Raw Data with Rob Collie

AI "versus" the Medical Establishment, Rob's Sith Name, and the Death of Social Media?

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rob didn't go looking for a fight with the medical system. He just showed up with receipts. Claude had already mapped the symptoms, suggested the test...

Book PR, Fourth-and-One, the AI Knowledge Cliff, and LinkedIn WTF Moments

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Something shifted this year and you can see it in the reactions. Not to the technology. To people talking about it. Rob shared a screenshot on LinkedI...

How Claude Cowork is Helping a College Senior Boil the Job-Hunting Ocean

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The job hunt is a numbers game. The problem is, the numbers are brutal. Hundreds of applicants per role. Ghosted applications. "Entry level" jobs aski...

More Cowork Love, "Data Gene" Gets a Rebrand, Tiny Bottle, and the End of Wordpress

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The work feels different now. You can hear it in this one. Something that used to feel like overhead suddenly starts pulling its weight. Not a demo. N...

Knowitall Doctors, Mac Keyboards, More Love for CoWork, and Maybe it was the Models After All

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most AI still lives in the "that's pretty cool" category. It answers questions, writes a decent paragraph, maybe even points you in the right directio...

Why CoPilot Cowork is a Big Deal

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most people think they've already experienced AI. They've asked a chatbot a question, had it summarize something, maybe even draft an email. That vers...

Career Growth Curves and the Data Gene as the Answer to Everything

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every once in a while a new tool shows up that bends the career curve for a certain kind of person. Not everyone. Just the people with that itch to po...

Who's the AI Stakeholder: Leaders or Employees?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rob and Justin had a plan. Scale Justin's brain across the entire P3 consulting team. Build an AI agent that bottled up his frameworks, his instincts,...

The Dangers of Letting AI Speak for You, and Why Selling AI Might be Easier than Selling Dashboards

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's an easy button for hard conversations now, and it's dangerously good. You've got something complicated to say. It needs nuance. It needs empat...

Jensen Huang's Reindeer Games, Agent Frameworks vs. Fully Custom, and Rapid Impact vs. Technical Debt

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, Rob and Justin dig into the weird paralysis happening at enterprise scale. Fortune 500 companies are spending six months in hi...

How to Acclimate Your Family to AI

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode steps away from dashboards and delivery stories and into real life. Rob and Justin both spent the same week realizing how naturall...

Tales from the Five Percent: Tangible AI Success, w/ Tuio's Juan Garcia

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode is a case study in what AI looks like when it's doing real work. Juan Garcia runs an insurance company in Spain. Industry average ...

Rob's New Book on AI (and Why He's Writing It)

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode breaks the usual format, and that's the point. Instead of a guest or a debate, Rob does something he hasn't done publicly in a lon...

Is AI "Vibe Coding" the Next VBA?

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Those Excel macros running your business were never meant to be permanent. Someone in accounting built them because the company needed custom software...

Democratized Data Science, Custom Software is the Future, and the Data Gene Rides Again

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every week brings a new AI model, a new benchmark, and a new reason to believe everything just changed. But for most companies, none of that matters i...

The Apparent Meaninglessness of AI Benchmarks, plus How to Explain AI Opportunities to Others

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every week brings a new AI benchmark. Higher scores. Bigger claims. Louder voices insisting this changes everything. And yet, when you put AI in front...

The Power BI Fundamentals Behind Expert Development *and* AI Simplicity, w/ Microsoft's Rui Romano

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone keeps asking whether AI kills Power BI or makes it stronger. Rui Romano flips that entire question on its head. As the Microsoft PM behind PB...

Why We Should Stop Paying Attention to the % of AI Projects which Fail (and Instead Learn Why the Others Succeed)

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode starts with a familiar scene. A role opens, the applications pour in, and suddenly you're staring at a mountain of resumes that deserve r...

Cat Negotiations, Dishonest Chatbots, AI vs AI in the Job Market, and More Real World AI Use Cases

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rob finally cracked his years long standoff with the podcast lair cat, and the fix was hilariously simple. That small victory ends up setting the tone...

