The Joe Reis Show Is the BI Dashboard Dead? Barry McCardel on Hex, AI Agents, and the Future of BI
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Jan 15, 2026 
Barry McCardel, co-founder and CEO of Hex, shares insights on the evolving landscape of data analytics. He discusses how traditional BI dashboards often raise more questions than they answer, transforming into mere starting points for deeper insights. Barry explains the role of AI agents in bridging the gap between inquiries and actionable answers. He also dives into the importance of customer feedback in product development and reflects on his journey from skepticism to embracing AI technologies. Tune in to hear his vision for the future of data workflows!
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Notebooks Reimagined For Real Analytics
- Hex was born from frustration with fragmented analytics workflows across notebooks, spreadsheets, and BI tools.
- Barry McCardel says that led them to design a reactive, collaborative cell-based product that fits exploratory analytics workflows.
Cells Match Agentic Workflows
- The cell-based, iterative notebook format maps naturally to how AI agents reason step-by-step.
- Barry McCardel notes Hex's reactive execution and cells enable agents to partner in deep dive analysis.
From ML Skeptic To LLM Convert
- Barry recounts early skepticism about ML from Palantir due to failed production projects.
- He became a convert after experimenting with GPT-3 in 2022 and seeing a discontinuous shift in capability.