Analytics Cohorts
Mutual Membership in a Private Forum
The ability to forge meaningful connections with peers is missing from online conferences. Whether you are the only analyst at your company, manage a large team, or are responsible for the entire enterprise, this program is a safe-space to find out how others are dealing with similar challenges.
Now Accepting Applications for Analytics Cohort #17
Peer Community
Lasting relationships are invaluable in our business lives.
Professional camaraderie transpires at in-person events when you meet as strangers, connect as individuals, discover affinities as colleagues, and establish relationships that will last your entire career. Your professional network grows over time, filled with people who can help you and whom you can help, reinforcing professional and personal growth.
Discussion topics include analytics tactics
Qualitative and quantitative analytics, data capture, quality, and integration, multi-channel analysis, customer segmentation, testing, reporting, dashboards, optimization, predictive analytics, data visualization, and presentation techniques.
Discussion topics include analytics strategy
Strategy development, Analytics Center of Excellence design, managing data as an asset, data protection and privacy policy, data product development, organizational data literacy, culture, and governance, technology infrastructure, data science management, technology roadmaps, organizational design, global analytics alignment.
Discussion topics include analytics management
The care and feeding of analytics professionals, KPI development, resource allocation, project prioritization, project management, measurement methodologies, analytics processes management, process automation, opportunity assessment, training and skills assessment, technology selection and implementation.
Who is Analytics Cohorts For?
Below are the titles of some previous Analytics Cohorts participants
- Manager, Digital Analytics and Performance Media
- Director, Performance Marketing and Analytics
- Lead Data Scientist
- Technical Analytics Expert
- Digital Analytics Manager
- Senior Manager Digital Analytics
- CEO Digital Analytics Consultancy
- Senior Manager, Product Analytics
- Director of Marketing Sciences
- Web Analytics Specialist
- Data Strategy Manager
- Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization Consultant
- Commercial and Marketing Analytics Team Lead
- Digital Analytics Managing Director
- Director of Business Intelligence
Mutual Mentorship
Analytics Cohorts brings together small groups of people for mutual support and encouragement matched to your needs. Sessions focus on the trials and tribulations of individuals' hurdles with technology, methods, and/or personnel. One person holds the spotlight at a time while the rest offer insight, guidance, and assurance wrought from experience. Private Mentorships are also available. Contact Jim to learn more.
Professional Network Development
In a mutual mentorship environment, you quickly learn about the skillsets and problem-solving capabilities of colleagues and they learn about your goals and ambitions. The peer you meet today may be just the right person for your team next year - or next decade.
You will have the advantage of using this curated gathering for moral support, references, and quality consultancy in addition to career support connecting you to a community of like-minded professionals.
Practical, Tactical Advice
Thought leadership is great - that's what TED Talks are for. But you're looking for the HOW to get things done. Analytics Cohorts is where you learn how to execute and hone your ability to make an impact. It’s where your peers offer real-world mobilization advice and are committed to helping you work through the obstacles.
Chatham House Rule
When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
The Greatest Benefit
You are in a position to help others. Nobody knows it all and you know things others do not. You can change a life with a word, a sentence, a shared experience. There is no better feeling than helping others get better at what they do.
What Do We Discuss?
That’s up to you.
- Have a particular technical issue you want to get resolved? Let us know.
- Want to understand the larger concepts and management issues around Analytics? Bring it.
- Wondering why your career is where it is and want to know how to move forward? We can help.
- Want to form an important bond with fellow analysts who become part of your cadre and can help you for the rest of your life? This is where you can find them.
Read the following articles and links for more information about Analytics Cohorts.
- Recap of the first Analytics Cohorts' private conversation
- Private Analytics Conversation 1.2
- 1.3 - the Great Analytics Migration
- Analysts Are Hard to Keep - Conversation 1.4
- Here's a long list of topics
Each Cohort category meets for the same amount of time, but the 'content' is the people with whom you will bond. If you are an analyst, designing an Analytics Center of Excellence isn't on your plate, so you wouldn't want to be in the Executive Cohort. If you are an Analytics Executive, you'll want to discuss topics with other Executives whose time is also at a premium.
Your Moderator/Guide Jim Sterne
An internationally known speaker and consultant to Fortune 500 companies and tech entrepreneurs, Jim has been at the forefront of online marketing . He has devoted his attention to the Internet as a marketing medium, and building communities of online professionals since the early 1990's. His Marketing Analytics Summit (formerly eMetrics Summit) was the birthplace of the Digital Analytics Association.
Jim has authored books on Internet advertising, marketing optimization, email marketing, social media, web and data analytics and most recently artificial intelligence for marketing, has presented around the world and lectured at Stanford, Oxford and MIT. He is on the Advisory Board of a variety of innovative startups, and a Board Member of organizations including the Better Business Bureau, the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, and the peer-reviewed journal, Applied Marketing Analytics.
