Kin Insurance is a Chicago-based startup that matches customers in disaster-prone regions with optimal home insurance policies. The staple ingredient for this mission is data—massive amounts of it. Their Senior Manager of Business Intelligence, Sam Koperski, was tasked with building a “data org.” He shared steps to make this happen, including:
Communicate objectives to leadership about the data-org effort from the get-go. If an executive member sparked the initiative of building a data org, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all members of leadership are aware of it (nor aligned).
Canvas the current data infrastructure. Scout for what data continues to be collected and its sourcing within the business.
Chip away at the inherited punch list of data-related issues. Extinguishing existing data-fires can also become quick wins to further validate the necessity of building a data org.
Treat the process of building a data org as an ensemble cast. No data silos allowed!
The part that intrigued me most was Kin Insurance’s deeper goal of making a data-driven work culture. From Carl Anderson, Director of Science at Warby Parker, in his book “Creating a Data-Driven Organization”:
“Data-drivenness is about building tools, abilities, and, most crucially, a culture that acts on data.”Exciting to hear Sam’s step-by-step account of co-leading the charge to elevate Kin Insurance from a data-driven business to one that behaves in lots of data-driven ways—from the inside out.
Thanks again to Promotable who regularly tie in their web-based workshops with informative perspectives through their organizing of regular talks online! Explore their channel on YouTube.
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