1. Can you share with us DataGalaxy’s founding story?

DataGalaxy is a project that has been developing for quite some time.

The idea sprouted after I first met Lazhar in 2009 on an analytics project concerning the deployment of smart meters. We quickly noticed the difficulty of collaborating on data between business teams and IT teams, and thought that it was a problem that absolutely needed more attention.

We continued to closely monitor the market’s progression, witnessing the ascension of data agility and Big Data. With each development, our understanding of the data infrastructure landscape deepened, revealing both its challenges and potential. Despite the existence of data governance solutions, none seemed truly adequate to address the complexities we encountered daily.

So, we decided to take matters into our own hands. In 2015, DataGalaxy was designed to tackle these challenges in a completely new way.

2. Given the explosion of data in businesses both large and small, what are some of the biggest data challenges or roadblocks you see within organizations today?

Without a doubt, the lack of data literacy.

We’re at a stage where all companies have become aware of the importance of data in continuing to innovate and progress in terms of competitiveness. Unfortunately, very few of them know how to support their teams towards a global understanding and relevant use of data.

While technical teams can get by with extra work, business teams have no solution and are overwhelmed by the amount of information to assimilate and skills to acquire. It’s extremely important to adopt a distinct approach when engaging with business teams, who can no longer afford to opt out of their organization’s data culture.

That’s why the Chief Data Officer’s primary focus is to instill a data-centric culture across the company. The CDO plays a crucial role, especially in supporting the business teams through this substantial transformation. It’s no easy task.

3. You founded the business in France, and now you are expanding in North America. What are some of the things you’ve had to overcome to make this happen? 

Right before we decided to expand, we had begun our linguistic shift to an English-first company, both externally and internally. Although our teams were predominantly French-speaking, we gradually began hiring more international profiles to ease the transition.

This change was crucial in overcoming our initial hurdle: the lack of brand awareness. We’ve started increasing our digital presence in the US market, complemented by our physical participation in events and conferences several times a year.

Recruitment has also been a significant focus. Culture plays a vital role here, especially in our sales process. Thankfully, we have a unique product and value proposition that caters to both markets’ needs and expectations.

4. How do you see AI impacting the future of data analytics and intelligence, especially given all the recent focus on language and images? 

In the realm of data, AI, particularly generative AI, stands to significantly enhance productivity and quality across the board. Specifically within our domain, AI is already expediting data documentation and suggesting corrections to data definitions. It’s also fostering the development of new applications and interfaces that bridge users with the knowledge repository we’re constructing.

However, AI isn’t a panacea. That’s why we remain very focused on prioritizing the user experience at the core of our platform, and also why we focus so heavily on the human aspect of change management and data culture.

5. As a founder, what’s something you’ve learned over the years that you wish you had known when starting your entrepreneurial journey?

One key lesson I’ve learned as a founder is the sheer importance of fostering a positive and inclusive company culture from the get go. While I initially focused heavily on product development and market strategy, I underestimated the impact of cultivating a supportive and collaborative environment for our team.

I’ve come to realize that a strong company culture not only contributes to employee morale and productivity, but also attracts top talent and sets us up for success in the long run. Moving forward, I prioritize traits such as empathy, communication, and adaptability when hiring new team members, as these qualities contribute significantly to our cohesive culture and drive our collective mission forward.

6. What are some technology trends in the enterprise data and compute landscape, other than AI, that you are following which you are excited about?

On the computing side, I’m trying to keep up with the technological advances in quantum processors, while at the same time trying to understand how they work (in layman’s terms). This technology will shatter all previous records for computing speed. As a result, it will pose a number of challenges, not least for cryptography, but also to further expand the capabilities of AI.

From a business perspective, I’m deeply interested in knowledge graphs and exploring how to leverage their potential.

7. DataGalaxy is now over 8 years old. How has your role as CEO changed over that time, and how would you describe it today?

Regardless of our age, it’s above all the size of DataGalaxy and our international presence that have had the greatest impact on my role as a CEO. From being a Swiss Army knife with numerous contacts in all fields (employees, customers, business partners, suppliers, banks, accountants, etc.), my role has evolved to become more of a management and representation role.

Without being original, I would say that my main challenge today is to succeed in surrounding myself with and empowering people who are much better and more knowledgeable than I am in their field, and providing them with a work environment where they can perform at their best.

8. How have your investors like AV8 been most helpful to you?

The support of our investors, particularly AV8, is indispensable when we need to reassess or view things from a different perspective. For instance, in terms of positioning the company, Baris provides valuable insights into market dynamics, drawn from his extensive interactions with various startups. In our GoToMarket strategy, he assists us in taking a step back to benchmark ourselves against other companies in the market and evaluate our progress against industry standards.  

9. What’s your go-to interview question for new hires, and what attributes and experiences do you gravitate toward?

One of our key interview questions for new hires and existing team members is about their vision for the future of DataGalaxy. We understand that we are all pieces of one puzzle, and we really invest in gathering as many perspectives as possible from our teams. Diversity of thought is important to us.

In terms of qualities, our core values revolve around being intentional, bold, clear, and humble. At this stage of DataGalaxy’s evolution, I would say that boldness is key. We’re committed to taking risks and forging new paths, and we value employees who share that hunger for innovation.

10. What have you recently read or watched (books, TV, movies, etc) that others should know about?

I recently finished reading ‘Decisive’, a book that focuses on the intricacies of decision-making and offers insights on avoiding the pitfalls of binary choices. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in refining their decision-making skills!