The Fuss About Rod Hightower

John and Mark take the Rock Bottom Data Feed on the road in Kansas City!! This episode was recorded live at the wonderfully distinctive Atlas9 with members of the local DAMA Kansas City Chapter. Thanks to Chapter President Robert LaGrega and VP of Programs Jill Camper for sponsoring and organizing our visit. Jill hatched the idea of a podcast recording at the DGIQ-EDW conference this past May, and joined the Rock Bottom Players for the opening sketch. Chapter members stepped up to the open mic for the Data Poetry Slam, posed questions to the 8-Bit Consultants (although admittedly some of the answers exceeded 256 characters), and played our famous game show, the Audio Data Rorschach Test. In between the fun, we had a lively discussion about AI and the future of data management. Will AI replace data quality tools? How will the roles of data professionals change? And what happens to our own expertise when we rely increasingly on AI? The audience brought plenty of opinions, questions, and some memorable answers. This is what happens when you put a room full of data professionals behind an open microphone! Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – The Bit Bucket - Part 3 - Two Old Geezers; 03:45 – Monologue; 06:30 – Chatting with KC-DAMA; 21:52 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 23:58 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 34:52 – Data Poetry Slam; 40:30 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 47:17 – Recap & Close Feature Image Credit: Matthew Whitehead, "Downtown Kansas City - HDR." Flickr.com. 2010.

No guest. No Game Show. No Data Poetry Slam, Monologue, Dispatches, or 8-Bit Consultants. Just two blokes talking. Over the past several weeks we've been discussing jobs, AI, and data centers, and there were some things that we wanted to get off our collective chests and share with others. AI is transforming the work we do, but what happens when the work being automated is also how the next generation learns to become expert? John and Mark debate the impact of AI on jobs, the disappearance of traditional entry-level opportunities, and the challenge of developing experienced professionals when AI can produce so many of the artifacts they once learned to create. We then turned to the infrastructure behind the AI revolution, especially the growing demands for electricity and water, the effects on local communities, and the unintended consequences of building first and asking questions later. Drawing parallels with railroads, the Industrial Revolution, and the dot-com boom, we explore whether we can embrace the opportunities of AI without repeating the mistakes of previous technological revolutions. We have no doubt that you have opinions on these subjects also. They might even differ from one or both of ours. Leave a comment or write us at [email protected]. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – The Bit Bucket – Part 3; 01:49 – Two Blokes Talking – Part 1; 24:53 – Two Blokes Talking – Part 2; 50:58 – Recap & Close

In the second half of our conversation with retired CEO Rod Hightower, John and Mark dig deeper into what it means for an executive to trust data. Rod shares hard-earned lessons about recognizing bias, understanding what information actually represents, building trust between business and data professionals, and knowing when to say, "I don't know." We also explore the very real cost of getting data wrong. An old friend visits the Bit Bucket and meets some new friends that may already seem familiar. And, of course, we have the 8-Bit Consultants, Data Poetry Slam, and best of all, Rod plays our Famous Game Show. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – The Bit Bucket - Part 2; 05:53 – Monologue; 08:04 – Rod Hightower, Part 2; 49:14 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 51:20 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 53:26 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 54:53 – Data Poetry Slam; 55:26 – Recap & Close

What does a CEO really need from data? In this episode, John and Mark sit down with retired CEO Rod Hightower to explore the business side of the data table. Rod talks about the importance of truth and insight, the biases that can get in the way of both, and why data professionals need to understand the business they support. We also visit the Bit Bucket, a bar that will serve up an Old Bandersnatch bourbon and lend an ear when it seems nobody understands you. Favorite sketches like the 8-Bit Consultants and the Data Poetry Slam return, as well as, by popular request, our original sponsor! Finally, we kick off a new series of Dispatches from Rock Bottom exploring what AI will, and will never, do. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – The Bit Bucket; 05:06 – Monologue; 07:45 – Rod Hightower, Part 1; 51:09 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 53:15 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 54:14 – Data Poetry Slam; 55:36 – Recap & Close

What happens when you empty the refrigerator of everything that didn’t quite make it into the last series of the Rock Bottom Data Feed? You make stew. This compilation episode serves up the leftovers from Series 4: behind-the-scenes production conversations, outtakes, extended conversations with guests, and a few stories that were simply too good to leave on the cutting-room floor. We revisit the history of Bradshaw’s Guide and the surprisingly contentious business of railway timetables, explore what data management looks like from perspectives outside the traditional data world, and dig into a bigger question that has been a recurring theme of the podcast: data is about people, society, and the ways technology changes how we live. There’s also a fascinating discussion about turning data into sound, the human consequences of data breaches, and why every row in a database may represent somebody’s life, experience, or secret. And then there’s the other stuff. Production sausage-making. Southern farewells. LEGO. A few questionable jokes. And one particularly memorable Victorian-era concern about the effect of high-speed rail travel on the human anatomy. In other words, everything you might expect from the Rock Bottom Data Feed when nobody is watching the clock. Series 4 is officially in the refrigerator. Series 5 is ready to cook. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction; 02:17 – Extras and Outtakes; 38:01 – Recap & Close

