The Powered by Data Show

Ben Jones
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Technology
  • Updated Monthly

The Powered by Data Show explores the intersection of humans, data, and AI. Hosted by Ben Jones, CEO of Powered by Data, this podcast features practical conversations and smart guests on how organizations can turn data and AI into better decisions, stronger teams, and real business progress. Perfect for executives, data leaders, and BI teams, The Powered by Data Show combines strategic thinking with real-world application. From modern analytics and AI adoption to data culture, enablement, and decision-making, we cover what it really takes to help people use data and AI well.

  1. 19h ago

    Introducing the NEW Data Literacy Learning Academy | Powered by Data Ep. 5

    After eight years on WordPress, we tore the whole thing down and rebuilt it ourselves. This is the full tour of the new Data Literacy Learning Academy. We retired the WordPress site we'd run on WP Engine since 2018 and replaced it with a Next.js and Tailwind application built with Claude Code: not just a marketing site, but the learning management system itself. It wasn't a one-weekend build. It took months. Already had an account on the old site? Your badges, completed lessons, and quiz scores all carry over. Just sign up again with the same email address, since passwords don't transfer. WHAT'S NEW • Every course refreshed, and now on a quarterly update cadence. A two-year-old AI course is ancient history, and a one-time rewrite doesn't fix that, but a standing schedule does. • An AI Tutor scoped to the lesson on your screen, an AI Coach that reads your learner profile, and inline definitions for any term you highlight. All in beta, all grounded in every book and course we've written using RAG (retrieval-augmented generation). • Our first fully free course: 21 Key Traits of Data Literacy. Rate yourself on both proficiency and importance, then get a learning roadmap that points at free resources, not just ours. • More coming! Right now, we're playing around with a live SQL sandbox running right in the browser, built on SQLite. I used it to cross-check every query in a client course before we shipped it, something I could never have done on the old site. • New pricing tiers, including a course-only option for people who'd rather skip the AI features entirely. CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome back: a summer spent building 0:34 Why we retired the WordPress site after seven years 1:00 The new stack: Next.js, Tailwind, and Claude Code 1:53 Accounts, badges, and carrying your progress over 2:17 Refreshing every course — and a quarterly update cadence 3:12 AI in the lessons: inline definitions and the AI tutor 4:20 Vectorizing the books and courses with RAG 4:48 The AI coach and personalized learning paths 5:22 A free course for everyone: 21 Key Traits of Data Literacy 6:16 Under the hood: Claude Code, GitHub, Vercel, and Supabase 6:56 Demo: an in-browser SQL sandbox for hands-on courses 9:35 New pricing tiers and what each one unlocks 10:26 Cutting WP Engine and HubSpot out of the stack 11:34 Coming next: the Avoiding Data Pitfalls open-source package LINKS The new Data Literacy Learning Academy → https://dataliteracy.com Episode page, show notes, and full transcript → https://poweredbydata.com/podcast/introducing-the-new-data-literacy-learning-academy Data Pitfalls Detector → https://poweredbydata.com/tools/data-pitfalls datapitfalls on GitHub → https://github.com/bjonesdataliteracy/datapitfalls Ben Jones on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrjones/ Team training and workshops → https://poweredbydata.com/contact The Powered by Data Show is hosted by Ben Jones, founder of Data Literacy. New episodes on data, AI, and the humans in the middle of it all. Subscribe so you don't miss one. #DataLiteracy #AILiteracy #DataAnalytics #ClaudeCode #NextJS #SQL

  2. May 29

    The Human Architecture of AI Transformation | Patrick McGarry on Powered by Data

    Every leader claims to be "data-driven," yet most organizations still can't turn data and AI ambition into operational reality. In this episode of the Powered by Data Show, Ben Jones sits down with Patrick McGarry, Federal Chief Data Officer at ServiceNow, to talk about his new book, The Adaptive Organization: Leading Change in the AI Era.Patrick makes the case that transformation rarely fails because the technology is wrong. It fails because organizations treat a human and systemic challenge as a technology problem. We get into the CATALOG Framework at the heart of his book, why governance is infrastructure rather than overhead, and why the real constraint on AI is the human architecture around it.Ben also presses Patrick on the harder questions: whether governance slows you down in a world where models change weekly, where the "AI frees people up for higher-value work" story breaks down, and what honest leadership looks like when the math on headcount doesn't add up.📘 Pre-order The Adaptive Organization (paperback, hardback, and ebook), available now on Amazon ahead of the June 8th launch: https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Organization-Leading-Change-Era/dp/1960907123/Check out Patrick's book site: https://mcgarrycdo.com/In this conversation:00:00 Meet Patrick McGarry and the "accidental" origin of the book03:14 The CATALOG Framework and why transformation is a socio-technical problem05:19 Governance as infrastructure, not overhead: the Deming argument06:52 Does governance slow you down? Addressing the skeptical executive08:39 Building two identities: experimenting fast and scaling responsibly09:33 Governance should scale to consequences, not calendars11:44 The elephant in the room: AI, headcount, and job displacement17:53 The single highest-leverage move a leader can make today19:35 Why adapting once isn't enough, and what "choose to lead" really meansAbout the show:Powered by Data is where Ben Jones hosts candid conversations with data leaders, practitioners, and innovators. Each episode digs into the real challenges and practical approaches behind data strategy, BI modernization, AI adoption, and building data-literate organizations, all at the intersection of humans, data, and AI.

