Your first statement I don't agree with -> I don't see how you can't break out of your frame of reference. If your frame of reference is working with data and b

Your first statement I don't agree with -> I don't see how you can't break out of your frame of reference. If your frame of reference is working with data and building skills that are equally applicable in a business environment, then I think you can make the transition without major hiccups. That's the belief of the people running the Insight Fellowship as well, which has had great success in providing a channel to bring people with an academic background into industry. I absolutely agree, formal education doesn't not imply greater influence nor greater success, however, neither does it imply that you can't reach the highest heights. So there's a fallacy in the thought process that if you want to be a data scientist, school is not the a possible option. I think there are people who can be successful in the data science business who pick it up by themselves, with all the free material out there, and equally I think you can approach the field with formal training and make a name for yourself. Anyway, by the sounds of it, we're probably reaching the point of agreeing to disagree.