041 - Data as a Product: How to Drive Real Business Value

In this episode of the Stacked Data Podcast, we explore how modern data teams can drive real business impact by combining commercial thinking with a product mindset.I’m joined by Ryan, a data leader at Viasat, who has built the company’s only commercially-driven data roadmap across six data teams. With experience spanning analytics engineering, data product management, and team leadership, Ryan brings a practical perspective on how to bridge the gap between technical excellence and business value.We discuss what it really means to build a commercially-driven roadmap, why many data teams struggle to connect their work to outcomes, and the mindset shift required to become a truly commercial data professional.We also dive into the concept of “data as a product” — what it looks like in practice, how to prioritise effectively, and how to measure success through adoption, satisfaction, and ROI. Ryan shares a real example of consolidating 200 dashboards into 40, and what that taught him about product thinking, stakeholder alignment, and delivering meaningful impact.If you’re looking to move beyond reactive reporting and towards proactive, product-led data work, this episode is packed with practical insights.