What AI didn't solve about data analytics

Most founders are guessing. Dan Hansford says that's expensive. In this episode of Frankly E-commerce, host Patrick Scott Pitman sits down with Dan Hansford, a fractional head of analytics who has spent six years helping CPG brands make sense of their numbers. Together, they explore what AI didn't solve about data analytics, and why the real value of data was never in the dashboard. They unpack why ROAS is a dangerous metric for small brands, why you should never let your marketing agency grade their own homework, and how to know when to increase ad spend before Black Friday. Dan also explains the new role of data analysts in 2026 and why someone internal needs to be asking the hard questions about channel strategy. Whether you're spending your first dollar on ads or managing eight figures, this conversation will give you a clearer way to think about your numbers. Thank you for tuning in to Frankly E-commerce. We hope this conversation helped you see your data a little differently. In this video you'll find: 00:00 - Introduction 12:59 - Workshops in Austin 14:00 - Where to start with Data 15:42 - Grow Email List with Tie 16:58 - Does your agency grade its own homework? 19:10 - The NEW role of Data Analysts 22:24 - Ad spend dilemma for SKU brand 27:07 - Authority to guide strategy, beyond dashboards 29:26 - How identify data analyst potential among your team members 32:45 - Creatively growing beyond Meta and Google, how evaluate new opportunities? 40:37 - Codie Sanchez says no Meta ads under $5M. Dan's take? 45:25 - Making bigger decisions about channel strategy 48:54 - Perspectives and Predictions for Q4 and 2027