Building the Foundations - Data, AI, and Business Value

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, I sit down with Chris Hounslow, Head of Data Science & AI at Lebara, to talk about what it actually takes to turn AI from hype into real business impact.Chris shares the journey behind Lebara’s transformation — from building solid data foundations to rolling out production-grade AI tools across a lean team… and winning industry recognition along the way.We get into the realities of operating with limited resource, choosing the right use cases, and why most AI projects fail after the proof of concept stage.If you’re trying to scale AI in a real business (not just experiment with it), this one’s worth your time.🔍 Key Topics CoveredWhy the shift from “data science” to “AI” is often just rebranding, not reinventionHow to run a high-performing, lean AI team (5 people, 80% success rate)Why being problem-led (not tech-led) is the key to choosing the right use casesThe importance of end-to-end ownership (not just building models)Why most AI projects fail after the POC stageHow to build trust and adoption with non-technical stakeholdersThe role of data foundations as the real competitive advantageWhy testing and validation are the biggest blockers to scaling AI