In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Lei Tang, co-founder and CTO of Fabi AI, to explore the messy reality of data quality, the limits of self-serve BI, and why Vibe Analytics might be the shift organizations need. With experience leading data science at Lyft, Walmart Labs, and Clari, Lei brings grounded, first-hand insights into how modern data teams can thrive even when their data is anything but clean.

You’ll learn:

- Why “perfect data” is a myth and what to do instead

- How AI-native BI changes the self-serve equation

- The challenges and promise of Vibe Analytics

- Why critical thinking, not SQL, is your most valuable skill

- The case for AI-driven semantic layers over manual curation

- How AI agents might evolve into collaborative teammates

- Real risks of AI hallucinations and how to build guardrails

If you’ve ever dealt with stakeholder overload, a graveyard of unused dashboards, or felt stuck waiting on a “single source of truth” project to finish, this one’s for you. We get real about trade-offs, show how AI can amplify impact (not replace you), and dive into what the future of analytics workflows might actually look like.

Connect with Lei: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lei-tang-ai/

Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane (let us know which platform sent you!):

- Hai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hai-guan-6b58a7a/

- Sravya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sravyamadipalli/

- Shane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaneausleybutler/

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