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Episode 216:

From Raw Data to Business Results: Building High-Impact Data Teams with Ethan Aaron and John Steinmetz

November 20, 2024

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Ethan Aaron and John Steinmetz. Ethan is the CEO at Portable while John is the VP of Analytics at Gallo Mechanical. During the conversation, the group explores the intricacies of data work including a discussion around the distinctions between data teams and product/engineering teams, emphasizing the importance of aligning data initiatives with business goals. Ethan and John share their career journeys and insights on building effective data teams, the concept of data contracts, the analogy of data management to plumbing, the importance of self-service analytics, the need for data teams to be seen as profit centers, and so much more.

Notes:

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

  • Ethan’s Background (0:47)
  • John’s Background (1:16)
  • Data Teams vs. Engineering Teams (2:04)
  • Career Paths in Data (3:40)
  • Pressure of Large Companies (6:10)
  • Contrasting Industries: Expedia vs. Gallo (9:02)
  • Establishing Trust in Data (11:30)
  • From Sales to Data (16:30)
  • Understanding Success Metrics (18:58)
  • Creating Daily Business Value (23:03)
  • Aligning Data Work with Leadership Goals (29:30)
  • Differences Between Data and Software Engineering (31:25)
  • The Role of Data in Business (35:56)
  • Understanding Data Contracts (39:35)
  • Accuracy vs. Usability in Data (41:51)
  • Observational Skills in Data Roles (44:03)
  • Defining Product in Data vs. Software (47:07)
  • Final Thoughts and Takeaways (52:42)

 

The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, the CDP for developers. 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.

About the Podcast

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.

To keep up to date with our future episodes, subscribe to our podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, or the player of your choice.

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