and 'prettification'.
