Katie Bauer!

Maybe it's just me, but when I encounter someone espousing the "DS/ML talent is so hard to find" meme, I can't help but think it seems self-indulgent.

To be clear, there probably are more open DS and ML roles than there are people to fill them, but the complaint that there's no one good enough on the market to work for your company as a DS is just... stupid

Companies overestimating their need for DS and ML is definitely a factor, but hiring managers contribute to this too. While there's a natural tension between hiring for what you need now vs. what you'll need in the future, it seems like hiring managers overindex on the long term

This is understandable because longterm thinking is a fun part of management. Thus, managers insist on hiring senior people with experience in the area and the ability to operate in a way that's aligned with said manager's vision without much supervision.

You may have heard a DS manager describe this as a desire to Be More Strategic™, but recognize it for what it is: wishful thinking.  Two of big parts of a manager's job are ensuring the team is maintaining velocity and growing the team into the senior DSes they'd like to hire

Both of these responsibilities require managers to keep their eye on the ball, and neither can never be fully completed. The right team makes them easier, but they are the bread and butter of line management and you cannot hire them out of existence.