Jim has grown an unequaled professional network he can draw on to help you set up a program, tackle a burning issue, face a dilemma, or carve a career path. Having mentored hundreds of people around the globe his insight and currency are assured by his experience. Now, he brings his insights and perceptiveness into a group setting where he’ll guide and enable colleagues to help and holistically learn from each other.
The Commitment and Pricing
Virtual Meetings are held
- 2 times a month
- For 90 minutes
- For 6 months
- The total cost is $1,750
Not Happy?
Then I don't want your money, and I will provide a complete refund.
Refunds are available for associates who have participated in all sessions and sincerely feel that their Analytics Cohort experience did not provide:
- Personal Growth
- Deeper Knowledge
- An engaging Format
- A Sense of Self-Worth
- Advantageous Relationships
Are you ready to join a peer community and curated experience with hands-on individualized support?
Frequently Asked Questions About Analytics Cohorts
Each Cohort lasts six months and features weekly live Zoom sessions, real-world homework, group discussions, and peer support under the Chatham House Rule, fostering open sharing in a confidential space. 90 minutes, twice a month, for 6 months.
Topics range from marketing analytics and data storytelling to AI tools, web scraping, custom GPTs, dashboard design, career development, and client strategy. Members help shape the content based on current needs. What’s on your mind? That’s what we talk about. It’s like having a 4-person advisor council. That’s why we call it “mutual mentorship”
As of March, 2025 there have been 15 Cohorts with 55% male, 45% non-male and a 22% repeat participation. A random sample of job titles includes:
- AI Marketing Strategist
- Analytics Consultant
- Analytics Manager
- Analytics Team Lead
- Client Services Manager
- Content Strategist
- Dashboard Consultant
- Data Analyst
- Data Engineer
- Data Visualization Specialist
- Digital Marketing Strategist
- Founder and Managing Partner
- Marketing Analytics Specialist
- Marketing Operations Leader
- Marketing Technology Consultant
- Paid Search Specialist
- Product Analyst
- Regional Business Strategist
- Technical Adviser
No! This is not a training course. Some participants are deeply technical, while others are strategists, managers, or marketers who want to better understand and apply data. Everyone is welcome and everyone adds to the conversation.
Definitely. Many members are freelancers or agency leaders navigating client relationships, growth challenges, and positioning. It’s a great space to brainstorm, sanity-check ideas, and learn from peers in similar situations.
Absolutely. Many past members joined while between roles and found the cohort incredibly helpful for networking, skill-building, and boosting confidence. Some have even found new gigs through fellow members and everybody found valuable advice on career planning.
Absolutely. Analytics Cohorts is global, with members joining from North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and beyond. Time zones and individual time constraints are considered in scheduling. We agree on the next date and time at the end of each meeting.
Born of a lack of human contact during Covid, the first Analytics Cohort was in January of 2021.
The vibe of Analytics Cohorts is like your favorite small-group mastermind meets office hours with analytics rockstars—laid-back, smart, and deeply supportive.
It’s not a rigid classroom. It’s more like:
- Candid convos where you can say “I have no idea how to do this” and someone actually helps without judgment.
- Geeks and creatives swapping wins, failures, tools, dashboards, career pivots, AI hacks, and hot takes on strategy.
- Zoom calls that feel like coffee chats—sometimes philosophical, sometimes tactical, always useful.
- Respect for boundaries + encouragement to grow. You can listen, lead, or lurk—your pace is welcome.
- Dark humor, honest feedback, occasional F-bombs, and lots of "ohhh I needed to hear that."
- People rooting for you, not competing with you. Whether you’re freelancing, job-hunting, leading teams, or just trying to figure things out.
As one recurring theme shows up in the transcripts: “It’s like therapy for data people.”
Crave a break from endless Slack noise or stale webinars? This is your place, these are your people.
Life happens. All sessions are recorded (Chatham House Rule applies), and members can catch up at their convenience. You’ll also stay in the loop through notes, summaries, and continued group discussion.
“I could not wait for this dose of inspiration, I have been looking forward to it all week!”
“It’s like thinking things over out loud… with non-judgmental feedback.”
“Your influence on my career has been immeasurable (ironic?).”
“A source of support, strength, a sounding board for ideas, and a platform to learn from others.”
“Jim’s ability to create space for self-discovery is remarkable.”
Jim Sterne sold business computers to companies that had not yet owned one in the 1980s, consulted and keynoted about online marketing in the 1990s, founded a conference and a professional association around digital analytics in the 2000s, and has lately been advising companies on the adoption of generative AI. His 13 books on Internet marketing include Artificial Intelligence for Marketing: Practical Applications (2017) and the soon-to-be published, “The New Science of Customer Relationships: Delivering the One-to-One Promise With AI.”
Sterne’s Marketing Analytics Summit has been running since 2002, and he spent 20 years with the Digital Analytics Association as cofounder and Board Chair Emeritus. Sterne is on the Advisory Board of a variety of startups, the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau, and the Editorial Board of the Applied Marketing Analytics peer-reviewed journal. Sterne’s TEDx talk is about leveraging generative AI as a catalyst for innovation.