[aok1425]

Agreed! I think all new/aspiring DS should be told that even if we give a technically great argument, the PM/decision-maker might not adopt it. This surprised me & my colleagues when we first learned it.

I've heard of different DS organizational models, whether embedded in a cross-functional team like this DS, or on a DS-only team. The main downside I've heard for a DS-only team is that stakeholders just come to you for requests, and you don't build up domain expertise.

For embedded DS, how could we get them to have more decision-making power? The only solution I can think of for a product team is to have the PM have DS skills, which eliminates the need to have a separate DS on the team in the first place!