Customizing AI for Your Business is Crucial But It Isn't Hard

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone's talking about AI like it's plug-and-play. Spoiler: it's not. In this episode, Rob digs into why Big Tech's billions in AI R&D haven't yet t...

Is AI a Bubble?

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When the bubble pops, what's left standing? Everyone's calling AI a bubble — and yeah, there's some wild stuff happening behind the scenes. Billions...

Getting Specific with AI via Categories: Chat, Headless, and Embedded

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone's talking about AI. Almost no one's getting specific. And that's the problem. Rob and Justin break down the three categories that matter: cha...

AI Agents for the Manufacturing Industry, w/ Interpak CFO Bill Krolicki

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI without the committee: Most manufacturers are still holding meetings about AI. Bill Krolicki just built it. As CFO of Interpak, he didn't wait for ...

AI is "Just" a New Faucet, plus the Value of Getting Specific

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last week we got a facelift—new name, new look, same deep data dives. This week? We prove the rebrand wasn't just cosmetic. Rob kicks things off wit...

YOU are the AI Cavalry

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone's talking like AI is coming for your job. Rob's here to tell you it's coming for your skill set. If you already think in tables, models, and ...

Can AI Go Straight from Requirements to Power BI Models?

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nobody loves requirements docs. They're the corporate equivalent of writing a novel just so someone can skim the back cover. The real question is whet...

AI Isn't Magic - It's Middleware (And That's Good News)

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Large language models aren't magic. They're pivot tables for words. That's the real breakthrough — not a crystal ball, not a robot overlord, but a n...

What Exactly IS an AI Agent? We Propose a Friendly, Non-Gatekeeping Definition

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This isn't another AI think-piece, it's a full-on data brawl. Copilot is out here plagiarizing Rob's pivot table crusade while the self-appointed nerd...

Is CoPilot the End of Filters? (Plus a Cautionary Tale)

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pivot tables finally auto-refresh. Humanity wins, but our host Rob Collie is still annoyed. Why? Because he asked for it back in 2007 and got shot dow...

The "Steal My Money" Lever: A Timely Tale of Data Saving the Day

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every campaign has it: that shiny "more reach, lower cost" lever that looks like marketing gold but really just siphons your budget into digital quick...

Even in the AI Era, Communication is the Central Theme

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI is rewriting the rules of analytics. Copilot can pull answers straight from your semantic model and bypass the dashboard entirely. But for all the ...

Episode 200: The Road Ahead for Data and AI

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two hundred episodes in, and we're done with the warm-up! Episode 200 finds Rob flying solo and pulling zero punches on the question everyone's quietl...

The "Dobie Moment" (The Awesome Power of AI/CoPilot Frontends - AND a Cautionary Tale)

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us have been in the trenches long enough to know when something's about to flip the script. And brother, we're standing at the edge of a cliff...

The Million-Token Myth and the Magic of Digital Colleagues

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI looks unstoppable… until you hand it a hundred pages of meeting notes. Rob and Justin dig into why context windows and token limits quietly run t...

Semantic Models Give You (and Microsoft) the AI Upper Hand - Plus a History Lesson on Why Frontends Matter

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 2010, Tableau beat smarter tools with a better demo. No brain, all charm and the market loved it. Fast-forward to now: same playbook, new cost...

Everything's Real, Everything Matters, and Everyone Knows It w/ Quadrant Concrete CFO Joseph Graziano

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let's say your business runs on sun, sweat, and schedule precision. You've got crews in the field, materials that don't wait, and about 90 minutes to ...

It's Time to Start Giving Power BI CoPilot a Serious Look (For End User Interaction)

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It started as a side project. Rob Collie built a Power BI model for his rec league hockey team. Just for fun. Just to see what the data could say. But...

Connecting AI to Your Company's Internal Information

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI wants your data, but it can't handle the truth . . . "We'll just plug our data into ChatGPT." Sure. Sounds easy. Rob thought so too, right up until...

An Inflection Point in AI? Understanding MCP and Multi-Agent

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For a while, you could pretend AI was still a someday problem. Not anymore. Rob Collie and Justin Mannhardt are back, and this time they are tackling ...

