Most data leaders want to deliver data products, but few are doing it.

Let's face it: most data teams today function as internal service bureaus that fulfill customer requests that arrive via ticketing systems, email, handwritten notes, or calls from colleagues looking for a favor. Most work double time to keep their request backlogs from ballooning from weeks to months. In this environment, few data leaders have time or capacity to switch from a project management approach to a product management one.

Even if data leaders had time, most wouldn't know how to make this transition. Most have no experience in product management, nor do they have a good idea of a data product. So asking data leaders to deliver data products is like asking them to build a rocket ship that can travel to the moon.

In this episode, Wayne Eckerson interviews Henrik Strandberg, a strong proponent of running data teams using product management principles. Henrik Strandberg is a seasoned data transformation leader who, for the past 25 years, has helped numerous organizations bridge gaps between business and technology. In stints at publishing and gaming companies, Henrik has developed a unique understanding of building and delivering data products at scale that delight customers.