As a Head of Data or a one-person data team, keeping the lights on for the business while running all things data-related as efficiently as possible is no small feat. This talk will focus on tactics and strategies to manage within and around constraints, including monetary costs, time and resources, and data volumes.

📓 Resources Big Data is Dead: https://motherduck.com/blog/big-data-... Small Data Manifesto: https://motherduck.com/blog/small-dat... Why Small Data?: https://benn.substack.com/p/is-excel-... Small Data SF: https://www.smalldatasf.com/

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Learn how your data team can drive innovation and maximize ROI by embracing constraints, drawing inspiration from SpaceX's revolutionary cost-effective approach. This video challenges the "abundance mindset" prevalent in the modern data stack, where easily scalable cloud data warehouses and a surplus of tools often lead to unmanageable data models and underutilized dashboards. We explore a focused data strategy for extracting maximum value from small data, shifting the paradigm from "more data" to more impact.

To maximize value, data teams must move beyond being order-takers and practice strategic stakeholder management. Discover how to use frameworks like the stakeholder engagement matrix to prioritize high-impact business leaders and align your work with core business goals. This involves speaking the language of business growth models, not technical jargon about data pipelines or orchestration, ensuring your data engineering efforts resonate with key decision-makers and directly contribute to revenue-generating activities.

Embracing constraints is key to innovation and effective data project management. We introduce the Iron Triangle—a fundamental engineering concept balancing scope, cost, and time—as a powerful tool for planning data projects and having transparent conversations with the business. By treating constraints not as limitations but as opportunities, data engineers and analysts can deliver higher-quality data products without succumbing to scope creep or uncontrolled costs.

A critical component of this strategy is understanding the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which goes far beyond initial compute costs to include ongoing maintenance, downtime, and the risk of vendor pricing changes. Learn how modern, efficient tools like DuckDB and MotherDuck are designed for cost containment from the ground up, enabling teams to build scalable, cost-effective data platforms. By making the true cost of data requests visible, you can foster accountability and make smarter architectural choices. Ultimately, this guide provides a blueprint for resisting data stack bloat and turning cost and constraints into your greatest assets for innovation.

Will AI completely revolutionize the way we work as data professionals? Or is it overhyped? In this episode, Lindsay Murphy and Colleen Tartow will take opposing viewpoints and help us understand whether or not AI can really live up to all the hype. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of the current state of AI in data, the tech stack needed to run AI, and where things are heading in the future.   What You'll Learn: The tech stack required to run AI and how it differs from prior "big data" stacks Will AI change everything in data? Or is it overhyped? How you should be thinking about AI and its impact on your career   Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b   About our guests: Lindsay Murphy is the host of the Women Lead Data podcast as well as the Head of Data at Hiive. Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn  

Colleen Tartow is an engineering and data leader, author, speaker, advisor, mentor, and DEI Advocate. Data Mesh for Dummies E-Book Follow Colleen on LinkedIn   Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn YouTube Instagram (Mavens of Data) Instagram (Maven Analytics) TikTok Facebook Medium X/Twitter

The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by Soda and executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences. We've released a special edition series of minisodes of our podcast. Recorded live at Data Connect 2024, our host Michael Toland engages in short, sweet, informative, and delightful conversations with five prevelant practitioners who are forging their way forward in data and technology. In this minisode, Michael reconnects with his former colleague Lindsay Murphy as she delves into a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of data management—cost containment. Lindsay's session at Data Connect 2024 emphasizes the importance of considering costs as a critical piece of your data team's ROI. While data teams often focus on value creation and return on investment, they can easily lose sight of the expenses associated with the complex stacks they build. Lindsay offers practical insights on how to strike a balance between innovation and cost-efficiency. Plus, a special shout-out to Lindsay's new podcast, Women Lead Data—hurrah! This podcast is set to inspire and empower women in the data industry, providing a platform for sharing experiences, insights, and strategies for success. About our host Michael Toland: Michael is a Product Management Coach and Consultant with Pathfinder Product, a Test Double Operation. Since 2016, Michael has worked on large-scale system modernizations and migration initiatives at Verizon. Outside his professional career, Michael serves as the Treasurer for the New Leaders Council, mentors with Venture for America, sings with the Columbus Symphony, and writes satire for his blog Dignified Product. He is excited to discuss data product management with the podcast audience. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn About our guest Lindsay Murphy: Lindsay is a data leader with 13 years of experience in building and scaling data teams. She has successfully launched and led data initiatives at startups such as BenchSci, Maple, and Secoda. Her expertise includes developing internal data products, implementing modern data stack infrastructures, building and mentoring data engineering teams, and crafting data strategies that align with organizational goals. An active member of the data community, Lindsay organizes the Toronto Modern Data Stack Meetup group, which boasts over 2,500 members. She has also taught Advanced dbt to more than 100 students through Uplimit and hosts a weekly podcast, Women Lead Data, where she shares insights and amplifies the voices of women in the data industry. Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn.  All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else. Join the conversation on LinkedIn. Apply to be a guest or nominate a practitioner.  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!

Lindsay Murphy joins me to chat about whether companies are ready for AI in their data and analytics workflows. The verdict - listen and find out more :)

Lindsay's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymurphy4/

In today's data-driven world, organizations face the challenge of not only harnessing the power of data but also ensuring its responsible and effective use. This panel discussion will delve into the critical components of embedding data governance and data literacy into the fabric of organizational culture. Data governance forms the foundation of a robust data strategy, encompassing policies, processes, and frameworks to ensure data quality, integrity, and security. However, effective governance requires more than just frameworks; it necessitates a cultural shift where data stewardship is ingrained into every aspect of organizational operations. Moreover, data literacy is paramount in enabling individuals across an organization to effectively interpret, analyze, and derive insights from data. By cultivating a culture of data literacy, organizations empower employees to make informed decisions, driving innovation and growth. This panel will explore strategies for fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and trust around data practices driving sustainable success in today's dynamic business landscape.

ChatGPT is the talk of the town, with everyone asking - are the robots finally coming for our jobs? Join this panel of data leaders to hear about why they believe that ChatGPT and other AI tools are actually an analytical engineer's new best friend.

Speakers: Kate Schiffelbein, Head of Business Intelligence, Northbeam; Lindsay Murphy, Head of Data, Secoda; Patrick Ross, Solutions Architect, Data Clymer

Register for Coalcese at https://coalesce.getdbt.com/

Analytics at a startup….something that might scare most data folks. But not Lindsay Murphy of Maple! Join Lindsay as she draws on her experiences to demystify and template the process behind using dbt to create robust self-service analytics practices at startups and other small companies.

Check the slides here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GMe4K3UQgJESozHV2-p19OwJoBQJ3VEfZaX-cthsYdU/edit?usp=sharing

Coalesce 2023 is coming! Register for free at https://coalesce.getdbt.com/.