5 min read
The End of ETL: Why You Don't Need to 'Clean' Your Data for AI
For years, the standard advice for association executives has been: "Clean your data first." It sounds responsible. It feels like the right thing to...
Data Management
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35 min read
The Data Episode | [Sidecar Sync Episode 142]
Mallory Mejias: Jul 9, 2026, 11:00:34 AM
Summary: It’s been 130 episodes since Sidecar Sync last did a true deep dive on data—and a lot has changed. In this refreshed 2026 perspective, Amith...
5 min read
The 'TV Metaphor' for Choosing Your AI Model Strategy
Associations are intimately familiar with the concept of vendor lock-in. For decades, technology planning has often meant choosing a single ecosystem...
5 min read
The Strategic Divide: Salesforce vs. SAP on AI Agent Access
For decades, the user interface was the product. When an association purchased an enterprise software system, the implicit agreement was that staff...
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35 min read
Enterprise Platforms Prepare for AI Agents & Diffusion LLMs Prove Their Production Value | [Sidecar Sync Episode 134]
Mallory Mejias: May 21, 2026, 5:06:53 PM
Summary: In this episode of Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dig into two major shifts happening beneath the surface of AI: how...
5 min read
Stop Fearing Your 'Dark Databases': A New Way to Map Your Data
Imagine you want to answer a seemingly simple question about your association's membership: Are there geographic trends in your year-over-year...
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32 min read
Dark Databases & the State of AI Video | [Sidecar Sync Episode 133]
Mallory Mejias: May 12, 2026, 10:38:21 AM
Summary: In this episode of the Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dig into the hidden world of “dark databases”—messy, undocumented...
4 min read
The Two Problems Holding Your Association Back From AI Agents (And Neither One Is the Technology)
Mallory Mejias: Mar 13, 2026, 11:38:01 AM
Eighty percent of organizations surveyed in Anthropic's 2026 State of AI Agents Report say agents have already delivered measurable financial impact....
5 min read
Data Warehouses, Data Lakes, AI Data Platforms — What's the Difference and Why Should You Care?
Mallory Mejias: Mar 4, 2026, 6:30:00 AM
When association leaders hear the term "AI data platform," there's usually a familiar response: "Oh, so it's like a data warehouse?" Not quite.