David Pires

Self-service is often treated like the end goal. In practice, it’s just one way of working, brilliant in some moments, frustrating in others. The same dynamic plays out in data organisations. The friction starts when we expect platforms and products to behave like the other, or when the “in between” work is left vague: who owns quality, definitions, changes, and support when things don’t fit the happy path? This session looks at why the boundary naturally blurs, how to spot the predictable friction points, and how to design an operating model that allows teams to move between autonomy and guided support without blame or bureaucracy by:

• Assessing why the platform/product line is rarely clean in real life, and what tends to break when organisations pretend it is.
• Knowing how to recognise the moments when self-service should pause and a more guided support path needs to kick in.
• Designing practical ways to integrate “intentional flex”: what to standardise, what to leave to product teams, and how to make transitions feel seamless.
• Studying ownership patterns that stop work from disappearing into the cracks (data quality, experience, reliability, change management).
• Protecting trust as you scale: clear expectations, support routes, feedback loops, and decision rights.