From the author's post, I get the feeling basic research and the research environment are what he misses. There is something powerful about contributing to the

From the author's post, I get the feeling basic research and the research environment are what he misses. There is something powerful about contributing to the universal body of knowledge vs say finding patterns in data to help better understand customers. That said, I'm sure there are industries where being a skilled data scientist can augment fundamental r&d work and feel a lot closer to being in academia. One thing he said though I think applies more universally than he thinks: "There is strong competition and people typically experience quite some pressure to achieve." One could say that about positions in sales, trading and even programming. It is hard to stand still these days and not be run out of a job.