825: Data Contracts: The Key to Data Quality, with Chad Sanderson

Data contracts are redefining data quality and governance, and Chad Sanderson, CEO of Gable.ai, joins host Jon Krohn to explain how they can transform your data strategy. He breaks down what data contracts are, how they shift data quality checks closer to production, and why they’re essential for reducing data debt. Chad also highlights how better alignment between data producers and consumers can elevate data reliability and tackle change-management challenges in modern organizations.

This episode is brought to you by epic LinkedIn Learning instructor Keith McCormick, and by Gurobi, the Decision Intelligence Leader. Interested in sponsoring a SuperDataScience Podcast episode? Email natalie@superdatascience.com for sponsorship information.

In this episode you will learn:

• What data contracts are and how they define expectations for data quality [03:16]
• What data contracts look like [09:09]
• The common misconceptions about data quality when implementing AI [12:55]
• Chad’s Chief Operator role at Data Quality Camp [19:46]
• How “shifting left” improves data reliability by addressing issues early [24:17]
• Why data professionals still struggle with data quality [30:31]
• How data debt forms and why it leads to complex, inefficient architectures [35:53]
• How will the role of human oversight evolve in ensuring data quality? [47:12]
• How can data teams leverage storytelling? [52:33]

Additional materials: www.superdatascience.com/825