Re-Air: From Anxiety to Advantage: Navigating Data’s AI Revolution with Barry McCardel of Hex

Re-Air: From Anxiety to Advantage: Navigating Data’s AI Revolution with Barry McCardel of Hex

From The Data Stack Show by Rudderstack

January 14, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

Barry McCardel discusses the transformative impact of AI on data teams and the data industry.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations, featuring insights worth revisiting. Thank you for being part of the Data Stack community. Stay up to date with the latest episodes at datastackshow.com. This week on The Data Stack Show, Barry McCardel, CEO and Co-Founder of Hex, joins Eric Dodds and John Wessel to discuss the transformative impact of AI on data teams and the broader data industry. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping workflows, team structures, and the very definition of data roles, while also addressing the anxieties and opportunities that come with rapid change. Barry shares Hex’s journey from having a dedicated AI team to fully integrating AI across the product, and offers insights on industry consolidation, the infinite demand for data insights, and the importance of embracing change. Key takeaways include the need for data professionals to adapt and focus on problem-solving, the growing value of context and curation, the competitive advantage for organizations that leverage AI-driven tools and foster a culture of innovation, and so much more.

People in this episode

Hosts: Eric Dodds, John Wessel

Guest: Barry McCardel

Topics covered

  • AI in data
  • data teams
  • workflows
  • data roles
  • industry consolidation
  • innovation

Keywords

  • AI
  • data insights
  • data professionals
  • problem-solving
  • context
  • curation
  • innovation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hex

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