Episodes

  • #301 - What Does It Mean To Be Boring Yet Profitable?
    Mar 27 2024

    What comes to mind when the term “boring yet profitable business” is used? Often times these are businesses that have developed & refined offerings that are integral and indispensable to their customers. They can often be derided for not being flashy or trendy, but that treatment fair?

    What goes into reaching that kind of status? Are businesses actively thinking about reaching that point? What can prevent a business from reaching that?

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents podcast, Jim and Jason discuss why the term “boring yet profitable business” is often not a compliment and why it’s used. They also talk about the characteristics common across these types of businesses and drives a business to reach this state.

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    32 mins
  • #300 - Developing A Testing Roadmap
    Mar 20 2024

    We’re currently doing a series of episodes looking at the concepts of getting back to basics and simplicity. We’re looking at the benefits of refocusing attention on the key concepts and practices that can get overlooked or forgotten as analytics and testing programs age.

    When working with a testing tool, it’s easy to get lost in the excitement of all of the possibilities. Those possibilities though may never materialize if proper planning doesn’t happen.

    Looking through the lens of getting back to basics and simplicity, why is a testing roadmap critical to the success of a testing and optimization program? What are the key inputs for a testing roadmap? What happens if this key component is ignored?

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents podcast, Jason and Jim welcome Jason Boal, 33 Sticks’ Optimization Strategist to talk about one of the key foundational concepts for a successful optimization program. This discuss what goes into developing a testing roadmap, how to include business objectives, and what happens when a testing roadmap becomes neglected.

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    39 mins
  • #299 - The Core Analysis Your Analytics Practice Must Be Doing
    Mar 13 2024

    In recent episodes we’ve looked at the concept of getting back to basics and simplicity. We’ve discussed the benefits of refocusing attention on the key concepts and practices that can get overlooked or forgotten as analytics and testing programs age.

    When a large amount of data is collected, it is easy to get lost in all of the possible analysis that can be done. While it can be fun to search out insights, are there certain analyses that are core to a successful analytics program? Are there ones that should not be overlooked even though they may not be as appealing?

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents podcast, Jim and Jason discuss why it is critical to remember that you need “crawl before you walk and run” and how to address outside pressure to move faster than the practice is able to handle. They also discuss the influences that can cause an organization to forget the basics.

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    30 mins
  • #298 - Tag Management Methodologies
    Mar 6 2024

    We’ve started a series of episodes about getting back to basics and the value of simplicity. We’re looking at the benefits of refocusing attention on the key concepts and practices that can get overlooked or forgotten as analytics and testing programs age.

    What are the best practices when it comes to designing a tag management architecture? What needs to be considered when deciding on a TMS approach? Is there a TMS methodology that provides the best approach?

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents podcast Jason and Jim are once again joined by Jenn Kunz to continue the conversation around the draw of over-engineering data collection solutions, this time with a focus on tag managers.

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    40 mins
  • #297 - The Draw Of Over-Engineering Analytics Data Collection Solutions
    Feb 28 2024

    A new implementation can be exciting! It’s a fresh canvas to work with. A new client can present opportunities to try out ideas you’ve only thought of. These are just two of the scenarios that analytics implementation engineers are presented with that create the pull to collect all of the data.

    • While this can be fun, exciting, and provide unique sets of data, there are problems that can result from an over-engineered analytics data collection solution. Problems such as: Many times the solution designer has ideas for novel data that the analytics team doesn’t find useful so there is data going unused. Development time that could have been spent on other more useful work has been wasted. The team now has a complex solution that requires more maintenance than it should.

    How can engineers and architects resist the urge to “tag everything”? What are steps that analytics teams can put in place to ensure the implementation work is focused on what is truly needed and valuable?

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents podcast, Jim and Jenn discuss their history with implementing analytics solutions and how they’ve fallen into this trap before. They talk through their thoughts on a less is more approach and how that applies to the current state of the digital analytics & martech space.

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    40 mins
  • #296 - The Architecture Pitfalls of Single Vendor Solutions
    Feb 21 2024

    Architecting data collection for multiple tools within a single vendor solution can be appear to be beneficial from the stand-point of reduced logic and streamlined integrations.  It can seem simplified and streamlined resulting in a solution that can be managed with greater ease.

     

    Are there pitfalls when it comes to single-vendor solutions?  What problems with the data collection can present themselves?

     

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents podcast, Jim and Jason are joined by Jenn Kunz to discuss what organizations need to consider when working with a single vendor analytics & marketing technology solution (or even a martech stack that mostly, though not completely, consists of tools from a single vendor). They talk through the various risks, such as assumptions that are often made, and how teams can be set up for failure with a single-vendor solution. 

     

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

     

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

     

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

     

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    34 mins
  • #295 - The Risks, Costs, And Potential Benefits Of Vendor Lock-In
    Feb 14 2024

    Vendor lock-in occurs when a customer is made dependent on a vendor for products & services, unable to utilize other vendors without substantial cost. 

     

    How can organizations fall into a vendor lock-in situation?  What are the costs that are associated with vendor lock-in?  How can point analytics solutions lead to vendor-lock in?

     

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents Podcast, Jim and Jason discuss what can lead organizations to get stuck in a vendor lock-in situation.  While vendor lock-in is most often considered undesirable scenario, they also discuss the potential benefits that can come with it.

     

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

     

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

     

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

     

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    31 mins
  • #294 - Customer Experience Breakdowns Caused by Siloed Data
    Feb 7 2024

    Risks of point analytics solutions include myopic vision and teams working in isolation.  Teams implement solutions that fit a small amount of needs that do not take the needs of the organization, or the impacts to the organization, into account.  The downstream result is siloed data creating incomplete insights and even a poor customer experience. 

     

    If you have a customer experience this is supported by multiple data/platform touch points, and analytics is siloed, everyone may be able to claim success while in actuality it could be a terrible by the customer’s perspective.

     

    On this week’s episode of the 33 Tangents Podcast, Jim and Jason discuss a recent experience Jason had at a major retailer and what organizations need to consider to prevent it from happening.

     

    THANK YOU

    We know your time is limited, so it means a lot to us that you would spend some of your time with us. If you have found this episode to be valuable, we would appreciate if you would share it.

     

    And if we are getting you hooked, don’t forget to subscribe, like, and recommend on your favorite podcast platform.

     

    WHERE TO LISTEN

    The 33 Tangents video simulcast is now available on YouTube

    Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

    Subscribe on Google Podcasts

    Listen on TuneIn

    Listen on Amazon Music

     

    WHERE TO FIND US

    Website: www.33sticks.com

    Email: Podcast@33sticks.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/33Sticks

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/33sticks/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8KUpp_LygXotCrKgR9ZoBg

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    35 mins