  3. Apr 21

    The Evolving Role of the Data Analyst, with guest Hex's Rachel Herrera

    The Powered by Data Show, Episode 003In this episode of The Powered by Data Show, Ben Jones sits down with Rachel Herrera of Hex to explore how AI is changing the day-to-day work of data analysts, and why that shift may be better news than many people think. Instead of spending all their time writing repetitive SQL, cleaning messy data, and rebuilding the same dashboards, analysts now have an opportunity to become curators of context, stewards of trust, and stronger storytellers for the business. Ben and Rachel discuss Hex’s vision for AI-first analytics, including Context Studio, Hex's new feature that empowers data teams to manage and continuously improve agent performance over time. They also dig into what analysts should be learning right now to stay relevant: business understanding, discovery skills, judgment, and the ability to communicate clearly with humans. If you’ve been worried about what the future of the data analyst's role, this conversation might just give you some hope!

  4. Apr 6

    Are Dashboards DEAD, and Where is BI Headed? | With Ellie Fields of Ridge AI

    The Powered by Data Show, Episode 002 Ellie Fields helped shape the self-service analytics era at Tableau. Now, as CEO & co-founder of Ridge AI, she’s helping build what comes next. In this episode, Ben Jones and Ellie dig into the big question of whether dashboards are dead, where conversational AI breaks down, and how dashboards plus data agents may work together to create a better analytics experience.

  5. Mar 18

    Introducing the Powered by Data Show

    In this episode of The Powered by Data Show, Ben Jones and Alli Torban introduce the podcast’s new name and vision, exploring why the conversation around data has shifted from understanding to action. They discuss what’s holding BI back from its full potential, how AI is changing the way people interact with data, and what listeners can expect from the show going forward, including real-world stories from leaders navigating the intersection of humans, data, and AI. Show notes: https://dataliteracy.com/pbd001/

  6. Feb 25

    Is Your Data Ready for AI? A Practical Self-Assessment

    In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) tackle a question they’re hearing everywhere: “Is our data ready for AI — and what does ‘ready’ really mean?” We introduce DF4AI (Data Foundations for AI), which is a practical 10-minute self-assessment that helps organizations understand their AI readiness without chasing perfection. You’ll learn… Why you don’t need perfect data to start getting AI value The five key dimensions of readiness How weak foundations quietly derail AI initiatives If your team is experimenting with AI (or feeling pressure to), this episode will help you move forward with clarity and avoid costly missteps. Take the free DF4AI self-assessment: https://df4ai.com/ See full show notes here: https://dataliteracy.com/season-02-episode-02/

  7. Jan 29

    Twelve Data & AI Predictions for 2026

    In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, Ben Jones and Alli Torban share 12 predictions for data literacy in 2026, based on key lessons from the past year. They explore what leaders should watch for as data and AI become more embedded in everyday work — from the growing importance of measurement and human skills to the evolving role of AI, storytelling, and organizational change. Show notes: https://dataliteracy.com/season-02-episode-01/

  8. 12/10/2025

    12: Real Lessons from Building a Data Literacy Program with Neil Richards

    In this episode of The Data Literacy Show, Ben Jones (CEO of Data Literacy) and Alli Torban (Senior Data Literacy Advocate) talk with Neil Richards, an award-winning data visualization expert and former Global Data Fluency Lead at JLL, about what it really takes to build and sustain a data literacy program inside an organization.  He’ll share tips on… Securing early wins and leadership buy-inLittle “data moments” to integrate data into the organization cultureRecognizing the shifts that show your program is workingAnd more! Show notes: https://dataliteracy.com/episode-12

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The Powered by Data Show explores the intersection of humans, data, and AI. Hosted by Ben Jones, CEO of Powered by Data, this podcast features practical conversations and smart guests on how organizations can turn data and AI into better decisions, stronger teams, and real business progress. Perfect for executives, data leaders, and BI teams, The Powered by Data Show combines strategic thinking with real-world application. From modern analytics and AI adoption to data culture, enablement, and decision-making, we cover what it really takes to help people use data and AI well.

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  • Creator
    Ben Jones
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ben Jones
  • Show Website
    The Powered by Data Show