Everyone says they want to “build a data function.” Very few have actually done it. Even fewer have done it well — and at scale. This week Adam is joined by, Jonathan Mak, Director of Business Data at Nearmap. For those who don’t know, Nearmap is a leading Australian geospatial tech company — think high-resolution aerial imagery, location intelligence, and cutting-edge AI powering decisions for governments, insurers, and engineers across ANZ and the US. Jonathan joined as their first ever data hire.No team. No platform. Just a Redshift instance and a blank canvas. Fast-forward to today — he leads a lean, high-impact data team embedded across the business, delivering measurable outcomes every day. Here’s what we get into:💥 How he built Nearmap’s data stack from scratch (early adopter of DBT + Looker) 💥 Why data as a product is more than a mindset — it’s a strategy 💥 The importance of choosing your first stakeholder carefully 💥 How to scale data with a team of 6 (without cutting corners) 💥 The role of analytics engineering in breaking down silos 💥 LLMs and AI: less dashboards, more action 💥 The real reason most data projects fail (hint: it’s not the tech) 🔗 Connect with Jonathan: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mak-51709992/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mak-51709992/</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophersimusokwe/ " target="_blank">⁠</a>🔗 Connect with Adam:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amasseyadam/" target="_blank"> ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amasseyadam/</a> 🌐 Check out Nearmap: <a href="https://www.nearmap.com" target="_blank">https://www.nearmap.com</a>

S1 | Ep 7 | Jonathan Mak | First Data Hire to Director: Building Nearmap’s Data Function from Scratch