5 Minutes with: Andy Davis
By Josephine Walbank at Data Centre Magazine
We spoke to Andy Davis, the host of Inside Data Centre Podcast, to find out what it’s like behind the scenes, and what inspired him to launch the show
There’s a popular notion that there’s a podcast out there for everyone. And, business podcasts don’t have to be limited to motivational speakers – in fact, you can hear actionable and specific advice from the world’s leading data centre experts, straight from the horse’s mouth.
The growing audience of Inside Data Centre is a testament to the collective curiosity of the data centre community. And, as a medium, podcasts are a fantastic way to get to know the people behind the titles, and pick their brains, as if they were with you in person.
Alongside his role as the Director of DataX Connect, Andy Davis is also the host of the highly successful Inside Data Centre Podcast.
The podcast explores the latest big trends in the data centre industry, with industry giants across the world. And, with over 15 years of experience within the data centre sector, Davis is a host that knows exactly what questions listeners want the answers to.
What inspired you to set up your podcast?
The main inspiration behind starting the Inside Data Centre Podcast was the need to increase the exposure of the data centre sector.
As a recruiter in the data centre sector, I was regularly asked ‘where can you find information about working in the sector?’. There was basically no real source of information that shared the stories of those working in the sector.
I also knew that many people in the sector had a great story to tell, so I created the platform for them to do it. I was conscious that the other data centre podcasts were very technical and the guests were largely CEO’s/leaders of data centre operators. So, I wanted to create a more conversational podcast that was open to anyone working in the sector.
What has been your highlight in this role?
I have had so many highlights across the 90+ episodes I have released over the two years. I genuinely enjoy every single conversation: I feel privileged to be able to speak with people across the world and to help inspire others to join us in the world of data centres.
I can never pick out one guest, as each person has their own great story to share, so my main highlight would be creating a platform that helps discuss the topics in the sector that really need a platform, such as diversity, education, and talent.
I also love receiving feedback from those that listen to the podcast. It’s great to receive a message saying that one of my conversations helped someone develop their career or start a new role in the sector. That is what keeps me motivated.
What is your point of difference as a data centre marketing platform – what gap in the market do you think the podcast genre fills?
I think it is that the podcast is authentic. I am not a technical whizz by any stretch, and therefore, I have to ask questions that maybe other platforms wouldn’t cover.
I want to ask the questions that the listeners want answered and to try and take the conversation down a different route to the normal data centre discussions.
The data centre sector is perceived as one where you have to be technical or an engineer to be successful. I want to show listeners that this is so far from the truth, and that many people from all backgrounds can develop highly successful careers in our sector.
What data centre topics do you think are the most under/over-represented?
I think topics like sustainability and power demand receive a lot of exposure (rightly so) as that is what is high on customers lists of demands.
They want to know that operators are talking about how they can manage the sustainability challenge and, therefore, these topics are always in the media.
It is the topics under the radar that I like to cover, such as diversity. We talk about it a lot within the industry, but what actually are we doing, and why is it important?
Talent is another topic that always comes up on my podcast. I always have the objective to try and provide a solution to these challenges, rather than simply discussing the problem and leaving the solution for someone else to create.
Young people are another topic that, I feel, is not discussed enough. If we really want to manage the long-term talent challenge, we need to attract more young people to the sector, and it is up to us to solve that challenge.
Where do you see the podcast heading in the next 5 years?
When I first started the podcast, I wasn’t sure it would last 5 episodes!
It seems crazy that it is now two years since the first episode, and we are heading towards the 100th episode.
All I would like to know is that the podcast is making a difference. And, as long as I can see it is making a difference, I will keep releasing the episodes.
This is dependent on always having people to speak to, though. So, if anyone has a story to share please get in contact – I would love to talk data centres with you!
