S3E2 – BI Has the Worst ROI in the Modern Data Stack

Most of the modern data stack has transformed, pipelines, compute, governance. But BI? It’s still the same dashboards and reports we were using 20 years ago.  Expensive, read-only, and delivering the worst ROI in the stack.

In this episode of Data Matas, Ollie Hughes, CEO of Count, joins Aaron Phethean to share why BI tools eroded trust, why AI won’t fix reporting chaos, and how data teams can escape the “service trap” to become real decision-making partners.

You’ll learn:

▶️ Why BI tools are the worst ROI in the modern stack
▶️ How the “service trap” caps your team’s value
▶️ Why AI makes reporting faster but not better
▶️ How to build trust in data beyond accuracy alone
▶️ Why ruthless prioritisation is the ultimate lever for data leaders

This is a practical, candid conversation about the real challenges data teams face — and how to refocus BI on clarity, trust, and decisions that matter.

Watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

👤 Ollie Hughes on LinkedIn
👤 Aaron Phethean on LinkedIn
🎧 Data Matas Podcast
📺 YouTube
🌐 Matatika Website