Did you know that duct tape comes in many colors?  It does, and in prints and patterns too.  It makes me think, hmm, what could we do with those rolls of tape?  Data, like duct tape, also comes in many colors and varieties:  quantitative, qualitative, structured, unstructured, big, small, etc., etc.  If we pay attention we see the data that are all around us.  In some of the best situations we collect data for specific purposes, other times we can use what’s available, and yet other times, we may need a different type of tool.

Sometimes we need a pro, but there are lots of times with DIYing that we can take what starts out looking like ordinary data and make something cool out of them.  Data inform us and if we are clever enough they will lead us to insights and knowledge and help us make decisions that we act on.