IBM buys SPSS

The big news today was IBM’s purchase of SPSS. The implications are big in the predictive analytics space and for business intelligence in general.

But there is another reason for this post. Back in 1994, I had interviewed at SPSS. My father suggested I send Jack Noonan a resume directly. It worked. I was in the door and interviewing for an inside sales position. This was 1994. There was a recession. Being a new college graduate, interviews were tough to come by. I was pumped and over anxious. I even remember the receptionist telling me to relax before when I arrived. The face to face went great, and I was asked for a secondary phone screen to test my phone skills. I crushed the interview. I thought. When asked if I had any questions I said simply with overconfidence, “Well, how did I do?”

“You said the word ‘like’ 37 times and the ‘ya knows’ are not what we are looking for.” I was told. I was crushed. Stunned. Deflated. Important lesson. I never forgot it.

Congratulations to Jack Noonan and the SPSS team. Thanks for that lesson many moons ago.

Coverage @ TechCrunch: Monster Merger: IBM Buys SPSS For Approx. $1.2 Billion In Cash Deal