Confessions of a Data Gener w/ Sakiko Stickley

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sakiko Stickley joins Raw Data to share a story that is part inspiration, part revelation, and a whole lot of truth-telling. From the first moment she...

The Biggest Improvements Announced at FabCon, and the Ever-Widening Gap Between Adoption and Capabilities

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What's the value of a long-awaited feature? Well, that depends. Have you ever tried explaining a fiscal calendar that doesn't believe in months? This ...

Data, Data, and Metadata: Letting ChatGPT Interpret Power BI Output

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you hand off your Power BI output to ChatGPT and ask it to make sense of your world? You might be surprised. This week, Rob shares a...

AI Agents, Business Bros, and Snake Oil

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI agents are making big waves, but are they the future of business or just another passing trend? In this episode, Rob Collie and Justin Mannhardt ex...

One Data Model to Rule them All?

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Listener John sent in a classic question: should you build one all-encompassing data model, or should each part of your business have its own? If you ...

Miller's Theorem: A Principle for Getting Off the Fence

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever find yourself overthinking a problem until you've thought yourself right into a corner? Yeah, we've been there too. But what if there was a way t...

Rethinking the ROI of Dashboards

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For years, dashboards have been the go-to for business intelligence. Built with the best intentions, loaded with visuals, and meant to empower decisio...

Why the Data Gene is (Still) Under-Represented in Management

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever sat in a meeting, watching a decision unfold that makes zero sense—bad for business, bad for employees—while the data that should be guiding ...

The Data Gene Transforms Non-Football Fans into Fantasy Football Devotees, w/ Adam Harstad

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you mix fantasy football, data analytics, and a little bit of chaos? You get a conversation that refuses to follow a straight line—...

What Drives Costs for Data Projects, and How are They Changing Over Time?

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if we told you that, before Power BI, most of the money spent on data projects didn't go where you thought it did? In this episode, Rob Collie an...

Power BI is Back on the Menu, plus The Importance of Usage Data, w/ Gil Raviv

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Gil Raviv has spent years shaping how we use data. From his early days at Microsoft, where he played a key role in developing Power Query, to his work...

Happy Holidays, and Remembering Bob Pop Collie

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Spirit of "Why Not" with Bob Pop Collie The Life of a WW2 Navy Pilot Cadet (Bonus), w/ Bob Pop Collie    

The Microsoft MVP Take: Innovation, Hype, and the Future of Data

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world of data technology moves in fascinating ways, and we're excited to have Microsoft MVPs Ed Hansberry and Kristyna Ferris join Justin to unpac...

Misaligned Incentives, Failures of Government, and Coca-Cola's AI Misstep

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world's moving fast, sometimes too fast. Whether it's AI taking over ad campaigns, fake LinkedIn profiles popping up, or the healthcare system ext...

Riding the Tsunami: Why Expanding into Unmet Demand Makes Our Jobs Safe

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The AI revolution is here, and if you're in the data space, you're sitting in the best seat in the house—whether it feels that way yet or not. Rob t...

The Crutches Paradox (and Why Senior Software Engineers Don't Care About AI)

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rob and Justin are back, catching up after a short break with an episode that's part big ideas, part funny stories, and full of surprises. They kick t...

Taking the Week Off

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A little note from Rob to share about this week's episode, and what's coming!

A Lifelong Learner Embraces AI, w/Brian Julius

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Raw Data, Justin's flying solo and catching up with Brian Julius, a true data veteran with a unique journey from government work to AI ex...

There and Back Again: Returning to Seattle

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rob Collie records his final episode from the cozy, sound-dampened basement studio where over 170 Raw Data conversations have taken place. With moving...

Resilience Sometimes Beats Prevention, and Six Ways to Get off the Starting Line with AI

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rob Collie and Justin break down life lessons learned from a simple tool: the Green Biscuit puck. It's a perfect example of how resil...

The Curious Case of the CFL Light Bulb

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week Rob shares his disdain for CFL light bulbs, but it's not necessarily about light bulbs here!  It's more of an analogy as to why the status ...

