Data Neighbor Podcast

Ever wondered why you might know more math, physics, or logic than you realize - and why traditional education often makes learning feel way harder than it should? In this mind-expanding episode, we sit down with Luis Serrano, founder of Serrano Academy to break down how real learning happens, why AI won’t replace the most human parts of us, and how quantum computing might just change the future o...

What does it really take to be the first data hire at a startup? In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we dive deep with Jessie Li - former Head of Data at Descript and ex-Meta product data science leader - as she unpacks her raw, insightful journey navigating the unpredictable world of early-stage startups. From leaving Big Tech for a less-known startup to building a full-stack data funct...

In this episode of Data Neighbor, we dive deep into the rapidly evolving landscape of education driven by AI. Jess Haberman, Director of Product Content at Anaconda and former O'Reilly editor, shares groundbreaking insights on how generative AI tools are revolutionizing the way we learn Python, data science, data engineering, and beyond - making learning faster and more accessible than ever before...

Ever wondered who’s behind the ads that actually make you buy stuff—and how companies waste millions on the ones that don’t? In this mind-opening episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we dive into the world of marketing science with Agastya Komarraju, Global Head of Product and Science for Growth & Funnel at Amazon. Agastya has held leadership roles at Walmart and Nielsen, and he’s here to dem...

How is AI quietly reshaping your everyday workflow—whether you notice it or not? In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we explore how AI is being embedded directly into the tools you already use, with real-world examples from Adobe Acrobat. Our guest, Nikhil Pentapalli, is a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Adobe, where he works on embedding GenAI into Acrobat to transform how people in...

AI is transforming how products are built—and with new AI prototyping tools like Replit, Cursor, V0, Bolt, and Lovable, it’s never been easier to go from idea to working app in minutes. In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we’re joined by Colin Matthews, founder of Tech for Product, to explore how product managers, data scientists, and engineers can build faster using AI.Colin teaches two...

Are you struggling to land a data science role in today’s competitive market? In this episode, we sit down with Karun Thankachan, Senior Data Scientist at Walmart and former Amazon Applied Scientist, to break down the science of job searching - including actionable strategies to optimize your job applications, referrals, and LinkedIn outreach. Oh and we covered how recommendation systems are built...

AI is evolving faster than ever—and open-source AI models are catching up to proprietary models at an incredible pace. In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Maarten Grootendorst, co-author of Hands-On Large Language Models with Jay Alammar, DeepLearning. AI instructor, and creator of BERTopic and KeyBERT, to break down the real differences between open-source and closed-so...

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Justin Chen, Senior Director of Growth Data Science and former Head of Data Science & Engineering at Coinbase, to dive deep into how to build scalable, high-impact data teams. We get into the mind of a data leader who has built numerous reputable data organizations to understand principles, lessons, and challenges every company fac...

AI is changing everything—including how we moderate content online. In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Sugin Lou, a Staff Data Scientist at Cash App and former Nextdoor AI trust & safety expert, to discuss the challenges of AI content moderation, misinformation, and trust & safety in the era of LLMs. If you care about AI trust, AI policy, risk of AI, and AI gove...

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, discover how data science shapes both winning and losing productr. We explore key insights from staff data science expert Anagh Pal with experience at Amazon, Twitter, and Nextdoor. Learn how cross-functional collaboration, data-driven experimentation, and hypothesis testing drive product success and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you're a data sci...

AI is evolving faster than ever, and DeepSeek has sent shockwaves through the industry. In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Raffaele Ciriello, a scholar in information systems at the University of Sydney, to unpack the impact of DeepSeek and its implications for the future of AI innovation, sustainability, and ethics. DeepSeek R1 and DeepSeek V3 have positioned thems...

AI is creating a massive career arbitrage moment—but are you taking advantage of it? In this episode, we sit down with Yuzheng, an AI course instructor, ex-Meta, Amazon, Tencent, and a leading voice in the GenAI space. Yuzheng breaks down how the next 10-18 months will redefine careers and why those who embrace AI now will skyrocket ahead.🔹 AI isn’t replacing jobs—it’s amplifying potential.🔹 The...

