Agile Data N’ Info Increasing the perceived value of your data team with Aaron Wilkerson - Episode #62
Apr 10, 2025
Shane Gibson engages with Aaron Wilkerson, Director of Data Strategy and Products at Carhartt, who shares valuable insights on enhancing the perceived value of data teams. They tackle misconceptions about data's role in organizations and stress the need for effective communication. Aaron discusses the importance of storytelling in data analysis and highlights ways to maximize data visibility. He emphasizes building trust through incremental development and the necessity of clear roadmaps, advocating for collaboration between data teams and stakeholders.
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Leaders Must Sell Their Work
- Aaron Wilkerson shares how being a coder doesn't naturally prepare you to sell your team's work.
- He realized that as a leader, he must actively market and explain the value the data team delivers.
Data's Strategic Value Is Understood Poorly
- Organizations often recognize data's operational value but struggle to see its strategic potential.
- Data's real value lies in helping improve business outcomes, beyond just visibility.
Data Teams Seen As Optional
- Data teams are often seen as optional because their absence doesn't stop core business.
- This perception contrasts with functions like finance, which are mandatory and budgeted distinctly.