How do you build a data team that actually drives business outcomes?

In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, host Sundar Swaminathan sits down with Sebastian Hewing, Data & AI Advisor to C-Level leaders in VC and PE-backed companies, and ex-Rocket Internet, to uncover what most companies get wrong about building and scaling data teams. From startup chaos to structured experimentation, Sebastian shares his three-step consulting framework, lessons from over 40 implementations, and what it really takes to empower “super users” and stop being a dashboard factory. If you’re a data leader, growth marketer, or founder tired of surface-level advice, this episode is your blueprint.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Most companies suffer from solution-first thinking instead of problem-first frameworks
• Data teams need to be business-driven, not just tech-stacked
• Hiring analytics engineers early enables speed, clarity, and better decisions
• “Super users” are the missing link between tech and business
• Sebastian uses a 3-step productized consulting approach: Discover, Build, Empower
• Complexity isn’t just technical, it’s human, organizational, and strategic
• AI can supercharge teams, but only when tied to real pain points
• Founders, CMOs, and CTOs feel different “data pains” at different company stages
• Scaling data teams requires repeatable playbooks, not custom chaos
• The Data Collective was built to fix the mentorship gap and noise in data leadership

BEST MOMENTS

00:00:04. “We had this solution-first thinking, while we should have had problem-first thinking.”
00:01:06. “So one thing I want to first jump into is... how do you build a data team?”
00:03:23. “CTOs have to ship product, but end up fixing broken spaghetti queries.”
00:05:29. “The higher the marketing budget, the more you can gain with proper data stuff.”
00:08:25. “Step three is where I empower the organization to use that data foundation.”
00:13:02. “The super user is a business stakeholder who can self-serve 80% of the time.”
00:16:07. “They don’t have any skin in the game. The marketing manager does.”
00:20:12. “People say this analytics engineer doesn’t exist, but I’ve never had an issue finding one.”
00:26:48. “My vision is a context-aware analytics agent that knows your goals and actions.”
00:40:17. “The wrong way is: let me put AI into everything. The right way is: pick one real problem.”

🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions.

🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business.

📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

🎯 Is your marketing KPI lying to you?

In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, host Sundar Swaminathan sits down with Russell Tischler, VP of Marketing at Fundrise, to dismantle the myth of “good enough” metrics. From building predictive models that forecast investor behavior to questioning the ROI of lift tests, Russell shares hard-earned lessons from his time at Uber and Fundrise.

If you're a B2C marketer, data scientist, or growth leader wondering how to prioritize the right metrics without wasting time or budget, this episode will completely reframe your thinking.

Get ready for deep insight, no fluff, and some well-earned hot takes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Shallow KPIs are often misleading and can hold back meaningful growth
• Fundrise built a day-90 model to better predict long-term investor value
• The 90-day predictive model offered better accuracy than day-1 projections
• High-capacity investors often start small, making early conversion data deceptive
• Fundrise balances low-dollar, high-volume vs. high-dollar, low-volume acquisition channels
• Direct mail is unexpectedly powerful for trust and high-value targeting
• First-touch attribution is underrated, especially for category-creating businesses
• Startups should optimize for speed of learning, not perfect measurement
• Most lift tests aren’t worth running if the gain is under 10%
• The best growth moves feel obvious, no stats needed to prove it

BEST MOMENTS

00:01:11. “Something I'm very passionate about is choosing the right KPI.”
00:01:59. “What I do is use too shallow of a metric, and I’ve tried to help move us further into the customer journey.”
00:03:07. “How do we differentiate when we’re acquiring one of the 20% that's super valuable versus someone who churns quickly?”
00:04:43. “You can see where only looking at somebody's conversion behavior can be misguided.”
00:06:05. “The best growth marketers deeply understand the business and analytics, not just KPIs.”
00:09:02. “We started with wanting a 12-month payback period... the cost per dollar fundraising target.”
00:16:18. “We've been able to be pretty accurate by combining the human element with the model approach.”
00:26:42. “Direct mail has been awesome for large investors, really credentializing.”
00:38:06. “Almost any time we've done something really successful, it’s just obvious.”

🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions.

🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business.

📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

What if product marketing was the secret weapon your growth strategy is missing?

In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, Sundar sits down with Damian Valdes, Associate Director of Product Marketing at Spotify, to reveal why product marketers are often the most underutilized force in tech. From launching features like Spotify Jam to designing internal growth experiments, Damian breaks down how PMMs shape product roadmaps, avoid cannibalization, and influence business outcomes beyond campaign performance.

Whether you're scaling a feature, debating when to hire your first marketer, or trying to find product-market fit, this conversation will change the way you think about marketing’s role in building great products.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• What product marketers actually do
• Why startups often bring PMMs in too late
• The link between product marketing and product management
• How Spotify PMMs balance campaign work with feature development
• The risk of muddy messaging in wide product portfolios
• How Damian used the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework to shape product decisions
• How in-app promotions became a growth lever at Spotify
• Why experienced hires matter more than “scrappy generalists” at early stage
• How to prioritize work using the Eisenhower matrix
• The importance of consumer empathy from L’Oréal to Meta to Spotify

BEST MOMENTS
00:02:05. “We serve as the voice of the consumer.”
00:03:17. “It solves the problem around people hogging the chord at a social get together.”
00:05:22. “You run the risk of maybe cannibalizing the two versus because like truly incremental.”
00:06:58. “Product is brand. Brand is product. Consumers don’t differentiate.”
00:10:04. “We included things that weren’t yet launched... that actually informed the product roadmap.”
00:12:55. “Good marketing is strategy. You can’t remove marketing from it.”
00:17:47. “If it’s measurable, then it’s manageable.”
00:27:07. “Spotify is a company that’s willing to take big bets.”
00:35:23. “Beauty is such a personal decision. It says so much about who you are.”

🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions.

🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business.

📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com