Winning the WIDA Datathon 2023 — Data Titans
An interview-like article that describes the journey of Nancy Amandi and Lawal Kaosarah through the WIDA Datathon
On 8th April at exactly 7 pm, the Data Titans team comprised of Nancy Amandi and Lawal Kaosarah was announced as the winner of the Women in Data Africa Datathon 2023. Both ladies responded differently to this huge success that they broke their backs for weeks.
It had been a long journey for them and they would want to discuss this journey with you…with us. So sit tight, take that chilled drink and don’t go anywhere because it’s going to be a long and interesting read.
We know you expected to see an article on the run-through of how we carried out the whole data analysis process. But we felt it’s best we did something different…something more fun because, at the end of the day, we had more funny moments than serious moments during our datathon journey.
We want you to feel what it means to work with a good partner. Well, we really hope you get that feeling after reading this.
Yours truly,
Nancy and Kaosarah.
So Nancy and Kaosarah, tell us briefly about yourself and what you do.
Nancy: There’s so much to say about me but I’ll be brief. I am a Data Analyst and a Data Storyteller. I joined the data space officially in April 2022 so yes, this month is my anniversary in Data. I’ve been to different fields of Tech before going into Data. Fields like UI/UX, AR/VR, Marketing, Content Creation, UX writing and Project/Product management. I went through all these fields with the hope of finding something that suits my personality until I finally found Data that was just right for my curiosity and my ability to pay attention to details. I’m an advocate of data storytelling. And lastly, something I don’t really talk about; I’m a final-year Pharmacy student. Currently, I’m a content creator for a Web3 community and I hope to get my first data job soon, either as a data analyst or a data technical writer.
Kaosarah: I’m Lawal Kaosarah Omowumi, a data analyst and veterinarian with a background in front-end development. I’ve always had a passion for technology and started my tech career as a frontend developer before transitioning into data analysis. Additionally, I’m a skilled fashion designer specializing in corporate male wears.
That’s great to know. How did you both get to know each other?
Kaosarah: I saw Nancy’s article online on how she worked on a website analytics project and really wanted to work on the dataset. I didn’t contact her until I saw her join the YDP group that I was in. So I messaged her and asked her for the dataset. That was it!
Nancy: (smiles) Kaosarah knew me from my first data project regarding website analytics. I joined the Young Data Professionals group and she noticed and send me a DM on my WhatsApp. That was in October 2022. She was trying to confirm if I was the Nancy that did the website analytics project. Lol. I said yes and we got talking while she asked me some questions that I answered and that was it. We didn’t chat again until the Datathon.
So what prompted you both to form a team since you ladies didn’t talk that long until the Datathon?
Nancy: When I think of this, I smile. I just received a message from her asking to be my teammate in the WIDA Datathon. When I saw the message, I was surprised because I didn’t know about the Datathon. I had to go to the group and confirm if there was actually a Datathon coming up. I asked her how good she was with PowerBI or Tableau because I hadn’t learnt it at that time and she sent her portfolio. It was really good so I agreed and that was how we became teammates.
Kaosarah: As a data analyst, I know my strengths and my weaknesses. And one of my weaknesses was not talking about my work online due to my introverted nature. But Nancy was the exact opposite. She talks a lot about data online and that was what I admired about her. So I saw this as an opportunity to put myself out there.
Why Data Titans? Why not any other name?
Kaosarah: I saw the name “Titan” as someone that’s strong in intellect and it made me feel like I am smart. Not like I’m saying I’m dull but it was just like a reminder and confirmation that I was really smart. And from afar, I felt the same for Nancy too so I knew that name suited us well.
Nancy: The name didn’t matter to me oh. I am not good with names so we asked ChatGPT for a list of team names for a Datathon, then I told Kaosarah to choose the one that suits her and I loved the Data Titans that she picked so I ran with it.
How did you feel when you got the prompt about the Datathon?
Nancy: Omoooo. I almost fainted. I was like, football of all things? Football? I don’t like sports so I really saw it as a tough one. At some point, I started rethinking if I wanted to continue but I didn’t want to disappoint Kaosarah so I kept on. I just knew that we needed to do intensive research if we wanted to go far.
Kaosarah: When I received the prompt for the datathon, I was thrilled and energized by the challenge ahead. I knew that it would require all our skills and expertise to succeed but I was confident that we had what it took to win.
Lol. I can Imagine how hard it would have been for you Nancy. So how did you approach the problem statement of the Datathon as a team?
Kaosarah: We spent so much time researching about FIFA world cup and the differences between the men’s and women’s tournaments. The thing is, we knew what we wanted at the onset. We wanted something perfect or near perfect. We tried to focus on the main insight we could find from our EDA. We didn’t want to do too much so we won’t overwhelm our audience.
Nancy: When I saw the Datathon prompt and was convinced that we were going to try our best to work on it, the next thing I told Kaosarah was, we needed to be different from other teams. We saw that the prompt wanted us to either show insights into the evolution of women’s soccer over the years, the performance of top teams and players, and strategies used by coaches to succeed. I felt that most teams wouldn’t go for strategies because that would require the use of Inferential statistics so I told Kaosarah that we’ll go for that one. The funny thing is, I knew only very little about statistics😅 and that was just descriptive statistics.
Niiiiiice. So what was your experience working together?
