Nick Ryberg has developed analytics across platforms, from Microsoft Excel and Access to more complex systems such as Postgres, Hadoop, and Spark SQL. Whether working on personal computers, Linux servers, mainframes, or even a Raspberry Pi, Nick thrives with a keyboard and a table or two of data.
As tools have improved, becoming more user-friendly and capable of handling larger datasets, Nick has observed that how we think and share our processes hasn’t evolved much. At best, it's a messy whiteboard with bubbles and arrows; at worst, it's raw code left behind by a developer who departed years ago.
Throughout Nick's career, the focus has been on solving challenging analytic problems using these tools. The most complex problems encountered aren't related to sourcing, cleaning data, or mastering specific tools. Instead, the most difficult aspects involve thinking differently about solutions, sharing and brainstorming ideas, switching platforms, and documenting processes for future users.