The Data Stack Show

265: From Anxiety to Advantage: Navigating Data’s AI Revolution with Barry McCardel of Hex

Oct 8, 2025
Barry McCardel, CEO and co-founder of Hex, shares insights on the transformative power of AI on data teams. He discusses how AI can cause anxiety yet foster excitement among professionals, emphasizing the need for adaptability. Barry explains Hex's shift to integrate AI across teams, enhancing workflows and redefining roles. He highlights the increasing demand for data insights and explores the potential for AI to increase team impact. The conversation touches on industry consolidation trends and future directions in the data landscape.
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INSIGHT

Change Causes Real Anxiety

  • Rapid change creates uncertainty which often becomes anxiety for data professionals.
  • Barry McCardel says acknowledging that feeling is the first step to adapting productively.
ADVICE

Treat Your Team As An R&D Lab

  • Lean into AI tools and treat your data team as an R&D lab to stay relevant.
  • Barry McCardel tells teams to embrace change and reinvent workflows instead of resisting them.
INSIGHT

Data Work Beyond SQL

  • Strong data professionals do much more than write SQL; they solve problems and provide insight.
  • Barry argues AI frees people from boilerplate to focus on higher-impact analytical work.
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