Kaosarah: It was really awesome. I loved the fact that we worked together like we’d been friends for years. Lol. Everything just made sense. I just saw Nancy as my classmate where we read and did things together. I loved that one person was not trying to dominate the other person. We gave reasons for our opinions to understand each other’s perspectives. Just like what our analysis was pointing out (chuckles), we had this team spirit in us.
Nancy: Honestly, working with Kaosarah is one of my greatest experiences. She made my relationship with her so seamless even though she was married. We created an environment where we aired our views and gave reasons for our views and if the other person see that it was fine, we’ll go for it. We never had any issues for one day and she was always serious and never gave any unreasonable excuse as to why she couldn’t meet up to her task. Omo, I can talk on and on and on to show that Kaosarah is a great person.
How did you feel about your chances of winning when you first started working on the project?
Nancy: Winning was actually a long route to think about when we just started working on the datathon. The aim was to reach the top 20 first😂
Kaosarah: From the beginning of the datathon, I felt optimistic about our chances of winning. I knew we had what it took to be the winner.
What did you learn from participating in the Datathon and how do you plan to apply the knowledge to future projects?
Kaosarah: Participating in the datathon was a valuable learning experience. I gained new insights into data analysis techniques and I also learned how to work effectively as part of a team.
Nancy: Damn! I learnt a whole lot. I had always believed that you couldn’t work on any data project without domain knowledge. Working on this project went a really looong way in proving this point. It improved my research skills both based on how FIFA world cup works and even on my approach to solving the problem. It intensified my knowledge and efforts in statistics. Yes, I can say that I know how to make inferences and conclusions using statistics. Obviously, it improved my data storytelling skills too. With all this knowledge, working in a business setting won’t be a problem for me.
How did you feel when your team was announced as the winner?
Nancy: Honestly, I was shocked because I had doubts as to whether our presentation was too dangerously focused and if the judges really loved the focus. When we finished our presentation, the judges had just one or two questions for us, unlike the other teams. We got comments from them on how we did extremely well though but it didn’t stop me from sweating. Lol. I couldn’t even speak when we were announced as the winner. I unmuted my mic but no words left my mouth. That was how shocked I was.
Kaosarah: Winning was an incredible feeling. I felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment in what we were able to achieve. it was obvious from the way I screeeaaamed when we were announced as the winner.
What do you think stood you out in your presentation?
Kaosarah: What stood us out was the way our presentation was focused on one thing. Our introduction was also very catchy. We also made the presentation concise and interesting with our recommendations. We were able to link our research questions to our insights and recommendations. The basic thing that stood out to me though was that focus.
Nancy: First, it was the focus. The judges commended us for focusing on how assists could turn teams into champions. One of the judges also commended us for having a great hook at the beginning of our presentation. They also said our recommendations were really good and data-driven. And lastly, the simplicity and conciseness of our dashboard. When a judge mentioned how he could see everything on our dashboard without scrolling, it reminded me of a book I read that instructed against designing scrollable dashboards for easy comparison. That really made me smile😁
Wow! That’s a handful that stood you out there. Could you quickly run through any challenges you may have experienced during the course of the Datathon?
Kaosarah: I can’t think of any challenges. Nancy should answer this one😂
Nancy: (laughs) Actually, the only challenge I had was time. I had school and work to handle and I got a gig at that time so everything was really draining for me. But while handling these things, I was still researching everything about FIFA. We didn’t start working on the dataset until March 14th.
Even though your team won, do you think you should have done anything differently?
Nancy: No. I don’t think so. We came all out for this and tried not to leave any stone unturned so I can’t think of anything off my head that we could have done differently and even the judges didn’t tell us any loopholes that our team had.
Kaosarah: Overall, I think our team did an excellent job. During our presentation though, we should have talked about our exploratory data analysis process. Some of the judges seemed interested in it. Asides from that, I can’t think of anything else.
What advice would you give anyone considering participating in a datathon?
Kaosarah: For anyone who wants to participate in a datathon, my advice would be to come prepared, stay focused and be willing to collaborate with others. It’s also essential to be open to new ideas and to be willing to learn from others. Finally, remember to enjoy the experience and have fun! Just like we did.
Nancy: I usually say this and I’ll still say this, “strive to be different.” If we didn’t want to be different, we wouldn’t have gone as far as this. If we didn’t want to be different, we wouldn’t have chosen to use statistical modelling in our analysis even though we didn’t have any idea how to do it. Because we strived to be different, we pushed ourselves beyond our limits.
If you paid close attention to the interviews with these two ladies, it is evident that they have very distinct personalities and backgrounds. Despite these differences, the datathon brought them together, and they were able to work harmoniously, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
This is a testament to the power of teamwork and collaboration, even in settings where people have varying skills and personalities. The datathon not only helped them develop new skills and improve on existing ones but also created lasting friendships that will extend beyond the event. It is inspiring to see how a simple competition can bring people from diverse backgrounds together, breaking down stereotypes and building bridges. It is a reminder that regardless of our differences, we can achieve great things when we work together towards a common goal.
So step out of that comfort zone and partner with someone today! It could be a group project or even another competition. You never know the kind of relationship you can build if only you put yourself out there.
Relevant Links
Connect with Nancy Amandi on Twitter and LinkedIn
Connect with Lawal Kaosarah on LinkedIn
