The Data Stack Show

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations, featuring insights worth revisiting. This week on The Data Stack Show, AI entrepreneur Alberto Rizzoli shares his journey from early computer vision breakthroughs to leading the automation of back-office workflows at V7. The discussion explores the shift from bespoke model training to configurable AI solutions, the impact of automation on business roles, and emerging best practices for integrating AI into enterprises. Listeners will gain insight into how AI infrastructure is moving from labs to everyday businesses, which roles are most vulnerable or secure amid automation, and why future-proofing your career means focusing on creativity, first principles, and continuous improvement. Don’t miss it!

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

Setting the Stage: AI’s Hype and Today’s Innovations (1:16)

Alberto’s Non-Tech Passions: Physics & UX (4:04)

The Paradigm Shift: Machines that Adapt (6:22)

Scaling AI: From Niche Apps to Mainstream Use (8:23)

Large Models vs. Bespoke Solutions—Power Law in AI (11:07)

Evolving Roles: From Engineer to End User (14:14)

Simple vs. Complex AI Implementations (18:14)

When to Scale from Simple AI to Production-Grade (22:40)

Capturing Tacit Knowledge: Crowdsourcing vs. Centralization (27:22)

The Challenge of Unstructured Process Documentation (30:08)

Practical Impact: AI-Enabled Enterprise Leverage (33:29)

ROI: Time Saved & Compound Effects in the Enterprise (38:08)

Redefining Information Movers vs. Information Creators (44:14)

Roles at Risk and the Case for Creativity (45:30)

Alberto's Favorite New Tech & Future of User Experience (46:00)

Spreadsheets, Business Logic, and AI’s Next Leap (48:41)

The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.

RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations, featuring insights worth revisiting. This week on The Data Stack Show, Brooks and John chat with Andy MacMillan, CEO of Alteryx. Andy discusses the evolving landscape of data and AI, focusing on empowering business users to solve complex problems. He explores the concept of "citizen developers" and how tools like Alteryx can bridge the gap between IT and business teams by democratizing data access. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of creating controlled environments where business users can leverage cloud data platforms and AI technologies to reimagine workflows, without bypassing governance. Key takeaways include the need for organizations to enable innovation through accessible data tools, the potential of AI-driven agents to transform business processes, the critical role of employees who understand their business functions in driving technological transformation, and so much more.

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

Andy’s Background and Journey in Data (0:54)

Early Web Development at General Motors (2:23)

AI Challenges in the Enterprise (9:03)

What is Alteryx and Its Value Proposition (11:25)

The Importance of Empowering Business Users (16:10)

Bridging the Gap Between Data Platforms and Business Users (20:04)

Evolution from Desktop to Data Cloud (25:28)

Access and Governance in the Cloud Era (27:57)

The Return of Local Data Work and AI Governance (31:24)

AI Data Clearinghouse and Governance (34:11)

AI-Enabled Workflows and Business Impact (38:13)

The Future: Agents, Data Platforms, and Business Logic (41:05)

How to Get Started with Alteryx or Learn More (46:54)

Product Management Lessons for Leadership and Parting Thoughts (47:56)

The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.

RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations, featuring insights worth revisiting. This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Michael Driscoll, Co-Founder and CEO of Rill Data. Mike discusses the transformative impact of AI on business intelligence (BI) and data analytics. He also explores the shift from traditional dashboard-based tools to more dynamic, code-driven, and AI-powered interfaces that provide deeper insights. During the conversation, the group emphasizes the importance of a metrics-first approach, the potential of leapfrog architectures using technologies like data lakes and real-time analytical databases, and how AI agents are increasingly becoming the primary users of data tools. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of data infrastructure, where open standards, flexibility, and intelligent interfaces are reshaping how businesses interact with and understand their data, and more. 

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

Welcome Back Mike Driscoll (1:11)

Philosophy Behind BI Tools (2:04)

Building a Natural Language Processing Server (4:33)

Deployment of MCP Servers (6:07)

The Role of Visualizations in BI (10:09)

Measuring Product Success (12:43)

Navigating Changes as Data Professionals (16:13)

Efficiency Gains with Code (19:00)

The Future of Data Teams (22:29)

Long-term Use of Rutter Stack (25:16)

Analytics Landscape Overview (30:59)

Future of BI Architecture (33:04)

AI's Role in Analytics (35:07)

Interoperability and Talent Pool (39:41)

The Crowded BI Market (42:03)

Final Thoughts and Takeaways (46:07)

The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.

RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations, featuring insights worth revisiting. This week on The Data Stack Show, John and Matt bring you another edition of the Cynical Data Guy. John and Matt dive into the evolution of customer data infrastructure, the growing influence of low-code tools like Clay, and the blurred lines around the “engineer” title in modern data roles. They also discuss the trade-offs between SaaS adoption and building custom solutions, the pitfalls of enterprise software buying, and the realities of platform lock-in—using Palantir’s unique business model as a case study. Key takeaways include the importance of simplicity and scalability in data engineering, the need for clear requirements when evaluating tools, and a healthy skepticism toward sales pitches and “art of the possible” features. Don’t miss this month’s Cynical Data Guy. 

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

Reacting to the Rise of the GTM Engineer (1:11)

Is "Engineer" the Right Term? (4:49)

Low-Code Tools, AI, and Future Workflows (7:14)

Simplicity in Data Engineering (14:38)

The Pitfalls of "Simple" Solutions (15:18)

Choosing SaaS vs. Building In-House (18:26)

Business Process Abstraction and SaaS Adoption (21:31)

Enterprise Software: Art of the Possible vs. Practicality (24:31)

Sales Advice: Focus on Customer Needs (27:11)

Forward Deployed Engineers and Delivery Models (29:05)

Platform Lock-In: When Is It a Dirty Word? (36:41)

Legacy Systems and the Reality of Lock-In (39:53)

Final Thoughts and Takeaways (40:55)

The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.

RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations, featuring insights worth revisiting. Thank you for being part of the Data Stack community. Stay up to date with the latest episodes at datastackshow.com.
This week on The Data Stack Show, John welcomes back repeat-guest Ben Rogojan, Owner and Data Consultant of Seattle Data Guy. John and Ben discuss the evolving relationship between data teams and businesses, highlighting the challenges of proving value in a cost-conscious environment. Ben explores the impact of technological advancements, the rise of AI, and the critical skills data professionals need to succeed. Key insights include the importance of understanding business context, being proactive, and focusing on delivering tangible outcomes rather than just producing dashboards. Ben also emphasizes the need for data teams to communicate value effectively, show rather than tell, and be willing to take calculated risks. The conversation provides practical advice for data professionals looking to advance their careers, with a focus on developing business skills, understanding organizational needs, creating meaningful impact beyond technical expertise, and so much more. 
Technical Freelancer Academy & Consulting Community (1:21)
Evolution of Data Teams and Technology (2:52)
Data Team Growth and Output vs. Outcome (4:47)
Internal Optimization vs. Client-Facing Data Work (7:23)
Audience, Delivery Mechanisms, and Actionability (12:40)
Proving ROI and Prioritizing Work (15:27)
Practical Tips for Data Team-Business Alignment (18:31)
Dealing with Vanity and Security Blanket Metrics (23:39)
AI’s Impact on Data Workflows (27:07)
BI Tools, AI Integration, and Dashboards (32:25)
Top Skills for Data Professionals (37:27)
Career Growth: Technical, Communication, and Business Skills (42:02)
Show, Don’t Tell: Prototyping and Feedback (44:37)
Taking Initiative and Risk in Data Roles (50:21)
Parting Advice and Closing Thoughts (51:16)
The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.
RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.