The Data Exchange with Ben Lorica Beyond the Dashboard: Collaborative Analytics in Slack
Oct 30, 2025
Nick Schrock, CTO and founder of Dagster, explores the transformative power of data orchestration in the age of AI. He introduces Compass, a Slack-native tool designed for collaborative data analysis, aiming to replace inefficient ad-hoc dashboards. Schrock explains the concept of context pipelines, crucial for AI strategies, and highlights how Compass improves user interaction and onboard processes. He also discusses the synergy of automation and human contributions, making data workflows more efficient and integrated in team environments.
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Orchestration Is Core To AI Pipelines
- Orchestration is the beating heart of data and AI pipelines, especially for context management in AI apps.
- Context pipelines will replace traditional data pipelines because they require scheduling, quality checks, and LLM-based evaluation.
Context Engineering Is A New Pipeline
- Context engineering is rising as a practice to manage what agents feed into LLMs and to ensure expensive context is computed correctly.
- These context pipelines share the same engineering needs as data pipelines and need robust orchestration.
Semantic Layers Need Better UX To Win
- Semantic layers help LLMs query warehouses but adoption is slow because they require heavy effort and poor UX for business users.
- A governed, editable context store that lives where users work increases practical adoption.