

Stacked Data Podcast
Cognify
It has become evident to me that many data teams are grappling with similar challenges. Learning from the experiences of others can be incredibly valuable, which is why I am thrilled to announce the launch of The Stacked Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to sharing stories, pain points, challenges, and solutions within the data industry.I will be conducting interviews with industry leaders, delving into their cutting-edge projects, exploring the hurdles they faced, and how they triumphed over them. My ultimate goal is to provide you with insights and advice that will empower your team and propel your career forward.www.cognifysearch.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 2, 2024 • 57min
018 - Data as a Product: Changing Perception to Unlock Value
In the digital era, where data is the new gold, understanding how to unlock its full potential is crucial.For data to be truly valuable it needs to be actionable, across the industry we are seeing a change in mindset to see “Data as a Product”That's precisely what we dive into in our latest podcast episode featuring the brilliant @Mohit, Director of Data Platforms at @Collison. With a vast experience in leading transformative data projects, Mohit shares his invaluable insights on why and how businesses need to shift their mindset to view "data as a product."🔍 In This Episode, You'll Discover: The Evolution of Data Management: How companies are revolutionizing their approach to data through cloud infrastructure and modern tools. Mohit's Journey: An overview of Mohit's impressive career and his pivotal role at Collinson, driving significant data transformation. The Core of Innovation: Understanding Mohit's mission for data at Collinson and how it aligns with the broader vision of treating data as a cornerstone for value creation. Decoding 'Data as a Product': A deep dive into what this concept means and why it's becoming increasingly important in today's data-centric world. The Catalyst for Change: Insights into the mindset shift towards seeing data as a product and the intrinsic value this perception brings. Strategies for Implementation: Practical examples and strategies from Mohit's playbook on fostering this mindset change within organizations. Fostering Collaboration: Tactics for encouraging cross-functional collaboration to maximize data's value across the business spectrum. Overcoming Challenges: An honest look at the hurdles in treating data as a product and strategies to navigate these challenges effectively. Measuring Success: How to quantify this transformative change and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that signal progress and success.This episode is a must-listen for anyone keen on unlocking the true value of data in their organization and pioneering a culture that treats data not just as a resource, but as a product with its own lifecycle, value proposition, and customer base.

Mar 20, 2024 • 48min
016 Omni - The Next Gen of BI
Self-serve BI was one of the trailblazers for the modern data stack. The ability to allow business stakeholders to not only see reports but also start exploring their own data was truly a seismic shift in data.What is next for BI?Join me in the latest episode of the Stacked Data podcast as I sit down with Collin Zima, the Co-founder and CEO of Omni, for an insightful discussion on the future of Business Intelligence.🚀 About Colin:Collin Zima's journey from an early Google employee to leading data teams at Hoteltonight before eventually becoming the Chief Analytics Officer and VP of Product at Looker gives him a unique perspective on the evolution of BI. Now, as the driving force behind Omni, he's shaping the next generation of BI solutions.🔍 Dive into Next GenBI with Us:In this episode, we explore:The primary purpose and value of BIChallenges facing the BI sector and strategies to overcome themOmni's innovative approach and key focus pointsThe importance of a customer-centric approach in building BI solutionsFuture trends and advancements shaping the BI landscapeTune in as Collin shares his experiences, insights, and advice for organisations navigating the complex world of BI in today's competitive landscape.Colin's message was clear to me, he and Omni doesn't seek to rewrite the BI script but to refine it!

Mar 6, 2024 • 34min
015 - Chaos to Clarity: Navigating Data Modelling Challenges
🎙️ In this week's episode of @the stacked data podcast, we dive deep into the world of data modelling and uncover strategies for success with our special guest Nieves Gorriti the Head of Data and Insights The Dot CollectiveHere's a sneak peek into the insightful discussion:🔍 Introduction to Data Modelling:What exactly is data modelling, and why is it crucial for effective data management? Nives provides expert insights into this fundamental aspect of the data lifecycle.🛑 Common Pitfalls and Challenges:Discover the common pitfalls organisations face in the data modelling process and learn how to avoid them to ensure smooth data operations.🔑 Importance of Data Modelling:Uncover the pivotal role of data modelling in driving successful data-driven initiatives within organisations, along with real-life examples demonstrating its impact.🔧 Guiding Through the Process:Nives shares invaluable advice and practical tips for enhancing your data modelling skills and provides a step-by-step guide to approaching data modelling successfully.🔄 Balancing Flexibility and Standardization:Learn how to strike the right balance between flexibility and standardisation in data modelling to meet business demands while maintaining data integrity.🤝 Adapting to Evolving Data Environments:Explore strategies for adapting data modelling strategies to accommodate the ever-evolving data landscape, including new technologies and data sources.Don't miss out on this conversation! Tune in now to Stacked Data Podcast to gain valuable insights into mastering data modelling for organisational success. 🎧

