Experience is data

While watching a classic cricket match from the 1990s, I realised something: data, a term now central to fields from business to sports, was always present – even before our tech-driven world took shape.

Back then, as the bowler ran in, the television screen displayed a line showing his bowling path. It illustrated how a consistent line and length could influence the batsman’s response. Another graphic showed the batsman’s shot placements across the stadium. This was not just data as we see it today; it was knowledge, experience, and anticipation coming together. In essence, it was data – transformed from experience into actionable insights.

Today, data defines how we make decisions. But this isn’t new; it is simply a structured version of what experience and intuition have always offered. Think of a seasoned business leader deciding where to invest or which product to launch. These decisions may seem instinctive, but they are based on patterns, outcomes, and lessons learned from years of experience. In a way, it is a mental collection of insights built over time, which today’s technology allows us to visualise and refine further.

The tech industry’s growth has magnified this transformation. In the digital world, every startup founder, product manager, or marketer relies on a mix of data and experience to make decisions that enhance the value of the product or service offered. For example, a tech entrepreneur launching a new platform needs market insights, user engagement statistics, and conversion data to shape their approach. But even these tables, graphs, and figures are linked to experience. They are choices and patterns built over years, providing a foundation for each data point.

Today, we are seeing experience evolve into data. Every decision that once relied on gut feeling or implicit knowledge can now be expressed in numbers, charts, and algorithms. Data tools allow us to analyse experience on a more precise scale, but the original foundation remains – experience and action.

This shift has also redefined personal growth and learning. Individuals can now track their performance, from workout stats to productivity metrics, transforming personal experiences into measurable data. Professionals, athletes, and students use these insights to refine their routines and habits, creating a cycle of continuous learning.

As artificial intelligence and machine learning tools become accessible, organisations increasingly use predictive analytics to forecast future outcomes based on past experiences. The blend of human expertise and data science enables us to anticipate trends, reduce risks, and make informed decisions more quickly than ever.

In this way, experience has become data, driving both personal and professional growth at an unprecedented pace, which will continue to envelop our lives and careers. Experience, once intangible, is now a crucial asset, evolving with the times but retaining its value.

Students can develop insights and acumen to turn experience into data by engaging in real-world learning opportunities. Internships, part-time jobs, and project-based assignments provide hands-on experience, allowing students to observe patterns, track results, and collect relevant data. By analysing outcomes and reflecting on which strategies succeeded or failed, they gain insights that support decision-making.

Students should also focus on building analytical skills by using tools like spreadsheets, data visualisation and project management software to organise and interpret information. These tools transform observations into measurable data, showing how individual actions impact larger objectives.

Engaging in continuous learning – such as pursuing degree or diploma courses in data analytics and business intelligence – can further strengthen students’ ability to view experience as data. By combining experience with structured analysis, students can build a foundation of actionable insights, positioning themselves as data-driven thinkers ready for today’s data-centric professional environment.

The writer is a fiction writer and columnist.