As a kid I loved LEGO® I had and still have thousands and thousands of bricks, all sorted and color coded, easily accessible for my next project. From as early as I can remember, I would quickly follow the instructions exactly as stated and create what I was supposed to. Once it was completed I would study it for a while and then take it apart and rebuild it without any instructions. During this rebuilding process I would also add to it and improve the design. This could be a reiterative process until I was satisfied with how it turned out. Then it was play time.

I am much older now and I haven’t touched a plastic brick in a while, but the skills I developed to follow the instructions given to me and then rebuild and improve have allowed me to quickly learn and strengthen my skills with analytics tools. I have spent endless hours reading books, taking classes, Googling terms, and using websites to learn SQL, Excel, Python, R, Tableau, etc. 

However, everything I used to learn was based on a very linear methodology. They told you what to build, then you built it, you checked it, and then you moved on. I never got a chance to rebuild and improve, key word being “improve.” I feel that only during the improving process is when you really learn and master a skill, otherwise you just do as you are told and forget it.

Because of these issues, and a little inspiration from my master’s capstone class, Pollack Analytics was born. I wanted to create a new learning experience, something robust, yet clean and fast. I don’t have time to read 1,000 page books filled with definitions and examples, I assume you don’t either. 

Instead of endless and repetitive definitions, boring examples, and no room to improve, Pollack Analytics will provide you with a Progressive Learning Experience®. It will allow you to take what we give you and grow on your own. It introduces definitions in an environment that makes sense. The examples build on one another to compound and ingrain the teachings in your mind.

Unlike my LEGO® days, Pollack Analytics will never be complete. There will always be a new iteration, there will always be something added, and it will always be improved!

Enjoy!

– James Pollack