When should I start thinking about data?
From the start!
Plan and build around measurable goals. Which means figuring out what you're going to measure and how you're going to measure it. Otherwise, how will you know when to declare victory?
What's the hardest part of collecting data?
Getting the right participants!
People need a compelling reasons to give you information. And they will, if you give them some. Which means a privacy strategy needs to be designed in tandem with your data collection strategy.
Why can't I collect everything...
and sort it out later?
Because "everything" is infinite and time and resources are limited.
Collecting everything is the equivalent of saying, "Why can't I just try out every idea and see which ones work best?" Data collection requires intensive testing. Think of each piece of information you're collecting as a product feature and then consider what resources you have available to you to test (and test and test) to make sure that what you're collecting is accurate and being interpreted correctly by the system.
Doesn't collecting data violate people's privacy?
Privacy isn't an all or nothing proposition. It's a balancing act.
It's more useful to think of data collecting as negotiation process between you and the people you're collecting information from. What information do you need? Who do you need it from? What incentives do they need to give you the information you need? How much privacy will they demand? How much privacy can you afford to give?
Even better, can you create a symbiotic relationship, such that you're mutually exchanging data, rather than collecting it from them?
Our Approach