D24 Why Founders Say No A$$hole Policy Works + Other Startup Lessons - Hosted by Matthew Miller

Summary In this episode of unDUBBED, the tables are turned! Matthew Miller - Vice President of Product Management at Salesforce and long-time champion of the Tableau community - takes over as guest host to interview Sarah Burnett and Fiona Crocker, the co-founders of Dub Dub Data. Together, they explore their entrepreneurial roots, early business lessons, and the defining moments that shaped their careers. Expect stories of selling chocolate bars at boarding school, running nightclubs, and rediscovering your superpower in business. The conversation dives deep into: Cultural contrasts between New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. - and how they shape communication and collaboration. Client relationships that thrive on trust, transparency, and shared problem-solving. The evolution of the data analyst - from dashboard designer to semantic-layer strategist. How AI, Tableau Next, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) are reshaping the future of data visualisation. The no-asshole policy behind Dub Dub Data’s culture - and what happens when values truly drive growth. Dream hires, lessons from corporate life, and how they’d spend a $5M seed fund. Matthew draws out the personal and professional threads that make Dub Dub Data tick - from Fiona’s unrelenting problem-solving and deal-making to Sarah’s people-first storytelling superpower. It’s part origin story, part strategy masterclass, and 100% heart.   Takeaways Matthew Miller hosts the episode, flipping the script on the usual format. Sarah and Fiona share their entrepreneurial backgrounds and influences. Fiona's early experiences include selling chocolate bars and tinting eyelashes. Sarah's entrepreneurial journey began later in life, inspired by conversations with Fiona. Both co-founders identify their superpowers in business and how they complement each other. They discuss the importance of client relationships and the type of clients they seek. The conversation touches on the evolution of the analyst role in data analytics. Cultural differences between New Zealand and Australia are explored. Fiona shares lessons learned from her childhood entrepreneurial experiences. The duo discusses their vision for Dub Dub Data and their approach to funding.   Links Tableau Medium Data - https://youtu.be/fEyrlgcBGzQ?si=O0LP_WjU4zN6GUub Tableau Next Hackathon Entry - Craig Bloodworth - https://youtu.be/j-ie_FPH6OM?si=gCZpLQcJgTbaqIo_ Model Context Protocol in Tableau - Darragh Murray - https://youtu.be/N1qPGS3vkxc?si=1tfI6teJqE1msVF7 LinkedIn - Follow Geoffrey Smolders, CEO Biztory - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreysmolders/ Biztory - https://www.biztory.com/   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Backgrounds 02:01 Entrepreneurial Roots and Early Experiences 04:13 Identifying Superpowers in Business 06:53 Client Relationships and Business Philosophy 08:50 Navigating Change and Market Adaptation 10:41 The Role of Analysts in Evolving Data Landscape 13:31 Cultural Differences and Personal Insights 28:20 Cultural Nuances in Problem-Solving 30:18 Lessons from International Experiences 30:36 Entrepreneurial Fears and Family Impact 35:03 Building the Dream Team 43:44 Funding Decisions and Company Ethos 49:07 R&D Focus and Future of Tableau 53:00 Data Visualization Insights   Keywords unDUBBED, entrepreneurship, data analytics, Tableau, business philosophy, client relationships, cultural differences, funding, data visualization