The 2026 Data Career Roadmap: What’s Changed? w/ Maggie Wolff
The days of easy entry into data jobs over. Maggie Wolff joins the show to discuss the new reality of the data career landscape. We dive into why the bar is higher than ever and why "cold DMing" on LinkedIn is a terrible strategy.Maggie also breaks down her secret strategy for networking as an introvert: treating events like a game or role-playing a more extroverted friend. Plus, we discuss the rise of AI in education, the problem with "lazy" learning , and why companies replacing humans with AI are making a mistake.
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AI Bubbles & "Vibe Coding" Dangers. Freestyle Fridays w/ Matt Housley
Matt Housley joins me for our monthly round-up of topics. This time, there's danger everywhere - The AI Bubble, how vibe coding is evolving, AI slop, and more.
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Why Most Chief Data Officers Fail w/ Malcolm Hawker
After 1,500+ conversations with CDOs and VPs of data , guest Malcolm Hawker noticed a disturbing pattern: a "limiting mindset" that causes data leaders to fail. He argues that too many leaders blame external factors such as "culture" , "data literacy", or a lack of support rather than taking accountability for delivering value.In this conversation, Malcolm breaks down how this mindset is reinforced by the analyst and consultant community and why it leads to a "value fatigue" where no one can prove their own ROI. He offers a clear path forward, starting with a simple 3-question framework for any new CDO and explains why "culture" is actually an outcome of delivering value, not a prerequisite for it. We also discuss his new book, "The Data Hero Playbook," tackle the "AI Ready" myth , explaining why conflating it with "BI Ready" is holding companies back and why your data is likely "good enough" to start right now.
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We're Losing Our Ability to Be Human w/ AI Ethicist Cecilia Dones
In this conversation, Dr. Cecilia Dones and I discuss the social skills we're losing as AI becomes more integrated into our lives. We explore the erosion of social norms, from AI companions joining Zoom calls without consent, endless enshitified content, to my son's generation calling AI girlfriends "clankers".Is there hope? We break down the "rage currency" that dominates media and the positive AI stories that go unheard. The biggest takeaway: as the world becomes more synthetic, "showing up" in person will become the ultimate "premium value."
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Freestyle Fridays - Eroding the Edges. What Does AI Mean For Products?
In conversations I've been having with leaders and practitioners, there's some open-ended questions about the impact of AI on vendors and open-source projects. If you don't have a moat, you need to start thinking about how AI coding tools will erode the edges of your product. And what about getting users and traction? I cover this and much more in this episode. Enjoy!
What happens when a best-selling author and "recovering data scientist" gets a microphone? This podcast.
I'm Joe Reis, and each week I broadcast from wherever I am in the world, sharing candid thoughts on the data, tech, and AI industry.
Sometimes it's a solo rant. Other times, I'm chatting with the smartest people I know.
If you're looking for an unfiltered perspective on the state of AI, data, and tech, you've found it.
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