High Signal: Data Science | Career | AI Episode 27: Why Your Data Team Doesn't Have a Seat at the Table (And How to Earn It)
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Oct 30, 2025 Paras Doshi, Head of Data at Opendoor and former Amazon data leader, shares insights on building effective data functions. He discusses transforming fragmented analytics into a centralized asset, emphasizing the importance of having a 'seat at the table' for data teams. Paras argues that AI is set to create the '100x individual contributor,' enabling significant productivity boosts. He also covers the balance between batch and real-time ML, the role of data in strategic business decisions, and the essentials for a successful data career.
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Data Is Core To Valuation
- Opendoor's core product depends on accurate home valuations built from hundreds of features per property.
- Owning the data assets and valuation analysis is central to the company's business model and risk control.
Be The Arbiter, Not Just Reporters
- Do position the data team as an unbiased arbiter that builds bridges to company goals instead of only producing reports.
- Shift executive questions from 'give me a report' to 'help me create a bridge to hit our targets.'
Marketing Reallocation From Data
- Data revealed many Opendoor customers are already decided when they arrive, so long-form branding campaigns underperformed.
- The team reallocated marketing spend using data-driven models and improved ROI across channels and markets.