Head to Head: Can ChatGPT Replicate Rob's Inspired Solution to a Power Query Challenge?

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rob Collie and Justin Mannhardt step onto the data gridiron to test if AI can tackle the complexities of fantasy football data. Rob s...

Dashboards are Dead! Long Live Dashboards!

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you noticed the phrase "Dashboards Are Dead" popping up on LinkedIn? It's catchy, provocative, and designed to grab your attention. But is there ...

A Simple Trick for (Occasionally) Predicting the Future

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rob Collie talks about how anyone can learn to "predict the future"—not with superpowers, but with a normal ability we all have. Ro...

Low-Tech Industries and High-Tech AI: a Great Match Explained Through Examples

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rob and Justin explore how AI is making waves not just in tech-heavy industries but in everyday businesses like construction and manu...

The Power of Data in Real World Industries

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever think about how data can solve real-world problems? Rob and Justin are here to break it down! They're diving into how data analytics is changing ...

Modernizing through Data for Literal Growth with Paul Grissom of PAR

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Think farming and data don't mix? Think again! In this episode, Paul Grissom from Pacific Ag Rentals (PAR) brings the heat, showing how data is shakin...

A Bathtub of Data Holds an Ocean of Information (plus the Midmarket Paradox and Other News)

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is the Midmarket Secretly Winning with the Microsoft Data Platform? In this episode, host Rob Collie explores a surprising quirk in how Microsoft's po...

The Power of Empathy & Why Drudge Work is Dying, with Microsoft's Scott Sewell

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a down-to-earth chat with Microsoft's Scott Sewell, a guy who's seen it all when it comes to the crossroads of tech, business, and just be...

Microsoft Fabric: Early Case Studies and Business Impact

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're still buzzing with excitement over here at P3 Adaptive about Microsoft Fabric and this week, Rob and Justin take a look at some client use cases...

Knowing WHAT Formula You Need is More Important than Knowing HOW to Write It

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever feel like everyone's got an opinion on AI these days? Rob and Justin sure do, and in this episode of Raw Data, they're not afraid to call it as t...

The Manufacturing Industry is a Sweet Spot for Power BI and Power Apps, w/Madison Brooks

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into the world of manufacturing where data meets decision-making with Madison Brooks, an expert from P3 Adaptive who brings her chemical engineer...

CrowdStrike as the Exception which Proves the Rule

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are coming at you a day early for a timely bonus episode with Rob Collie diving deep into the digital disruption that shook the world: The Gr...

My New Clarity and Confidence About AI

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to dive back into the wild world of AI with Rob Collie. Get ready to cut through the hype and uncover the real deal on artificial intelligen...

Data from the Outside In, w/ MVP Kristyna Ferris

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking with Power BI MVP Kristyna Ferris about flipping the script on how we look at business data. She has some cool ideas about vi...

Is Power BI a Gateway to AI, or Vice Versa? w/ BARC US CEO Shawn Rogers

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into an intriguing exploration with Shawn Rogers, CEO of BARC US, as we delve into whether Power BI is a stepping stone to mastering Artificial I...

Finding The Sweet Spot: When Is Your Power BI Model Ready for AI and ML?

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Step into the future of data analytics with Rob Collie and Justin Mannhardt in this week's episode. Together, they unravel the critical intersection o...

The Human Side of Data: Using Analytics for Personal Well-being

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Raw Data Podcast features a thoughtful discourse with host Rob Collie, who shares how his expertise in data analytics plays a crucial role...

Making Sense of Spark When You "Only" Have a Power BI Background, w/ Microsoft's Chris Finlan

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode of The Raw Data Podcast, we're excited to reconnect with Chris Finlan, a pivotal figure at Microsoft in the evolution of SQL Se...

Good Tech Things and the Limits of AI, w/Forrest Brazeal

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into this week's episode where we explore the fascinating intersection of technology and creativity with Forrest Brazeal. Forrest, a former softw...

