What if your data team’s biggest risk isn’t technical debt - but mental exhaustion?
In this brutally honest conversation, Nik Walker (Co-op) shares how a culture of low-value work and constant reactivity burns out even the best data teams, and what to do about it.
About this episode
Data engineers aren’t struggling because the tech is hard—they’re struggling because the work often isn’t worth doing. In this episode, Nik unpacks why discovery matters more than dashboards, how to protect your team from the myth of speed, and why AI means nothing if no one trusts the data.
You’ll get practical, real-world insights from someone scaling data infrastructure in one of the UK’s most complex legacy organisations—without breaking the team or the bank.
About the guest
Nik Walker is Head of Data Engineering at Co-op, leading data transformation across a massive enterprise with deep legacy tech and community-first values. Known for his human-centric leadership style and vocal advocacy for neurodiversity in data teams, Nik brings humour, candour, and serious experience to the conversation.
🔗 Nik on LinkedIn
Timestamps and Key Learnings
06:15 – How Co-op builds safe, structured teams that don’t burn out
→ Create psychological safety with process, not platitudes
09:27 – Why neurodiversity awareness isn’t optional in data teams
→ 60% of data professionals are neurodivergent—your leadership style should reflect that
18:26 – What it really takes to trust your AI outputs
→ If the maths is off or the data’s wrong, no one will use your model
20:28 – Stop syncing everything in real-time
→ You don’t need real-time pipelines—you need right-time pipelines
28:07 – Discovery over delivery: how to stop wasting time and money
→ Methodical work delivers more value than rushed builds
Why listen
If you’re a data leader tired of firefighting, low-value tasks, or untrusted dashboards, this episode is for you. Nik offers tangible advice on building better systems, defending your team’s time, and navigating real-world transformation without breaking your people.
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Have you faced burnout in your data team? Drop a comment below and share your experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Links and Resources
🔗 Nik Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaswalker/
🔗 Aaron Phethean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-phethean/
🔗 Matatika: https://www.matatika.com
🎙️ Data Matas: https://www.matatika.com/podcasts/
📺 Data Matas YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@matatika