Lessons in Analytics From Stranger Things 001
The Analytic Brilliance of Dustin Henderson (1983)
Stranger Things is a series on Netflix, by some analysis the most popular one to-date. The series is a great platform for analytic analogies, at least the first season (1983). It featured a gang of talented actors playing the roles of a group of gamer-detectives. Mix in a Sheriff, a science teacher, some ham radio, and a secret government laboratory and you have pretty excellent conditions for a lot of analytic learning.
This article will focus on the biggest learning, using the series best character — Dustin.
Stranger Things 1983 has a theme. One that seems to be overlooked by just about every resident of Hawkins, Indiana - until the final episode or two. Of course, if it wasn’t, the story would have been far shorter. Communication.
“No more secrets, okay?”
Only one character seems to be on top of things (in 1983, in 1984 he falls victim, too). Dustin is the one character who seems to be willing to say anything. That is why he is one of the easiest characters to like and the one who seems most able to connect the dots.
Dustin is the one who reaches out, who ask questions, and makes proclamations. He is the only one not keeping secrets and confronting others who are. He is not a fan of “locked doors”, a trait every analyst should appreciate.
Let’s revisit that. No one in this town is communicating with anyone… in their own dimension. It is such an extreme that this story couldn’t happen with today’s technology. If these kids had cell phones, they couldn’t be this cut-off. The sheriff lives in the deep woods, half the kids too. The scientists never want to leave their building — although it seems to have an easy enough admittance policy… So perhaps the most “Stranger Thing” about Hawkins, Indiana is that no one can communicate with anyone!
Into this odd little non-communicating universe come two super-powered kids. Elle, who we can talk about in another article, and Dustin Henderson. Dustin is Chunk from the Goonies meets Ash from Pokemon (a reference only reinforced in 1984). But then this whole show borrows widely from other popular culture. Dustin’s super-power? He talks… a lot.
In fairness, Dustin is smarter than Chunk and less annoying than Ash. But he is a talker, despite a pronounced lisp and some other challenges. He also shares both character’s love of food. In 1983, that is chocolate pudding. But in Hawkins, Dustin’s super-power is communication. He talks AND he listens.
While lack of communication makes for a compelling mystery and provides a wonderful background for our entertaining friend Dustin — it is not a trait that analysts should welcome. Like Dustin, analysts need to facilitate communication. In many companies, they are also the glue that keeps the party together. Even if your company has a poor communication culture, analysts need to embrace their inner Dustin.
Can your company or team succeed without communicating? Sure… Stranger Things have happened, but analytics is not supposed to be a drama. Also, the Hawkins Lab guys kind of gave you a model of how that often ends… are you looking to repeat it? Thanks for reading! More Stranger Things soon…
