Paras Doshi on Why Your Data Team Doesn't Have a Seat at the Table (And How to Earn It)
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Opendoor
Paras Doshi is a distinguished data science leader with solid experience building and scaling world-class analytics teams at high-growth technology companies. Currently serving as Director, Head of Data (Head of both Decision Science and Data Engineering) at Opendoor, he leads 30+ member cross-functional teams and has driven $400M+ in measurable business impact through advanced analytics, experimentation, and machine learning. His expertise spans statistical modeling, causal inference, and translating complex data insights into executive-level strategic decisions. Paras has consistently demonstrated the ability to scale analytics functions from small teams to enterprise-level organizations while delivering transformational business results.
Delphina
Hugo Bowne-Anderson is an independent data and AI consultant with extensive experience in the tech industry. He is the host of the industry podcast Vanishing Gradients, a podcast exploring developments in data science and AI. Previously, Hugo served as Head of Developer Relations at Outerbounds and held roles at Coiled and DataCamp, where his work in data science education reached over 3 million learners. He has taught at Yale University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and conferences like SciPy and PyCon, and is a passionate advocate for democratizing data skills and open-source tools.
Key Quotes
Key Takeaways
Data leadership is business leadership.
Paras argues that modern leaders in data are moving beyond functional expertise to become business leaders focused on outcomes. His philosophy is to work backward from the company's goals, focusing on maximizing the impact of his team members, knowing their individual success and growth will collectively drive the entire organization forward.
Centralized data functions prevent organizational chaos.
Recounting his early days at Opendoor, Paras describes a fragmented system where five different groups produced five different numbers for the same core metric. He makes the case that a centralized data organization is critical for establishing a single source of truth, enabling confident decision-making, and deploying top talent against the company's biggest priorities.
Data is the voice of the customer at scale.
A data team has a "seat at the table" when it moves from reactively pulling reports to proactively shaping strategy. Paras defines this as being the first call for strategic questions and pushing insights to the business: for example, identifying leaky funnels or adjacent customer opportunities that partners weren't even asking about yet.
Business needs should drive technology choices, not hype.
Paras warns against throwing the "fanciest tech" at every problem, using the example of not needing a real-time data pipeline when a CEO simply wants a report earlier in the morning. At Opendoor, this pragmatism means using simple batch models for scheduled tasks (like direct mail) while reserving complex, real-time ML for critical features like instant home valuations.
AI will consolidate data roles and demand a builder mindset.
Paras predicts AI will be transformative, collapsing today's many specialized data titles into two core personas: "data builders" (foundations) and "data scientists" (strategy). He urges professionals to adopt a builder's mindset, proactively identifying problems and creating solutions, like his team did by shipping an AI sales agent without being asked.
AI creates the 100x individual contributor.
The long-standing concept of the "10x engineer," Paras argues, is being amplified by AI into the "100x IC." He believes a leader's most critical job is to identify this top talent, give them a clear objective function, and then shield them from all other distractions to unlock their disproportionate impact.
Agency, autonomy, and adaptability are the new career essentials.
Paras’s core advice for data professionals is to join companies where data is already in the DNA, not to fight a cultural battle. From there, he stresses three key traits for success: agency (proactively sharing insights), autonomy (independently building and delivering value), and adaptability (maximizing optionality in a rapidly changing landscape).
You can read the full transcript here.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Data Teams as the Voice of the Customer
00:19 Meet Perra Doshi: From Amazon to Opendoor
00:53 Diving into Data Strategy and Leadership
01:51 Perra's Career Path and Leadership Style
06:34 Challenges and Solutions in Data Centralization
10:06 The Role of Data in Opendoor's Business Model
17:49 Cross-Functional Leadership and Collaboration
23:19 Earning Your Seat at the Table
24:02 The Role of Data in Company DNA
27:12 Generative AI's Impact on Data Teams
31:47 Creating a Culture of Experimentation
34:16 The Rise of the Super IC
37:41 Advice for Future Data Leaders
40:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Links From The Show
Transcript
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