The Alternative Data Podcast The Flywheel Episode
May 26, 2025
James Griffiths, General Manager of Flywheel Alternative Data, shares insights on transforming corporate e-commerce data into valuable investment resources. He discusses the evolution of alternative data, emphasizing the shift from brand-focused datasets to investor applications. Griffiths highlights the importance of granular SKU data for hedge funds and the growing expectations from buy-side clients. He also touches on the cautious integration of generative AI in data processes and practical advice for new data vendors navigating this dynamic market.
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Episode notes
Pivoting Internal Data Into Investor Products
- James joined Essential in 2018 to commercialize internal data assets and pivot them to new audiences.
- He discovered buy-side demand by testing products with investors and iterating the MVP into an S3 feed for hedge funds.
SKU-Level Scrapes Reveal Product Lifecycles
- Flywheel scrapes e-commerce sites daily to capture SKU-level price, discount, stock and promo history across many years.
- That granular dataset lets investors trace product lifecycles, promo timing and brand/channel strategy at molecular level.
Early Customers Were Seasonal Hedge Funds
- Early customers were long/short hedge funds using the data to monitor seasonal sell-through and promotional strategy.
- James reinvested early revenues to fund client service and iterative product improvements while staying lean.