Ep. 9: Self-Service Analytics and the Future of Work with Saket Srivastava, CIO at Asana

On this episode of The Analytics Edge (sponsored by NetSpring), Asana's CIO, Saket Srivastava, delves into the profound impact of emerging technologies like self-service analytics and Generative AI on the future of work.

Saket unveils Asana's research findings, revealing that a significant 50-55% of our time is allocated to operational tasks rather than yielding productive output. He articulates Asana's visionary approach towards enhancing work efficiency through AI integration.

In addition, Saket explores imperative considerations for data leaders, emphasizing the importance of anticipating the consumerization of enterprise software and the requisite data strategies fueling product-led growth (PLG). Furthermore, he sheds light on the burgeoning challenge of shadow IT as business teams increasingly adopt self-service applications, alongside insights into the time-to-value dynamics of warehouse-native apps.

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Bio:

Saket Srivastava is currently the CIO at Asana, boasting over 20 years of extensive expertise in data and analytics. With a deep proficiency in enterprise applications and infrastructure, Saket excels in forging executive partners to implement transformative solutions. His strategic focus encompasses driving efficiencies in ERP, CRM, HRIS, and IT Operations. Saket is a recognized thought leader, renowned for building and guiding large teams. His work expands internationally across the insurance, energy, healthcare, and banking industries.

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Key Quote:

“Our product managers and our growth managers rely heavily on data to see how customers are using our platform. How frequently are they using? What capabilities are they using? Which capabilities are resonating more or less with them? There’s enough self-service that happens, but there are times they rely on data scientists to build models and experimentation. That informs our product roadmap.”- Saket Srivastava

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Episode Timestamps

(Segment 1) (1:12)  Challenges

(1:43) Saket’s career journey

(2:45) Recommended tech investments

(3:58) Leveraging data at Asana

(6:40) Consumerization of enterprise software

(9:33) Asana's vision for the Future of Work

(14:35) Product analytics at Asana

(16:48) Self-service & the challenges of shadow IT

(22:30) Data warehouse strategy

(Segment 2) (23:43)  Solutions

(24:33) Warehouse-native apps

(Segment 3) Business Opportunities

(29:01) Generative AI at Asana

(34:45) Priorities for the year ahead

(Segment 4) (36:31) Takeaways