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Open Data Now: The Secret to Hot Startups, Smart Investing, Savvy Marketing, and Fast Innovation
Get unprecedented access to thousands of databases. It's called Open Data, and it's revolutionizing business. The business leader’s guide to using Open Data to analyze patterns and trends, manage risk, solve problems—and seize the competitive edge
Two major trends—the exponential growth of digital data and an emerging culture of disclosure and transparency—have converged to create a world where voluminous information about businesses, government, and the population is becoming visible, accessible, and usable. It’s called Open Data, and this book helps leaders harness its power to market and grow their companies.
Open Data Now gives you the knowledge and tools to take advantage of this phenomenon in its early stages—and beat the competition to leveraging its many benefits.
Joel Gurin is an expert on making complex data sets useful in solving consumer problems, analyzing corporate information, and addressing social issues. He has collaborated with leaders in data, technology, and policy in the U.S. and UK governments, including officials in the White House and 10 Downing Street and at more than 20 U.S. federal agencies.
Two major trends—the exponential growth of digital data and an emerging culture of disclosure and transparency—have converged to create a world where voluminous information about businesses, government, and the population is becoming visible, accessible, and usable. It’s called Open Data, and this book helps leaders harness its power to market and grow their companies.
Open Data Now gives you the knowledge and tools to take advantage of this phenomenon in its early stages—and beat the competition to leveraging its many benefits.
Joel Gurin is an expert on making complex data sets useful in solving consumer problems, analyzing corporate information, and addressing social issues. He has collaborated with leaders in data, technology, and policy in the U.S. and UK governments, including officials in the White House and 10 Downing Street and at more than 20 U.S. federal agencies.
- GenresBusiness
272 pages, Hardcover
First published December 17, 2013
9 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 15, 2014
This overview of applications for data released by governments and corporations (and often collected from ordinary individuals) is a valuable evaluation of the potential and challenges that exist in public data today, by someone who has certainly been influential in that area both in the Obama Administration and elsewhere. Although billed a book for businesspeople, and containing some general guidelines for making use of open data in a range of ways, the book also goes much further and examines the potential for improving democracy, personal freedom, and other benefits to the public. The author is also clear-sighted about weaknesses in current systems, such as the dubious value of crowdsourced reputations and the complexity of XBRL.
July 20, 2014
Has lots of good examples about leveraging data open to the public - mostly government data. Kinda got repetitive in certain parts. Then got obvious in others. Interesting points include
- Build customer loyalty by giving customers their data
- Experiment with open innovation (i.e. tapping the crowd, open collaboration)
- Learn to operate in a see-through world
- Look for unusual open data opportunities
- Help consumers tap the value of personal data
- Build customer loyalty by giving customers their data
- Experiment with open innovation (i.e. tapping the crowd, open collaboration)
- Learn to operate in a see-through world
- Look for unusual open data opportunities
- Help consumers tap the value of personal data
July 14, 2020
Too America-centric. But still a lot of info. :)
April 20, 2014
Big Data is a big deal, but what about Open Data? That is, the idea that certain data should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents, or other mechanisms of control.
I was curious about it and, against that backdrop, read Open Data Now: The Secret to Hot Startups, Smart Investing, Savvy Marketing, and Fast Innovation (affiliate link) by Joel Gurin. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical of the premise behind this book. There’s so much hype about data-related matters and much of what’s written is either way too technical, theoretical, and/or just not very good.
Not this book.
Gurin takes the reader on an exciting, example-laden journey. To be fair, since I play in this area, I had heard of Kaggle, Innocentive, TopCoder, and a few of the other companies profiled. (I touch upon each of those in Too Big to Ignore.) Gurin does much more than merely list startups, though. He explains what they’re doing, why, and the long-term impacts on all sorts of industries (read: green tech, pharama, financial services, and scores of others.)
Gurin’s wide, not deep approach works here. To the extent that Open Data is a relatively new phenomenon–at least on this scale, accentuating only several examples wouldn’t have been as effective. By demonstrating the variety of industries and companies benefiting from Open Data, the read walks away excited about the possibilities and, later in the book, the challenges.
Excellent. This one’s a keeper.
I was curious about it and, against that backdrop, read Open Data Now: The Secret to Hot Startups, Smart Investing, Savvy Marketing, and Fast Innovation (affiliate link) by Joel Gurin. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical of the premise behind this book. There’s so much hype about data-related matters and much of what’s written is either way too technical, theoretical, and/or just not very good.
Not this book.
Gurin takes the reader on an exciting, example-laden journey. To be fair, since I play in this area, I had heard of Kaggle, Innocentive, TopCoder, and a few of the other companies profiled. (I touch upon each of those in Too Big to Ignore.) Gurin does much more than merely list startups, though. He explains what they’re doing, why, and the long-term impacts on all sorts of industries (read: green tech, pharama, financial services, and scores of others.)
Gurin’s wide, not deep approach works here. To the extent that Open Data is a relatively new phenomenon–at least on this scale, accentuating only several examples wouldn’t have been as effective. By demonstrating the variety of industries and companies benefiting from Open Data, the read walks away excited about the possibilities and, later in the book, the challenges.
Excellent. This one’s a keeper.
April 14, 2014
Open Data Now
The Secret to Hot Startups, Smart Investing, Savvy Marketing, and Fast Innovation
By Joel Gurin
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
Having read several books (none any good) on big data, I was hesitant when this one arrived. I must admit I was surprised, and I actually learnt something reading the book – always a good thing!
There is a surplus of data available to business from their own collection methods. Open data is the governmental data that is available to all, generally free of charge. Most governments have established web pages to access this data source to improve their business prospects.
While this is an American book, I was surprised that the Australian government had a similar database available. (www.data.gov.au).
As more data becomes available each day, this book becomes an important tool for business to access data to improve their business plans, target marketing strategies, and having access to the latest trends as they emerge.
Open data is public, transparent and serves a purpose that anyone can access.
The Secret to Hot Startups, Smart Investing, Savvy Marketing, and Fast Innovation
By Joel Gurin
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
Having read several books (none any good) on big data, I was hesitant when this one arrived. I must admit I was surprised, and I actually learnt something reading the book – always a good thing!
There is a surplus of data available to business from their own collection methods. Open data is the governmental data that is available to all, generally free of charge. Most governments have established web pages to access this data source to improve their business prospects.
While this is an American book, I was surprised that the Australian government had a similar database available. (www.data.gov.au).
As more data becomes available each day, this book becomes an important tool for business to access data to improve their business plans, target marketing strategies, and having access to the latest trends as they emerge.
Open data is public, transparent and serves a purpose that anyone can access.
Read
September 5, 2014An excellent primer on the benefits of an open government.
While news articles and books trumpet the value of "Big Data" in business, very few appreciate or acknowledge the value of "Open Government Data". Many businesses and entrepreneurs have already profited from this valuable and often free resource. From a company tracking weather patterns and soil conditions for farmers to scientists developing new cancer treatments, Gurin illustrates how government data can be utilized across various industries.
While news articles and books trumpet the value of "Big Data" in business, very few appreciate or acknowledge the value of "Open Government Data". Many businesses and entrepreneurs have already profited from this valuable and often free resource. From a company tracking weather patterns and soil conditions for farmers to scientists developing new cancer treatments, Gurin illustrates how government data can be utilized across various industries.
March 17, 2014
Interesting and accessible discussion of Open Data, free data generated by governments and other sources. The number of applications for the data boggles the mind. Gurin provides an amazing number of examples, and is generally positive about how this can make our lives better and easier. Reviewing for Information Today, May 2014.
December 10, 2015
Informative. Took me forever to read it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews