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My Journey With Data By Emmanuel Folahanmi

Written by Emmanuel Folahanmi

One of the most fulfilling aspects of working at Spurt! has been contributing to the development of thoughtful, data driven reports. I like to think of it as “Making Sense of Data.” It’s a process that blends research, analysis, and storytelling, an experience that can be both challenging and rewarding at the same time.

I remember being asked some months ago to describe my job to a five year old child. At the time, I said, “I look for information here and there.” If I were to answer such a question now, I’d revise that to: “I look for information here and there and try to make meaning out of it.” This provides more context and conveniently captures the shift I’ve experienced in my approach to data work.

While I still enjoy the technical aspects which includes cleaning data, running analyses, building dashboards, my focus has gradually expanded to the storytelling side of things. With the rise of great tools that simplify technical processes, I’ve realised that the real value lies in interpreting the data: What does the data say? Why does it matter? What decisions can we make from it? These are questions I get to answer on a day-to-day basis.

Turning raw data into actionable insights is where the magic happens. It is the bridge between numbers and impact, and that is where I find the most purpose.

That said, I am still very much a learner. The data world is vast and always changing. I remain curious, open to growth, and excited about continuing this journey of learning and storytelling through data.