I gave you all my data. Now what?

Data-driven development works only when the data collected is meaningful, usable, and ethically obtained. Many teams quickly discover that this is far more complicated than it seems. Getting user consent, defining sensible defaults, balancing anonymity with the business need for product insights, and navigating expectations around free tiers all introduce tensions that can distort or limit the value of the data gathered.

The real challenge, however, is not just collecting data but making it useful. This talk shares practical lessons, dilemmas, and decisions from building data strategies across three product types: an enterprise B2B platform, a fully free open source project, and a hybrid model combining open source with commercial tiers. It also covers how telemetry plumbing at Coder enables analysis and conclusions. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to design data practices that are ethical, actionable, and aligned with a product's stage and business model.