The goal of this workshop-style course is to teach the systematic framework to make smarter decisions under uncertainty -- an emerging area called quantitative intuitionTM. 

Quantitative intuition is the ability to make decisions with incomplete information via precision questioning and business acumen driven by pattern recognition. This requires a parallel view of the issues that matter rather than just a logical sequence of thoughts to see the situation as a whole. 

Information is essential to making intelligent decisions, but more often than not, it overwhelms us in today’s data-rich environment. The pace of business demands decisions to be made at a faster rate, however, these decisions are often made by consensus reflecting a flight to safety rather than an insightful decision acting as a catalyst for change.  To make bold decisions, the manager needs the skills to quickly extract the relevant bits from the fire hose of information. 

This course will focus on the skills needed to develop quantitative intuition, namely how to gather, understand, and find value in data across the business continuum. Additionally, once the relevant data is found, we will spend time to become proficient in extracting meaningful insights and develop a set of pragmatic communication techniques to influence change. We will not teach data analysis software tools. Rather, students will learn to formulate critical business questions to effectively frame issues. The practical lessons taught will topple conventional wisdom that you need to be a numbers whiz to make sound, fact-based decisions. The course is aimed at managers and aspiring managers in all facets of business (e.g., consulting, marketing, strategy, product management, and finance) who wish to equip themselves with pragmatic skills to be successful in our data-driven world through precision questioning and quantitative intuition.

Oded Netzer

Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business

Professor Netzer's expertise centers on one of the major business challenges of the data-rich environment: developing quantitative methods that leverage data to gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior and guide firms' decisions. He focuses primarily on building statistical and econometric models to measure consumer preferences and understand how customer choices change over time, and across contexts. Most notably, he has developed a...

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Christopher Frank

Adjunct Professor

As Vice President of Global Marketplace Insights at American Express, Christopher Frank leads the advertising, brand, and communications research and analytics group. Prior to joining American Express, he spent ten years at Microsoft as Senior Director in Corporate Marketing Research.

Having developed and built high performing teams at American Express and Microsoft, he leverages pragmatic experience to show how to make smarter...

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Paul Magnone

Adjunct Professor of Business

Paul has over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, new product development, acquisition integration, alliance management, and consultative sales. He is a systems thinker and business builder focused on making the complex simple, understanding where technology and innovation are headed, and helping to answer what it means for any business. In his current work with Google, he is unlocking the next generation of business...

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