Feb 21, 2024 • 35min
014 - The Power of Story Telling
𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚?The ability to influence is pivotal for success in data. After all, the role of a data function is to inform business decision-making. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through Storytelling.Excited to share the latest episode of The Stacked Data Podcast, where I had the privilege of chatting with Phil Thirlwell, the Director of Analytics and Data Strategy at FIS. Today, we unravel the transformative power of storytelling in driving business impact and value creation. As a leader, the ability to manage and influence C-Suite is pivotal for success. Join us for some insightful takeaways:🛣️ 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚🌐 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 & 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:As the Head of Analytics at FIS, Phil plays a pivotal role in influencing global business strategy. We dive into the dynamics of working closely with executive teams and explore how it differs from collaborating with other stakeholders.📈 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫:The importance of setting the right metrics and measures cannot be overstated. Phil shares his insights on the critical role metrics play in ensuring impactful data-driven decisions.🔍 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬:One common challenge faced by data leaders is aligning with executive requirements. Phil shares strategies on ensuring executives get what they need, not just what they want.📢 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠:Discover how Phil leverages storytelling to influence stakeholders and drive business decisions. We delve into the nuances of storytelling with data products.📈 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:Phil reflects on the qualities that distinguish a good analyst from a great one and what it takes to rise to leadership within the realm of data.🌐 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧:With organizations striving to become "data-driven," Phil shares insights on changing the mindset of more traditional businesses stuck in their ways.🎙️ Tune in for More 🎙️Be sure to listen to the full episode for in-depth insights from Phil. Subscribe for more thought-provoking discussions on The Stacked Data Podcast!

Feb 7, 2024 • 40min
013 - Demythifying ML Strategies
🔍 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐀𝐈/𝐌𝐋 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝?🎧 In this episode of The Stacked Data Podcast, we dive deep into understanding the strategies for implementing ML/DS effectively and avoiding common pitfalls that lead to a lack of ROI and missed opportunities.👥 Join me as I chat with Irina Ioana Brudaru, the Head of Data from Element Insurance AG. Irina has had an incredible career, including a stint at Google; her passion for this subject is infectious. Tune in to uncover insights into:➡️ What is ML & AI, and how are they linked/differentiated?➡️ How can a business determine the right time to incorporate machine learning and data science into its operations?➡️ Signs indicating a company is ready to bring in ML expertise.➡️ Strategies for building a team and infrastructure ready to utilise ML/DS projects.➡️ Common pitfalls when launching DS/ML capabilities and their consequences.➡️ We touch on some of the latest tools that are breaking down the barriers to advanced ML like Infer➡️ Balancing immediate gains with a long-term vision in developing ML products.🎙️ Tune in and I’d love you to give us a FOLLOW to hear all the great conversation we have coming up!

Jan 24, 2024 • 46min
0012 - Challenges for Heads of Data in Scale-ups!
🌟 New episode on The Stacked Podcast featuring an incredible guest, Joao, the Head of Data at Plum. We dive deep into the Challenges of Building a Data Team in a Start-up. 🎙️✨🌐 Introduction: In this episode, we take a journey with Joao, exploring key milestones in his career that led him to leadership in the dynamic world of data.🚀 Building from the Ground Up: When stepping into a scale-up as the Head of Data. Where do you begin? Joao shares his insights into the crucial first steps and priorities on the to-do list.💻 Tech Talk: Tech is the backbone of any data team. Joao discusses the overwhelming choices data leaders face when building their tech stack and how technology influences the hiring process.🤝 Hiring Hacks:Hiring isn't just about filling roles; it's about building a successful team. Joao sheds light on how to decide which roles to hire, the crucial skill sets for an early data team, and how roles evolve as the function matures.🌐 Cultivating a Data Culture: Tech and team are essential, but how is it all perceived by the business? Joao shares his insights on growing a data culture in a start-up, what defines a good data culture, and common pitfalls to avoid.📈 Measuring Impact:How do you know if your team is making a real impact? Joao discusses the metrics of success, showcasing value to secure more resources and bigger opportunities.💡 Facing Challenges:Joao opens up about the common challenge of being under-resourced as a Data Leader in a rapidly growing organisation and how to tackle it head-on.🚀 Beyond the Horizon:Explore with Joao the additional challenges Data Leaders in start-ups often face, gaining valuable insights into navigating the dynamic landscape.Here is the link Joao spoke about - https://towardsdatascience.com/how-i-won-singapores-gpt-4-prompt-engineering-competition-34c195a93d41Tune in now 🎧And give us a follow and a rating, your feedback means the world to me!✨ Don't miss out – it's a knowledge-packed episode you won't want to skip! 🚀🌟#DataLeadership #Startups #PodcastLaunch #TechTalks

