Steve Jackson - Cult Man

Get yourself a double-cap half-caff no-foam skinny mocha-latte-chino and I’ll have a coffee.  It’s time to learn about those in the web analytics community.

Today it’s the turn of Captain Blackbeak himself, Steve Jackson, who gets a gold star for providing a picture of himself in a pirate costume.  I could say I won’t be using that as part of a blackmail campaign, but I’d be lying.

Steve, tell us about yourself – preferably in the third person.

Steve (aka Cap’n Blackbeak) is a well known analytics specialist, author and speaker. A pioneer since 2002, he established one of the first European web analytics consultancies (Aboavista), later acquired by Satama in 2006. His clients include Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Tallink, KONE, MTV3, Vodafone, Sanoma, F-Secure and a host of others.

In 2008 he wrote his first book Cult Of Analytics published on May 14th 2009 and served with the Web Analytics association helping establish the Nordic WAA presence from 2005-9.

He currently serves as Director of Business Insights at Kwantic.

You’re English.  Do you wear a top hat to breakfast every day, or just on Sundays?

I wore a top hat in the bar on Friday very briefly if that counts. Someone came in with a posh suit on and I tried it on. Had a glass of good English Empire ale with me as well. Jolly hockey sticks. Bandits at 3 o clock. Tallyho and all that. (I’ll get me coat).

This Web Analytics Cult of yours – how does it work?  Do you have a title like Grand Kazoo of Data?  Must all hail your chihuahua?

We are the Analysts who say “Arrr!” and I am Captain Blackbeak.  All I demand is that all followers of this particular cult bring me shrubbery or a golden dubloon. If it’s a shrub it should be one that looks nice and is not too expensive in upkeep, preferably one with very small flowers, red and white if possible.
If it’s a dubloon it should have the head of Queen Elizabeth the 1st upon it and be solid gold, not plated. All of these demands will be waived if the follower buys me a pint of good English Empire ale from BillyK in Helsinki on a Friday. That is all.

A client asks you to explain web analytics to him using one report – what do you do?

I ask him to give me a 5 euro note, upon which I would swap it with a 20 euro note and a contract to sign saying, “Sign that contract and I will return to you at least 4 times the amount you pay us*, that is what web analytics can do for you…. Arr!”
* €20 is non refundable and a free gift. Especially if in the aforementioned bar on a Friday night.

If you had to leave the web analytics industry, what would be your dream job?

A charter fisherman in the Caribbean. It’s part of my 10 year plan.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

I would say Bryan Eisenberg was the first person from the web analytics space I read and thought “yeah that’s what I want to do” about 10 years ago. Their company (Future Now) inspired me to set-up my own similar company in 2002 (Aboavista) which was subsequently acquired. Then the story to get to where I am now had me meet/see/read & hear such folks as Jim Sterne, Avinash Kaushik, Eric Peterson and many others, all of which I’ve looked upon with a great sense of admiration at some point. I remember when I read Web Analytics 2.0 I thought, Damn! I wish I’d written mine a bit more like that!

What do you think poses the greatest danger to the web analytics industry?

Ignorance from both the folks worried about privacy and from analysts worried about HiPPOs. (The last bit is a joke – Privacy).

How many times have you dressed up as a pirate?

Can’t recall – at least twice once when I was a kid then here (I’m the one on the left – the other one is a friend of mine who I’m sure will thank me for making this picture more public than it is already).

The picture shown is from my leaving do when I left the UK for Finland in May 2002.

Believe it or not there were 70 of us all dressed as pirates sailing up and down the River Wear in the city of Durham on a Barge/Restaurant. Any couple walking up the bank that day had 70 screaming pirates shouting “give her a kiss” followed by uproarious cheering if the couple started snogging. I also remember a friend of mine chatting up a policewoman after he’d chased after her across a bridge with a fake cutlass. There were no arrests. A good day.

What is your wish for 2011?

That my clients become extremely profitable.

What is the nerdiest joke you know?

I have a sign on my wall I found funny that says “We have charts and graphs to back us up so €#”! off”

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!