AI, BI, Semantic Layer and much more

Small Data. Real outcomes. I covered MotherDuck’s Small Data SF in person and spoke to my long-time connection with Colin Zima, CEO of Omni, to cut through the AI noise in BI. We focused on what actually moves the needle for teams today.

Here is what we got into:

• Where AI is creating real BI value

Practical wins that ship now, not hype cycles

• Flexibility vs governance

How Omni gives analysts room to explore while keeping the shared truth intact

• Why build a modeling layer

What Omni’s own model unlocks for speed, trust, and how far AI can go

• Embedded analytics after the Explo acquisition

When it makes sense to put live insights inside your product and what to avoid

• Simple over clever

Ways AI can remove clicks, clean up metrics, and make BI easier to use

• Common mistake with AI in dashboards

Teams bolt on features before they fix definitions and owners

• The agent future

If agents run dashboards tomorrow, why export to Excel might still matter

If you care about getting answers faster with clear guardrails, you will like this one.

#data #ai #motherduck #smalldatasf #theravitshow