"The future is already here - it's just not evenly distributed." - William Gibson

Why You’re Reading This

If you’re a data leader, analyst, engineer, freelancer or CTO navigating this AI-dominated world, this newsletter is for you.

Today, I want to take you behind the scenes.

Not just to show what I’m building, but why I’m building it.

This is the story of how a Slack channel became a movement. How years of hard-earned lessons turned into a vision:

To help data leaders thrive in the AI-era.

Where It All Began

Let me take you back.

I’ve spent almost 18 years in data. As some of you know, the most formative period was during my time at Rocket Internet, the world’s largest venture builder. I was thrown into the deep end. I launched data teams across 7 companies in 15 countries in just three years.

It was my first true leadership role. And I struggled - badly.

• I made mistakes that almost cost me my job.
• I missed the promotion I wanted.
• I lacked blueprints, mentorship, and frameworks.

I was trying to figure everything out on my own and I was failing.

After Rocket, I joined an alumni Slack channel: The Builders Network. It was filled with founders helping each other build better companies. You’d ask a question, and someone who had done it before would answer. It was invaluable.

And that’s when it hit me:

What if data people had a space like that?

From Slack Channel to Movement

In June 2021, I launched the Data Action Network, a simple Slack community where data leaders helped each other build better teams.

No monetization, no grand plan. Just a side hustle I was passionate about.

That “side hustle” grew to 400 members and I realized it was becoming too much to manage for free. I had two options: shut it down or monetize it.

At the time, I was running a consulting business helping VC- and PE-backed companies set up their first data teams. So I thought: Why not turn this into something bigger, something sustainable?

The First Pivot: Data Action Mentor

As the community grew, something interesting happened.

Many senior data leaders wanted to give back. They were willing to mentor those just 5–10 years behind them.

So I pivoted. I turned the community into a mentorship marketplace: Data Action Mentor, where first-time data leaders could access senior mentors via subscription.

It worked and the platform quickly grew to 120 mentors. We had traction, we had product-market fit.

But there was a problem…

The Hard Lesson: Founder-Business Model Fit

A two-sided marketplace is one of the most complex business models out there.

And it just didn’t fit the solopreneur model I was building. I didn’t want to raise VC, hire a big team, or build a traditional startup.

I had built a working product but not one I wanted to run.

That forced me to step back and ask:

• Who do I really want to help?
• And how can I help them in a way that’s sustainable for me?

Who I Serve (and Why)

Over time, I saw that the community had naturally clustered into three groups:

1. Full-time data leaders
2. Freelancers and consultants in the data space
3. CTOs in VC/PE-backed companies who were building their first data function

Each group had different needs, but one stood out:

The full-time data leader: often overwhelmed, under-supported, and trapped in the “dashboard factory” role.

That’s when I built the masterclass: ​From Dashboard Factory to Strategic Partner​ : a complete set of frameworks I wish I had in my first data leadership role.

And with that, the bigger vision started to crystallize.

The New Era: Data Leadership in the Age of AI

AI is changing everything. And fast.

Stakeholder expectations are rising - often unrealistically.

• CEOs want smaller data teams because they believe AI will replace analysts.
• There’s a flood of AI tools - most of them hype.
• It’s harder than ever to earn stakeholder trust and show business impact.

Many data leaders are frustrated:

• Treated as glorified service desks
• Struggling to define a clear strategy
• Drowning in requests instead of driving decisions

But here’s the thing:

AI is not a threat - it’s maybe the biggest opportunity for data leaders that our industry has ever seen.

The Vision: Two Paths to Thrive

So here’s the heart of my vision, and the future of Data Action Mentor: 

I want to help data leaders thrive in the AI-era by providing the best resources to do so.

I think there are two paths for data leaders to thrive:

Path 1: Build a 10x Data Team

My goal is to help data leaders: → Cut through AI hype → Build lean, powerful teams → Deliver real business impact → Become trusted strategic partners, not request takers

To support this path, I launched: ​The 10x Data Team Collective​

A combination of my masterclass product + a curated paid community of senior data leaders.

It’s where ambitious leaders learn, share, and grow together.

Path 2: Embrace Datapreneurship

AI will create more freelancers, solopreneurs and founders than ever.

And data people are uniquely positioned to lead this wave.

They understand the tech, the infrastructure, the opportunities and they are generally very smart people. The only thing that many are lacking are entrepreneurship skills. 

Therefore, the second path is for those of you who want to: → Leave behind traditional careers → Build AI-powered products → Start data consultancies or solo businesses → Create tools and platforms powered by your domain expertise

I haven’t released anything for this path yet.

But it’s coming. I'm already building.

The Bottom Line

The world of data is shifting fast.

You can’t just keep up. You have to leap ahead.

That’s what Data Action Mentor is about. Not just education or networking but real transformation.

• If you want to grow your career and lead high-impact data teams → check out the ​10x Data Team Collective​ .
• If you want to build your own thing and become a data entrepreneur → stay tuned. I’m building something new.

I’m only one person. I don’t have all the answers.

But I’m building the best platform and community I can by bringing together the people who do have the answers.

Let’s build the future of data leadership together.

Cheers,

Sebastian

P.S.: Want to learn more about the 10x Data Team Collective or join early access for the solopreneur track?

Just reply to this email or stay tuned for the next drop.

Your move.