As asked
Your PMs and ops teams keep filing tickets for analyst-built dashboards. How do you build a self-serve analytics culture without losing control of the metrics?
Sample answer outline
Self-serve fails when the data is messy or the tooling is hard. Fix the data first: well-modelled marts with documented columns and clear business definitions. Pick a BI tool the user persona actually likes (Mode for analysts, Hex for product, Looker for governed metrics). Build a library of certified dashboards and metrics that users can clone, with a clear path from 'I have a question' to 'I can answer it'. Train: office hours, internal docs, video walkthroughs. The analytics team becomes a multiplier, not a service desk. Accept that self-serve has a ceiling; complex questions still need analysts.
Expect these follow-ups
- How do you stop a PM from building five dashboards that disagree?
- What is your governance model for the metric layer?
- When does self-serve hurt more than help?