The Clearly Podcast
How We Got Here
Summary
Welcome to the podcast! Today’s episode focuses on the hosts' origin stories in the BI and analytics field. They reminisce about their early careers, starting with one host's experience at Navision, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2002. Another host joined Microsoft in 2004, where they bonded over a trip to Fargo, ND, and other shared experiences. A third host began with Access databases and later moved to SQL Server and Crystal Reports with Birmingham Council.
The hosts discussed their roles at Microsoft, emphasizing the big company discipline and how it shaped their careers. They explained how their Microsoft experience helped them in their current businesses, particularly in understanding competencies and building business cases.
Reconnecting randomly on a train, two hosts started working together again and formed Clearly Solutions in the US, focusing on Power BI and the Power Platform. They used the pandemic to improve their skills in these areas, which proved beneficial as cloud adoption accelerated.
They also touched on the future of jobs in their field with AI and automation, agreeing that while AI might automate some tasks, skilled professionals will still be needed to manage and implement these technologies. The episode concluded with a preview of the next topic: client motivations and their impact on projects.
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Transcript
Andy:
Welcome to another episode of our podcast. We're excited to have you all here!
Shailan:
Yes, great to be back.
Andy:
How was it without me? Lie if you need to and say it was tough without me.
Tom:
Definitely cheaper.
Shailan:
Yes, it was cheaper without you.
Andy:
Self-funded podcast, right? Apart from our sponsors, of course.
Shailan:
Yeah, clearlycloudy.net is one of our sponsors.
Andy:
Today, we're diving into our origin stories—how we got into BI and analytics. We didn’t plan to be analytics consultants from the start. Who wants to begin?
Shailan:
I’ll start. When I was young, about 11 or 12, someone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I said I wanted to do some business stuff. They expected me to say a fireman or police officer.
Andy:
Tell us about your journey.
Shailan:
I worked at Navision, which Microsoft acquired in 2002. Before that, Navision and Damgaard merged. After the acquisition, my email changed multiple times due to the merger. Finally, it became schudasama@microsoft.com. I even got the alias shailan@microsoft.com.
Andy:
I joined Microsoft in 2004. We took a trip to Fargo, ND, for an executive briefing. Shailan and I bonded over some crazy experiences, including a snowmobile accident where I broke my kneecap.
Shailan:
Yes, Fargo was where we bonded, and then we went to New York. Those were the early days of Microsoft Business Solutions for us. Later, CRM came along.
Tom:
In the early 2000s, I was writing Access databases and later moved to SQL Server and Crystal Reports with Birmingham Council.
Andy:
So you’ve got the longest history with BI among us.
Tom:
Yeah, I started with databases and moved into BI and reporting. I’ve always been in the database world.
Shailan:
I moved into SQL Server and SSRS around 2004. My first SSRS demo was not great, but I learned from it. At Microsoft, we helped partners understand technology to convey it to customers.
Andy:
Microsoft taught us big company discipline and how to do things the right way. It was invaluable experience.
Shailan:
Absolutely. That experience is crucial in our current businesses. We understand competencies and how to build compelling business cases.
Andy:
Shailan, you and I reconnected randomly on a train and started working together again. We then formed Clearly Solutions in the US, focusing on Power BI and the Power Platform.
Shailan:
Yes, we saw the potential in Power BI and decided to specialize in it. During the pandemic, we used the time to skill up on the Power Platform.
Tom:
The pandemic accelerated cloud adoption, making tools like Power BI even more relevant. I’ve been working with Power BI from the start and it always impresses clients.
Andy:
We took the time to master the Power Platform, which helped us deliver projects effectively. Microsoft has been promoting Power Platform, and we help clients adopt it in a structured way.
Shailan:
It’s about using components, thinking about governance, security, and reusability. The pandemic was an opportunity to improve our skills.
Andy:
What are your thoughts on future job security with AI and automation?
Shailan:
I don’t think AI will completely replace us in our working lifetime. There's always a need for skilled professionals to manage and implement these technologies.
Tom:
There’s a lot of legacy technology that needs managing. Full automation is still a way off.
Andy:
Data science might become more automated, but there's still a need for skilled professionals to interpret and manage data.
Shailan:
Agreed. As long as we keep evolving our skills, we'll stay relevant.
Andy:
Let's wrap up. Next week, we’ll discuss client motivations and how that impacts projects.
Tom:
Sounds good. See you next week!
Andy:
Thanks, everyone. Talk to you soon.