The Stacked Data Podcast · 2026-05-06 · 48 min
In this episode of the Stacked Data Podcast, we explore how modern data teams can drive real business impact by combining commercial thinking with a product mindset. I’m joined by Ryan, a data leader at Viasat, who has built the company’s only commercially-driven data roadmap across six data teams. With experience spanning analytics engineering, data product management, and team leadership, Ryan brings a practical perspective on how to bridge the gap between technical excellence and business value. We discuss what it really means to build a commercially-driven roadmap, why many data teams struggle to connect their work to outcomes, and the mindset shift required to become a truly commercial data professional. We also dive into the concept of “data as a product” - what it looks like in practice, how to prioritise effectively, and how to measure success through adoption, satisfaction, and ROI. Ryan shares a real example of consolidating 200 dashboards into 40, and what that taught him about product thinking, stakeholder alignment, and delivering meaningful impact.
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