In this episode, Amir Bormand speaks with John Coles, VP of Data Science and Analytics at ACV Auctions. They dive into what it means to lead with a data-first mindset, empower engineering teams, and foster a culture of innovation through hackathons. John shares insights on balancing profitability, ROI, and innovation while addressing the critical role of context and flexibility for team success. Key Takeaways Data-First Culture: Building with data in mind from the start enables both immediate and future business opportunities. Empowering Engineers: Providing context and flexibility allows engineers to innovate and adapt to rapidly evolving technologies. Hackathons as Innovation Drivers: Structured and collaborative hackathons foster creativity, experimentation, and peer recognition. ROI-Driven Decision Making: Embedding analytics within teams ensures alignment between business goals and engineering efforts. Highlights [00:01:00] - Introduction to ACV Auctions and its data-first approach to the automotive wholesale market.[00:04:00] - How providing context and flexibility fosters innovative solutions in engineering teams. [00:07:00] - The role of hackathons in driving innovation and their integration into ACV's product roadmap.[00:08:00] - Importance of peer-driven recognition in hackathons to elevate impactful ideas. [00:14:00] - Balancing innovation with business priorities: How ACV manages hackathon outputs and roadmaps.[00:17:00] - The role of upskilling and team enablement to turn hackathon ideas into actionable products.[00:20:00] - Examples of hackathon projects that have transformed into production solutions at ACV Auctions.[00:23:00] - The importance of embedding analytics into teams to measure ROI and drive insights. Episode Quote "Insight without delivery doesn’t result in value in a business. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t move you forward." — John Coles This episode offers invaluable insights for tech leaders looking to balance innovation and business outcomes while empowering their teams to lead from any position within the company. Guest: John Coles, Ph.D. is the Vice President of Data Science and Analytics at ACV, where he leads data infrastructure, machine learning and data analytics strategy. Prior to joining ACV, Dr. Coles held many leadership roles, including Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer of Bronze Trident Inc., a startup in Buffalo, New York, where he designed the business model and product plan for an automated tax challenge software. Dr. Coles was recently recognized as an Auto Remarketing ‘40 Under 40’ Honoree (2021) and was awarded the Koopman Prize from the Military Appreciations Society of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)—among other accolades. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University at Buffalo, a Master of Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the University at Buffalo. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-coles-28311015/