In this final fourth series episode, John and Mark continue their conversation with Sam Spencer, CEO and co-founder of Aristotle Metadata. The focus this time is an experiment Sam's been running with the Australian government. We'll let Sam give the details, but the short version is that the Australian government spent a whole lot of money on a data initiative but didn't have a whole lot of results to show for it. Sam is helping them to make better progress without having to handhold the whole time. You can read about it on his substack. We'll be back later in the summer to see how it turned out. Sam also plays our famous Game Show, the Audio Data Rorschach Test. We close out the season with all the favorite segments, including the 8-Bit Consultants and a Data Poetry Slam courtesy Busta Hips making a grand entrance on a stairlift. As always, if you have a verse or two to share, or a question in 256-characters, write us. This is our 36th episode. Over 21 hours of irreverent yet practical data-focused content that isn't a pile of technobabble and repetition of old advice. Go back and check out some of our earlier shows. You could start season one on your flight from London and still be listening to this episode when you arrive in Sydney. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – Archedataology from the Future - Part 4 - 2026; 07:55 – Monologue; 10:06 – Sam Spencer Part 2; 37:56 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 40:02 - Audio Data Rorschach Test; 41:32 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 42:40 – Data Poetry Slam; 43:58 – Recap & Close

In this episode of the Rock Bottom Data Feed, John and Mark go half-way around the world, literally, to bring you Sam Spencer, CEO and co-founder of Aristotle Metadata. Drawing on experiences ranging from nursing to public service to entrepreneurship, Sam advocates for a more assertive approach to governance that emphasizes accountability, ownership, and organizational responsibility. The wide-ranging conversation covers ISO standards, metadata and asset management, and the parallels between data governance and quality improvement in other disciplines. Sam caused a bit of a fuss down under with some unflattering observations about government investments in data. You can read about it on his substack. We will also hear from the 8-Bit Consultants and drop in on an unusual Data Poetry Slam. If you have a verse or two to share, or a question in 256-characters, write us. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – Archedataology from the Future - Part 3 - 1996; 07:26 – Monologue; 10:10 – Sam Spencer Part 1; 39:43 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 41:49 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 42:49 – Data Poetry Slam; 44:00 – Recap & Close

Christy Crute returns to the Rock Bottom Data Feed to discuss the growing importance of data literacy, critical thinking, and human judgment in an AI-enabled world. In addition to being Professor, Business Analytics at Grove City College, Dr. Crute has also been an executive at multiple Fortune 50 companies. In a wide-ranging conversation, she talks about how metrics can motivate employees, foundational skills that still matter, and that while AI is changing entry-level work, it will not replace the need for deep understanding. In fact, intellectual capital and institutional knowledge are more important than ever, perhaps even to the level of competitive differentiators. We also hear from the 8-Bit Consultants, play our famous game show, and visit the Data Poetry Slam. As always, if you have a verse to share or question in 256-characters, write us. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – Archedataology from the Future – Part 3; 05:21 – Monologue; 07:47 – Christy Crute Part 2; 28:33 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 30:39 – Data Poetry Slam; 31:11 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 32:16 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 34:19 – Recap & Close

Who is best to educate corporate executives? How about a college professor who was once a corporate executive herself. John and Mark welcome Christy Crute to the Rock Bottom Data Feed. Former executive at multiple Fortune 50 companies; current Professor, Business Analytics at Grove City College. In the first of our two-part conversation, Dr. Crute shares her observations about how AI is shaping education, not by replacing foundational skills, but by elevating critical thinking, curiosity, and judgment. Students still need deep domain understanding even as AI handles more of the mechanics because "reasonableness" may become one of the most important skills of all. In this episode we also preview an upcoming guest: Sam Spencer of Aristotle Metadata in Australia. Not to give too much away, but Sam caused a bit of a fuss down under with some unflattering observations about government investments in data. As always, if you have a verse or two for the Data Poetry Slam, or question in 256-characters, write us. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – Archedataology from the Future - Part 2; 05:58 – Monologue; 08:41 – Christy Crute Part 1; 37:21 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 39:27 – Data Poetry Slam; 40:25 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 42:02 – Recap & Close

John Ladley and Mark Cooper conclude their conversation with Jon Padfield. He's a an engineer turned State Representative, turned business professor, exploring how surveillance, data, AI, and corporate power are reshaping our world and what you can do about it. Check out and join the quarter-million subscribers to his YouTube channel, Business Reform. In this episode of the Rock Bottom Data Feed, Jon gives us more food for thought about what's ethically acceptable in a world of rapidly expanding data and AI. He also answers the "two questions" and plays our Famous Game Show. As always, if you have a suggestion for an artifact to explore in Archedataology, a verse or two for the Data Poetry Slam, or question in 256-characters, write us. Be sure to visit DATAVERSITY where you can use discount code ROCK15 to get 15% off your first purchase!! DATAVERSITY Training Center Live Classes Applied Data Governance Certification | DATAVERSITY Chapters: 00:00 – Archedataology from the Future - Part 1; 04:51 – Monologue; 07:15 – Jon Padfield Part 2; 39:06 – Dispatches from Rock Bottom; 41:58 – Audio Data Rorschach Test; 45:53 – The 8-Bit Consultants; 47:09 – Recap & Close