Reborrowing agentic system concepts to reboot your data team

Neural networks supposedly mimic brains, genetic algorithms borrow from evolution, grey wolf optimization… well, you get the idea. But what if we flipped the script? What if software—specifically agentic systems—inspired how we design and run data teams? (Plus, using “agentic” makes the title click-baity. Win-win!)

This talk blends analogy with real-world lessons to offer a fresh (and fun) perspective on team effectiveness. Imagine your data professionals as agents: goal-oriented, tool-enabled, and empowered to act. And your data teams as multi-agent systems with communication protocols that map beautifully onto real-world cross-functional collaboration.

Whether you’re an individual contributor or leading a team, this talk is your invitation to rethink a few things—using a few metaphors along the way.