Jan 10, 2024 • 49min
011 - Data, Culture and Impact - How McKinley drives data value at The Financial Times
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭!🚀 This week on the Stacked Data Podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with McKinley Muir Hyden, the Director of Data Value & Strategy at the Financial Times. We dive into the critical topics of data adoption and culture change in today's data-driven world.🌐 McKinley brings a wealth of experience, and we kick off the discussion by exploring her journey into the realm of data and her current unique role at the FT. McKinley’s role revolves around bridging the chasm between data and the business. It's about ensuring alignment and, most importantly, measuring the impact of the data team's efforts as well as building the FT’s Data Academy.𝚆̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚌̲𝚘̲𝚟̲𝚎̲𝚛̲:̲🔍 How McKinley navigates the challenge of bridging the gap between data and business.🤔 Reasons for lack of data adoption and the strategies employed to combat them.🌟 McKinley's role is unique, and we delve into the origins of this specialized position and the objectives she aims to achieve. 📊 What exactly is a data culture and why is it crucial for organizations?📏 How McKinley measures and evaluates data culture.🚀 The challenges encountered in creating a robust data culture.If you are looking to build and foster a data culture and inspire trust to ensure analytics impact this is not one to miss. McKinley shares her strategies and approaches as well as the common pit falls and blockers such as; Awareness, Discoverability, and Understanding.Tune in and give us a FOLLOW, like or share! 🙌 Stay tuned for more inspiring conversations, and don't forget to subscribe! hashtaghashtag#DataCulture hashtag#DataAdoption hashtag#Podcast hashtag#DataInnovation hashtag#StackedDataPodcast

Dec 13, 2023 • 43min
010 - Maximising the ROI from your Data team
In our latest episode of The Stacked Data podcast, we're thrilled to have Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Tasman Analytics, sharing insights on "Maximizing ROI in Data & Analytics."🔍 Episode Highlights: Uncover the common reasons why data teams are often perceived as cost centers. Learn strategies to transform your data team into a value generator. Dive into the keys to driving ROI for your analytics team. Discover where teams typically go wrong in maximizing the value of their data. Gain expert advice on crafting a clear strategy for a high ROI.🎙️ Introduction: Get to know Thomas and Tasman, exploring their background and journey in the dynamic world of data.💼 Data Team Transformation: Explore the challenges of data teams being seen as cost centers and learn how to assess if your team is a cost centre or value adder.📈 Driving ROI:Thomas shares valuable insights on evaluating, strategizing, and ensuring your team drives a positive ROI.🚀 Workload Management:Learn effective ways to manage the immense workload on data teams and optimize team efficiency.🌟 Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Discover the biggest mistakes data teams make and get expert advice on resolving them.

Nov 22, 2023 • 41min
009 - Data Driven Disruption: Carbon Underwriting's Modern Approach to Insurance
In this episode on Stacked Data Podcast, we explored how the team at Carbon Underwriting use the modern data stack to innovate and revolutionized the way they operate in a the traditional industry of Insurance, allowing them to swiftly deliver top-tier data products that can exponentially improve work in the insurance space.We dive into there leading data product “Graphene”, taking an old school Excel reporting, consolidating this all in a common data model and surfacing an analytics layer on top! This allows there underwriters to deliver work at a much faster rate.This episode is all about how to build teams, infrastructure and processes to create data products that are truly impactful.Key Takeaways:Start with your customer: Work closely with your stakeholders to understand their pain points and mission, from here you can start to design a data product that can enable them.The power of leveraging the modern data stack: The use of cutting-edge technology has transformed there data infrastructure, enabling faster, more agile operations.Accelerating product delivery: How this modern approach has supercharged our ability to bring data products to the market at an unprecedented pace.Overcoming challenges with efficiency: We discussed the hurdles faced and the strategies employed by the team to harness the potential of the modern data stack effectively.

Nov 15, 2023 • 42min
008 - Analytics Engineering: Driving Reliability, Accuracy, and Velocity
AI and LLM’s have soared into the mainstream, but did you know @Cleo has been pioneering in this space for years?Join me on @stacked as I dive into conversation with Andrea, the Lead Analytics Engineer at Cleo. He unveils his fascinating journey from Data Science to Analytics Engineering, a transition many can resonate with. Discover how Analytics Engineering is transforming data reliability, accuracy, and velocity to drive invaluable insights for Celo.🎙️ Highlights Include:1) The DS to AE Journey: Spending 70% of his time transforming data, Andrea noticed a lack of clear consistency in data quality—a common post-DS hype challenge.2) Rise of AE and Data Modeling: In a world with more complex data, more analysts, and a growing push to be "data-driven," Analytics Engineers are recognized for their crucial role in creating high-quality, trustworthy modeled data.3) Justifying AE Team Costs: Cleo treats Analytics Engineering like a standard Product quad, aligning OKRs with stakeholders' needs and measuring success metrics.4) Automated PR Reviews: Cleo's team ensures efficiency and data quality by implementing an automated PR review system in dbt, scoring queries out of 100% and providing valuable recommendations.Andrea shares even more insights in the episode! If you're curious about what Analytics Engineering truly entails, the challenges it faces, and where the sector is heading, this episode is a must-listen.


