This week, we dive deep into the world of data, decision-making, and uncertainty with Dale Nesbitt, a lecturer at Stanford and principal at Arrowhead Economics.

Drawing on his unique upbringing in a mining town, Dale Nesbitt shares how witnessing raw data collection firsthand shaped his perspective on what it really takes to make informed decisions—hint: it's not just about having more data.

Together, we explore the pitfalls of relying solely on data for critical choices, the importance of understanding probability and risk, and why data-gathering itself is often a noisy and imperfect process.

From commodity pricing and speculation in oil markets to the real-world impact of data-driven decisions in healthcare, Dale Nesbitt reveals why true analytic power comes from combining rigorous analysis, sound judgment, and the right kind of data—not just more of it.

Join us as we challenge myths around "data-driven" decisions, unpack lessons from COVID-era data science, and discover why wisdom of the crowd, probability, and a healthy respect for uncertainty are key to navigating our data-rich world.

Links

• Dale's LinkedIn profile -https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-nesbitt-b574a83a/
• Watch on YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USOKgv1avHo

Time Stamps

00:00 Growing up in a mining town

05:44 Data as the New Crude Oil

07:31 Estimating and Understanding Stochastic Processes

12:49 Impact of Strait of Hormuz Closure

14:19 Challenges of AI in Economics

17:05 Betting on events and elections

21:43 Bayesian analysis and hydroxychloroquine data

23:28 Understanding data and judgment

26:38 Analyzing data for better decisions

On this episode of Data Driven, hosts Frank La Vigne and Candace Gillhoolley are joined by hardware and open source expert Michael Makowski to discuss the shifting landscape of developer workstations and AI hardware. As Windows usage declines among developers and AI engineers, Linux is experiencing a surge in desktop adoption. Michael takes us inside the latest efforts to make Linux not just accessible, but enterprise-grade—sharing how his team is driving advancements in stability, reliability, and user experience for validated Linux hardware.

We talk about the dramatic improvements in Linux desktop support, the importance of privacy and avoiding surveillance-driven proprietary systems, and the game-changing features coming to market—like automated system rollback and curated app installs. Plus, we explore the current state of gaming on Linux, the technical edge unified memory brings to AI development, and why companies are increasingly opting for supported, Linux-based workstations. Whether you’re Linux-curious, rethinking your hardware choices, or just passionate about the future of developer tools and data engineering, this conversation will equip you for what’s next.

• Mike's Company Website -https://kfocus.org/
• Mike's LinkedIn Profile -https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mikowski-7601393/
• Watch this show on YouTube -https://youtu.be/E03EObEa2lQ

00:00 Website security concerns and solutions

05:03 Supporting KDE for long-term stability

09:45 Desktop environment compatibility issues

10:46 Conflicts in desktop environments

15:07 AMD vs Intel & Nvidia Performance

18:58 Showing the production site

23:49 Steam's Linux runtime environment

25:43 Running Windows games on Linux

29:47 Concerns about software privacy issues

33:31 Migrating from Windows challenges

37:48 Setting up machine learning hardware

41:31 Resolving system issues efficiently

42:59 Setting up a VPN correctly

47:40 Running VMs on alternative OS

52:49 Upcoming OS Upgrade Details

56:19 Rigorous testing and development process

57:25 Tuning BTRFS for performance

In this episode of Data Driven, we're diving into the rapidly evolving world of agentic AI—where autonomous AI agents collaborate, communicate, and occasionally collide. Our guest, Vlad Luzin, co-founder and CTO of Band, joins us to explore the technical challenges and real-world implications of building collaboration layers for agents that act like distributed, non-deterministic microservices.

We’ll unpack the myths and realities surrounding orchestration, governance, and security, and discuss how enterprises can operationalize these agent ecosystems safely. Tune in as we share lessons learned, amusing engineering mishaps, and get a glimpse of what the future holds as agents become everyday colleagues in the digital enterprise.

• Vlad's LinkedIn Profile -https://www.linkedin.com/in/luzin/
• Watch this episode on YouTube -https://youtu.be/MZztFagEX_E
• Band Website -https://www.band.ai/
• Band Docs -https://docs.band.ai/

00:00 Explaining orchestration in tech

03:42 Understanding models and harnesses

09:38 Misconceptions about A2A communication

10:41 Understanding multi-agent systems

16:18 Observability for distributed systems

18:54 Agent communication and collaboration

24:28 Unauthorized agent interactions

25:49 Remote agent collaboration ideas

28:54 How foundational AI models communicate

33:20 Agent communication protocols overview

35:39 Discussing tech standards and AI velocity

40:53 Learning to Work with AI Agents

42:41 Using Band AI tools