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Episode 219:

The First 90 Days of Data Leadership: What the LinkedIn Posts Don’t Tell You with Matt Kelliher-Gibson, The Cynical Data Guy

December 11, 2024

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome back Matt Kelliher-Gibson for another edition of the Cynical Data Guy. The group delves into the unrealistic expectations often portrayed in LinkedIn posts about a new head of data’s first 90 days. They also discuss the complexities of leading data teams, understanding team dynamics, and building trust with executives. Matt adds his humorous and cynical perspective, highlighting the disconnect between idealized online narratives and the real challenges faced by data leaders. The episode underscores the importance of realistic expectations and the evolving role of Chief Data Officers. Stay cynical! You won’t want to miss this. 

Notes:

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

  • Lightning Round Setup (1:15)
  • Scenarios for New Data Leaders (2:33)
  • Optimism vs. Reality (3:14)
  • Cynical Perspective on Data Roles (5:32)
  • Monitoring Systems Discussion (9:31)
  • Executive Alignment Challenges (12:54)
  • Understanding Team Dynamics (17:32)
  • Head of Data vs. Head of Product (20:13)
  • Product Development Steps (22:14)
  • Consequences of Product Decisions (24:14)
  • Challenges in Data Team Dynamics (26:03)
  • Attribution Reporting Complexity (28:24)
  • Long-Term Vision for Data Teams (29:22)
  • AI Summaries Discussion (30:19)
  • Closing Thoughts on AI Nuance (32:02)

 

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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