The Data Leader’s Digest – First Edition

The best insights come from real conversations—from leaders making tough decisions, solving big problems, and navigating the reality of scaling data infrastructure.

That’s why I started The Data Leader’s Digest.

I didn’t want this to be another newsletter full of marketing spin and repackaged vendor takes. This is about what’s really happening—the challenges, the shifts, and the lessons data leaders can take back to their teams today.

Each edition will transform our conversations with leaders like you into actionable insights:

• Data Matas Podcast – Unfiltered conversations with data leaders solving real problems.
• LinkedIn Live Events – Deep dives into the biggest challenges facing data teams today.
• Industry Shifts – What’s changing in ETL pricing, vendor lock-in, and cost-efficient scaling strategies.
• Actionable Insights – No theory, no sales pitch—just real-world lessons from the trenches.

This month, we need to talk about Fivetran’s price hike because it’s about to hit a lot of data budgets hard.

Fivetran’s Price Hike: What You Need to Know

On March 1, 2025, Fivetran’s new pricing kicks in—and it’s going to hit budgets hard. If you’re an existing customer, expect cost increases of 40% or more.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Connection-Based Pricing – Each pipeline is now billed separately, meaning costs rise exponentially for complex architectures.
• No More Budget Plans – The Starter plan is disappearing, forcing smaller teams onto more expensive contracts.
• Locked-In Annual Deals – Discounts only come with long-term commitments, making it harder to move later.

The result? Teams will be paying significantly more—even if their actual data usage hasn’t changed.

And this raises a bigger issue: how ETL vendors price data in the first place.

The Problem with Row-Based Pricing

Fivetran’s pricing model isn’t just expensive—it’s fundamentally misaligned with how modern data teams operate.

Instead of paying for the value data provides, you’re charged based on volume—every row processed, whether it’s useful or not. That means:

• Duplicate and redundant data inflate cost
• Every update triggers a charge, even if nothing changes
• Budgets spiral as data scales, with no link to business value

For many teams, this is a huge blocker to growth—forcing difficult trade-offs between cost and access to data.

And if you’re approaching renewal, here’s the game vendors play:

• They know your contract is coming up.
• They’ll offer a small discount—as long as you sign for another year.
• They’ll count on you not having the time to evaluate other options.
• If you put off migration, the cycle repeats.

This is how vendors keep data teams locked in.

But here’s the thing—you don’t have to stay in that cycle.

With prices rising in just a few weeks, a lot of teams are about to get stuck paying more for the same service.

What I Learned at Deliveroo’s Data Analytics Engineering Meet-up

On February 13, I joined 140 data engineers, analysts, and architects at Deliveroo’s HQ for the Data Analytics Engineering Meet-up—and it was incredible to see so many people coming together to talk about what’s really happening in modern data.

One conversation kept coming up: Fivetran’s price hikes.

I spoke with teams across industries—many of them long-time Fivetran customers—who are now re-evaluating their ETL setup before their renewal locks them in again. 

It struck a chord because, like them, I’ve seen this happen before. A price increase arrives, and suddenly teams realise how little control they have over their ETL costs.

We talked about what a better approach could look like—one that gives teams control over costs, flexibility in their setup, and the ability to scale without penalty.

And that’s what stood out to me most from the event: so many data teams are ready to take back control. The conversations weren’t just about frustration with rising costs—they were about finding a smarter way forward.

If your renewal is coming up, take a moment. You have options.

At Matatika, we’ve designed a renewal-proof ETL model that puts control back in the hands of data teams:

If your ETL renewal is 3-6 months away, now is the time to act.

• Compare your current ETL spend vs. a usage-based model.
• Get a full migration risk assessment before you’re locked in again.
• Plan a seamless transition to a more efficient, cost-effective ETL.

It’s a rap on Season 1 of the Data Matas Podcast

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: no one gets data right the first time.

The best teams don’t avoid mistakes—they learn from them. They fix broken processes, rethink bad decisions, and rebuild smarter.

That’s what the Data Matas Podcast is all about—real stories from data leaders who’ve been in the trenches.

In Season 1, I sat down with top data leaders to talk about what actually works—and what doesn’t. Now, I’ve pulled together the seven biggest lessons so you can take them straight to your team.

Season 1 Highlights Show – 7 Data Strategies that Work

This episode is a must-listen if you want to know how the best data teams fix inefficiencies, scale smarter, and cut costs without compromising performance.

1. Fixing outdated workflows – How Jessica Franks (Not On The High Street) used Wardley Maps to align business and tech teams.
2. Rebuilding trust in BI – Why Joe Wright (CitySprint) tackled reporting inconsistencies head-on and how it transformed decision-making.
3. Scaling without overcomplicating – Stéphane Burwash (Potloc) shares how open-source tools and a data champions programme changed the game.
4. Why ‘good enough’ beats perfect – Bethany Lyons explains how streamlining pipelines saves time without sacrificing quality.
5. Making data quality everyone’s job – Adam Dathi (MVF) reveals how breaking siloed teams fixes unreliable reporting.
6. Real-time data for better decision-making – Nick Bromley explains how transport data integration is making cities smarter.
7. AI without the risk – Murtaza Kanchwala (Amplify Capital) details how to implement AI responsibly while staying compliant.

Why This Matters for You

Every data leader faces growing data costs, broken processes, and operational inefficiencies. But the best teams? They don’t accept these problems—they fix them.

Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

• How to create a single source of truth – Avoid fragmented systems and improve data reliability.
• Cost-saving ETL strategies – Stop overpaying for tools that don’t scale with your business.
• Collaboration frameworks that work – Break down silos and make data everyone’s responsibility.
• Scalable AI implementation – How to leverage automation without increasing risks.
• The ‘good enough’ principle – Why chasing perfection slows progress—and what to do instead.

This episode is packed with practical insights to help you fix inefficiencies, scale with confidence, and make better data-driven decisions.

🎧 Listen to the Data Matas Season 1 Highlights episode here

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, check out past conversations with leading data practitioners on how to navigate real-world challenges and improve data efficiency.  Click here to listen and subscribe.

What’s next?

If your ETL or cloud costs are creeping up, now’s the time to take control.

1️⃣ LinkedIn Live Event: Join us live on March 7 for a real discussion on how data teams are navigating migration without the risk.  RSVP here

2️⃣ Data Matas Podcast: Listen to Season 2, Episode 1 of the Data Matas Podcast to hear AWS’s Jon Hammant break down the future of cost-efficient, AI-driven data management. 

Finally, we’d Love to Hear from You!

Got a question or a migration challenge you’re wrestling with?

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions. I’m always here to chat and would love to hear what’s on your mind.

See you at the Live event!