Eva Murray and I are hosting our first in-person Next-Level Tableau workshop March 24th in Essen, Germany. Registration is now open (limited to 10 spots).

Hey Reader.

Every few weeks, I see a post saying AI will wipe out data analysts.

All of them. Gone. For real?

I usually laugh and keep scrolling. Not because AI isn’t powerful, but because those bold claims miss something big. Do jobs stay the same forever? Do people stop learning? Is an analyst just someone who clicks buttons? Of course not.

But let’s try something more interesting.
Let’s pretend they’re right for a second.

Let’s say the analyst jobs really do disappear. No Tableau roles. No BI teams. No dashboards to build.

Then what?

That question matters more than whether the prediction is right.

Because the real risk isn’t AI.
It’s building your whole identity around one job, one tool, or one title—and never asking what comes next. This is how I've been the last 18 years.

Everyone needs a “what if” plan.

Not out of fear. Out of curiosity.

If your job disappeared, what would you actually do?
What skills would still transfer?
What do people already ask you to help with?
What do you enjoy so much you’d still do it even if the title changed?

For some, that might mean moving sideways.
For others, it might mean doing something totally different.

And for a few, it might mean finally building something of their own.

Here’s my example.

If my job ended tomorrow—or if I woke up and didn’t want to use Tableau every day—I already know what I’d try next.

I want to be a Dad Coach.

Not a counselor.
Not someone with all the answers.

Just someone who helps new dads through the first few years.
How work changes.
How priorities shift.
How to stay ambitious without losing the parts of life that really matter.

That idea didn’t come from nowhere.
It came from years of conversations, mistakes, learning. I realized this is a problem I care about enough to help with.

Will I do it? I don’t know, but probably at some point.
Do I need to decide now? Definitely not.

But knowing it’s there changes how I think about everything else.

It reduces the fear and anxiety.
It creates options.
It reminds my working life isn’t a straight line.

So if those AI posts make you uneasy, don’t argue with them.
Use them.

Let them spark a better question:
"If this chapter ended, what do I want the next one to look like?"

You don’t need a perfect answer.
You just need to think like someone who isn’t trapped by one outcome.

That mindset will matter more than any tool ever will.

Here's my question for you...

Imagine there are no limits, no money pressure, and no one judging your choice.

What would your “next chapter” look like?

I’d love to hear your answer.

Andy