Building Data Teams That Scale

Episode Summary

Scaling a data team is one of the hardest challenges facing data leaders today. Alex Johnson, VP of Data Engineering, shares lessons from growing their team 10x while maintaining productivity and culture.

Topics Covered

• Organizational structures for data teams at different scales
• Hiring and onboarding best practices
• Maintaining quality as velocity increases
• Platform vs. embedded team models
• Creating career paths for data professionals

Key Takeaways

1. Invest in platform capabilities early to enable team scaling
2. Clear ownership models prevent bottlenecks
3. Documentation and self-service are force multipliers
4. Culture doesn't scale automatically—it requires intentional effort

Links Mentioned

• Data Team Operating Model
• Platform Engineering Guide