Amass Insights about Alternative Data

First things first, I want to express my sincere appreciaton for the support & value my network generously offers, whether as a subscriber to this newsletter or as a trusted resource, confidant, colleague or partner.

These relationships are my number one professional priority and because of that, I'll always strive to open up as much of my industry knowledge and valuable content I've amassed as possible, and tailor it to this community's evolving needs. The content here and the conclusions drawn are inspired by my vast experience in the alternative data industry (before that buzzword was even coined) and working with hundreds of data providers and data buyers (while discovering tens of thousands more). My main focus is to enable more efficient & effective collaboration and cooperation between the various stakeholders in the "alternative data industry". Together, we can level the playing field in this notoriously opaque industry. We can scale up the quantity & quality of the interactions between data/research/analytics providers/products and those looking to gain an informational edge and ultimately, cut down the time to value in the data sourcing->procurement->monetization process. In that spirit, if you'd like to be put in touch with an entity (e.g. a company or person) you learn about on this blog, please don't hesitate to ask me for the intro! Here's more about the origins and goals of this ambitious endeavor.

What to Expect

• regular posts of value, but I can't yet commit to a specific cadence, considering I'm raising two small children while running a business...the struggle is real
• variety in content, whether in length, format, medium or methodology
  • Blog Posts
  • Newsletters
  • Personalized Opportunities (directly, through email or face-to-face)
  • IRL Events (In-Real-Life)
  • Curated Resources, such as databases or reports
  • Virtual Meetings
  • Expert Analyses
  • News & Updates
  • An occasional personal note or idea
• data provider profiles & offerings, I've spent the past 12 years scouring the earth for valuable data and have profiled more than 23k data providers within the most in-depth taxonomy
• data buyer requests & profiles, we've tackled & painstakingly documented hundreds of distinct data requests and use cases over these years
• useful Data & InvestTech tools and resources
• a friendly & respectful atmosphere bringing together the overlapping worlds of Data Providers, Data Buyers and Data Tools/Resources

Beats I'll Follow

The following is a non-exhaustive list of the main topics I'll be contributing my thoughts to:

• Any question I'm routinely being asked by my professionals network, from "What's the newest, most valuable data provider you came across?" to "Why is it so hard to sell my data products?" and "What is the latest, hottest data category desired by data buyers?"
• Alternative Data, it's availability and use within all industries, but particularly in the asset/investment management industry
• Data Monetization & Sales, how to best prepare, market & sell your data products to external companies that may be interested in buying your data
• Data Sourcing & Procurement, how to find, vet and utilize external data providers & products that can improve your bottom-line
• Legal & Compliance Issues with Data, new or updated rules, legal precedents & regulations affecting the usage of external data sources
• Investing Technology, "InvestTech" tools that generate alpha for fund managers, and, more broadly, FinTech
• The Data Landscape, in order to become an expert in all things alternative data, a deep understanding of all the players in the data industry is necessary, including data providers, investment managers, corporate data buyers, and data tools & services.
• Matching Data Requests with the Right Data Provider
• conversly, Matching Data Providers with the Right Data Buyers

Additionally, considering the heterogenous nature of the companies I interact with, I'll be weighing in on a few more sub-topics, such as:

• Market Data
• Hedge Funds
• PE/VC
• Macro
• AI
• ESG

The Community

I'd like this space to be as open and interactive as possible. Useful insights from any and all industry parties are welcomed, just join the discussion...If you're strapped for time, ignore the rest of this and just hit reply or post a comment with your answer to this one question: "What is the one data category or burning topic about alternative data that you just can’t let go of?" (maybe I'll give the best replies a shoutout in future issues ;)

Otherwise I'd really appreciate if you'd take 1 minute to fill out our subscriber form:

I'm excited for us all to get to know each other even better!