The Future of Power BI's Visual Experience, w/ Miguel Myers

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode Rob and Justin sit down with Miguel Myers, Product Manager for Power BI at Microsoft, who plays a pivotal role in overseeing core visu...

Impact Forward vs Infrastructure Forward: The Faucets First Philosophy

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we unpack the 'Faucets First' philosophy, a cornerstone of how we approach data projects at P3 Adaptive. Imagine bypassing complex in...

Growth Eras, Mea Culpas, and Non-Competes

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, join Rob as he navigates two significant topics that are shaping the landscape of modern business. In this solo episode, Rob reflects...

Power BI Models are the Center of the Fabric Universe - But What Has ACTUALLY Changed?

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into this episode where we're unraveling the threads of data analytics like never before. This week, we're zeroing in on the seismic shifts in te...

What We Learned at the Fabric Conference

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're diving into the heart of Microsoft Fabric, armed with fresh insights from our team of experts -- Will Gillingham, Mark Beedle, and Chr...

A Framework for Spotting Legitimate AI Use Cases

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Navigating the world of AI can sometimes feel like you're trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. That's where, in this episode, Rob an...

"Hallucination" is Just a Fancy Word for Being Wrong

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dive into the depths of AI with Rob and Justin in our latest episode where we peel back the layers of AI's current facade. In this compelling discussi...

Adjacent and Between: Demystifying Digital Transformation with Power Apps and Power Automate

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone talks about digital transformation, but it seems like no one really explains what it means... until now. In today's episode, Rob and Justin d...

I Want YOU for the Raw Data Steering Committee

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We would love to have you, yes you, in the Raw Data Steering Committee. Join us there and help chart the path of future Raw Data By P3 Adaptive podcas...

There is no SUM Function, w/ Matt Allington

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this special episode, we welcome the legendary Matt Allington back to the podcast. As one of the original giants in the Power BI community, Matt is...

Reevaluating the Role of Industry Expertise: Tradeoffs Between Specialization and Adaptation

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode of Raw Data, Rob takes the mic solo to dive into a riveting topic, sparked by Zach from our LinkedIn Steering Committee. The qu...

A Lesson in Recent History Cures Today's AI Uncertainty

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to this week's edition of Raw Data, where we're diving into a timely discussion on the evolution of AI and its comparison with revolutionary t...

Reimagining the Three Core Financial Reports w/ Daniel Harley

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to this week's journey on Raw Data by P3 Adaptive, where we're thrilled to feature Daniel Harley, a beacon of innovation at the intersection o...

Are You Getting the Most Out of Power BI?

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rob and Justin offer insightful methods for assessing if your organization is truly harnessing the full potential of the platform. Th...

A Transformational Power BI Success Story at Medtronic w/ Luciano Miranda

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, gear up for an episode packed with insight and excitement! Our guest Luciano Miranda, Vice President of Analytics and Insights for Global ...

Listening to Your Stakeholders is Harder Than You Think

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do you remember when Ryan Spar joined us a couple of weeks ago to discuss that amazing hockey stats dashboard? Well, we're heading back onto the ice ...

AI Isn't Scary When You Break it Down: Five Use Cases Approachable Today

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're taking you on a deep dive into the ever-evolving world of AI, and we want you to feel like you're right here with us, exploring the tools...

Inline Analytics Doesn't Mean What You Suspect it Means, w/Ryan Spahr

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do not adjust your streaming platform, it is indeed a special Wednesday edition of Raw Data!  Today's guest is Ryan Spahr, an Indy local with a doubl...

Creating a Theater of Excitement in Analytics, w/ Austin Senseman

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Roll out the virtual carpet, devoted listeners! This week on Raw Data, we've got a standout guest - none other than Austin Senseman. You might recall ...

Getting Unstuck and Unlocking Ambition w/ Kristal Searle

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you feeling stuck trying to tap into your organization's data? Today we're diving headfirst into 2024 with a discussion with Kristal Searle, Dire...

FOBO - The Fear of Becoming Obsolete (And How to Navigate It)

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we embark on an engaging journey with a twist—it's Rob's first solo venture! Today, Rob dives deep into a thought-provoking questio...