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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mak-51709992/
🔗 Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amasseyadam/
🌐 Check out Nearmap: https://www.nearmap.com
