#135 Where Data Science meets Sports Analytics with Golfer Turned Engineer Ken Jee

freeCodeCamp Podcast

On this week's episode of the podcast, freeCodeCamp founder Quincy Larson interviews Ken Jee. Ken's a Data Scientist. He's also a Sports Analytics practitioner who works with US Team Golf and USA Basketball.

Ken hosts the excellent Ken's Nearest Neighbors podcast and the Exponential Athelete podcast.

We talk about:

- How an injury pushed Ken out of pro sports and into data science

- How Ken explains his statistical insights to coaches and players to help them improve their performance

- Why Ken doesn't think building projects is all that useful anymore. "Data Scientists should instead build products."

- How Ken starts and ends each day with meditation, and writes down all the ideas that pop into his head after each session.

- Ken's observation that: "Who is the best suited to excel in a world where AI tools are prominent? Probably the people who are building them. People in the data science domain, people who are coding – they're the most prepared to use these tools for other things."

Can you guess what song I'm playing on my bass during the intro? It's from a 2006 dance song, and it was originally played on a synth.

Also, I want to thank the 10,109 kind people who support our charity each month, and who make this podcast possible. You can join them and support our mission at: https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate

Links we talk about during our conversation:

Ken's Nearest Neighbors Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpEJMMRoTIHJ8vG8q_EwqCg

The Exponential Athelete Podcast, also hosted by Ken: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkSd12rP282takuFJKsAsYlHdpdEDhuE

The Founders podcast, which both Ken and Quincy listen to. James Dyson episode: https://www.founderspodcast.com/episodes/88384801/senra-james-dyson-against-the-odds-an-autobiography

Anna Wintour episode: https://www.founderspodcast.com/episodes/58741411/senra-326-anna-wintour

San Antonio caves that Quincy visited: https://naturalbridgecaverns.com/