The Data Literacy Gap AI Can't Fix
Show notes
The best data leaders know how to turn ambiguity into clarity, influence business decisions, and communicate insights in a way that drives action.
In this episode, Jess Carter sits down with Shailvi Wakhlu, a data leader and author with a career that includes leadership roles at fast-growing startups. Shailvi shares what she learned while scaling Strava's analytics and machine learning team, contributing to long-term business planning, and leading through periods of rapid growth.
As AI makes analysis more accessible, Shailvi asserts that leaders still need to understand where data comes from, how trustworthy it is, and how to communicate its limits clearly.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How data teams can contribute to business direction
What leaders should understand before relying on an AI-generated analysis
Why communication and self-advocacy matter for technical leaders
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Shailvi Wakhlu
(07:06) Scaling an analytics team through hypergrowth at Strava
(11:49) Moving from data execution to business strategy
(14:44) Data literacy in the age of AI
(19:03) Why asking the right questions matters more than finding answers
(25:25) Helping data leaders advocate for themselves
Shailvi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shailviw/
Learn more about Shailvi: https://www.shailvi.com/