Ever wondered how to make the complex simple and the technical engaging? Join us for a fascinating episode as we sit down with Josh Starmer, the mastermind behind the wildly popular YouTube channel  @statquest  ! Known for making statistics and machine learning concepts approachable, Josh shares his secret sauce to storytelling, simplifying concepts, and tips and tricks to help one become better a...

Ever wondered how to transition into the AI engineering space or what skills truly matter in this fast-evolving field? In this episode of Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Aishwarya Reganti, a Generative AI Tech Lead at Amazon's AWS, to dive into the essentials of AI engineering and separate the signal from the noise surrounding AI today. Aishwarya shares her journey from researcher to enter...

Curious about building a long-term career in data science? This episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast dives deep into actionable strategies and leadership insights for aspiring and experienced data professionals. Join us as we chat with Manisha Arora, a data science leader at Google and founder of PrepVector, as she shares her inspiring journey and practical advice. We cover: -The data science road...

Curious about AI but overwhelmed by the jargon? This episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast breaks down the evolution of artificial intelligence in a way anyone can understand! Join us as we chat with Karan Singh, a senior software engineer at Salesforce, to explore AI's journey from rule-based systems to generative AI like ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs). We also talked about whether AI ca...

Curious about the data science salary landscape? In this episode of Data Neighbor Podcast, we dive deep into data scientist salary insights, uncovering the salary of data scientists across industries. From data science compensation structures to a detailed tech salary breakdown, we explore everything you need to know about data scientist pay and data science jobs. Using reliable sources like level...

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we chat with VK Xu, a data engineer at Meta, about her remarkable journey from a background in journalism to becoming a data engineer at one of the world’s leading tech companies. VK shares how she transitioned from being a non-technical data journalist to mastering coding, analytics, and engineering in the tech world. We dive into her experiences work...

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Nirmal Budhathoki, a senior data scientist at Microsoft, to uncover his fascinating journey from a small town in Nepal, to joining the military in the US, to leading impactful machine learning and data science projects in Big Tech. Nirmal shares how his unique career path, including his time in the military, shaped his approach to tack...

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Dawn Choo (aka Ask Data Dawn), a data scientist turned entrepreneur, to explore her fascinating journey from finance to big tech to building her own business. Dawn shares insights into navigating visa challenges, taking calculated risks (like a 40% pay cut!), and transitioning from a Business Analyst role to a Data Scientist at top com...

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Kartik Singhal (Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Meta) to explore his inspiring journey from a small town in India to working at some of the world’s top tech companies (Amazon, Google, and Meta). Kartik shares his struggles with insecurities, tips for building confidence, and the intentional decisions that shaped his career. You’ll...

Sr. Director of Data Science Gene Tabach gets real about breaking into big tech, data science wins, and the secret sauce to career success. Connect with Gene: linkedin.com/in/genetabach Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane Hai: linkedin.com/in/hai-guan-6b58a7a Sravya: linkedin.com/in/sravyamadipalli Shane: linkedin.com/in/shaneausleybutler If you need personalized advice in your data career, send u...

Discover how data scientists, analysts, analytics engineers, and ML engineers can prove their value by linking their work to one of three things - key metrics, roadmap directions, and process changes. Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane Hai: linkedin.com/in/hai-guan-6b58a7a Sravya: linkedin.com/in/sravyamadipalli Shane: linkedin.com/in/shaneausleybutler If you need personalized advice in your data...

Join hosts Hai, Sravya, and Shane as they kick off the Data Neighbor Podcast, breaking down data science myths, sharing career journeys, and revealing how anyone can thrive in this field! Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane Hai: linkedin.com/in/hai-guan-6b58a7a Sravya: linkedin.com/in/sravyamadipalli Shane: linkedin.com/in/shaneausleybutler If you need personalized advice in your data career, send...