Action at TC25

Seven Actionauts attended Tableau Conference 2025 in San Diego, April 15-17, to cover the event. Here are some of their insights, reflections, and expert reactions.

Data Cloud 201 PDF Now Available

As a follow-up to our Data Cloud video interview with David Spezia and companion blog article, we have now produced a PDF that maps out the Data Cloud framework and how it integrates with the wider Salesforce ecosystem and modern data platforms like Snowflake, Databricks, and Iceberg. You can download the PDF here.

What Exactly Is Data Cloud?

In this surprisingly clear video, Salesforce data and AI architect, David Spezia, breaks down what Data Cloud actually is and how it works in concert with Tableau Next and the wider Salesforce ecosystem. Not just a technical overview, but a thoughtful, strategic conversation about the future of data integration, analytics, and AI-driven decision-making. Also, check out the full blog post here.

Jeffrey Shaffer on Tableau’s Messaging

In this interview at TC25, Keith Helfrich talks to Tableau Visionary and author (“The Big Book of Dashboards”), Jeffrey Shaffer, about the evolving messaging strategies of Salesforce/Tableau.

Jeffrey highlights the disconnect between the platform’s recent innovations and its public communication, even noting CEO Ryan Aytay’s public acknowledgment of this issue onstage during the event.

From discussing the platform’s openness to increased community engagement, Jeffrey offers a Visionary’s perspective on where Tableau is headed and how it’s adapting to become more transparent and community-focused.

Reimagining Analytics: Opening Platforms to Empower the Community

On the last day of the conference, Action’s Keith Helfrich sat down with Tableau visionary, data visualization professor, and author, Jeffrey Shaffer.

In this insightful exchange, Jeffrey and Keith discuss one of the most transformative shifts in data visualization–opening Tableau’s platform to the community.

By enabling developers to use over 2000 internal commands, dashboards that once took hours can now be created in under a minute. This is not just about speed–it’s about freeing analysts to focus on insights instead of manual clicks.

As we explore the power of generative AI, Shaffer emphasizes a key truth: real-world data is messy. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude might dazzle in demos, but domain knowledge and structured metadata are still essential in enterprise settings.

The hoped-for future? A hybrid model where platforms like Tableau integrate automation with secure, proprietary data environments, empowering organizations to go further, faster.

Tableau Tim on the Coming Year for Tableau

In this quick, candid exchange, Action’s Shaun Davis and Tableau Visionary, Tim Ngwena, talk about what 2025 holds for the data community—from Salesforce’s needed shift from vision to execution, to what Tableau Next really means for users across the industry.

They touch on why this year’s conference was a turning point, how teams (big and small) should be thinking about Tableau Next, and chuckle over the announcement of “exciting things with pricing.”

Tableau Tim and Shaun Davis Talk Big Picture Takeaways

Shaun chats with Tableau Visionary, Tim Ngwena (aka Tableau Tim). The two discuss the time-frame and import of what they heard at TC25. What do you takeaway from the event in terms of how the announcements will impact your work going forward? Bottom line? Not a lot. Much of what was talked about is at least a year out.

Tableau Tim Talks Salesforce and Community

Action’s Shaun Davis sits down with the man, the myth, the legend Tableau Tim.

In this clip, Tim and Shaun discuss Salesforce’s relationship to the Tableau community and how they seem to be growing in their understanding of that community, and more importantly, how to communicate with it.

Tim and Shaun agree that Salesforce still has progress to make, but they’ve shown real improvement in reading the room this year.

Autumn Koth Interviews Analyst and Author Annie Nelson

After her session at TC25, GitLab’s Annie Nelson joined Action’s Autumn Kloth to talk, not just about data, but about the career path behind the data. A former occupational therapist turned analytics pro, Annie shares how she used storytelling, curiosity, community support, and well-timed outreach to land her current role at GitLab. She has clearly mastered the ability to communicate value, build authentic relationships, and stay adaptive in fast-moving environments.

Annie’s tactical advice:

• Message speakers before a conference. Don’t just attend–connect.
• Use your platform (LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.) intentionally, not jusr to become “a creator,” but to stay visible to the right people at the right time.
• Push for AI enablement strategically—start with a clear business use case, not just tooling hype.

Annie’s story reminds us: technical skills open doors, but human skills get you invited inside.

Big Cheers for Color Palettes and Rounded Corners

As Shaun, Keith, Jonathan gather in the hall to share their thoughts immediately after the “Devs on Stage” presentation, Shaun offers: “I think we saw a solid performance…We saw big cheers for simple things like rounded corners and color palettes — things that excite the community.” But he remains uncertain about the bigger picture; what the future will actually look like.

Post “Devs on Stage” Reaction

Keith, Jonathan, and Shaun huddle in the hallway immediately after the “Devs on Stage” presentation at TC25 to share their thoughts.

There was more focus on Tableau Core than expected, with lots of quality of life enhancements for Core: custom color palettes, rounded corners, recycle bin, and the ability to view analytics in the activity log.

Also, published data sources from Core in Tableau Next, and the semantic layer connector in Core. And more points of integration with Tableau Core, like analytics extensions. Google Sheets connectors!

Tableau Next: Are You In or Out?

What’s your strategy for the next 5 years with Tableau? If you’re attending TC25, Action’s Shaun Davis is offering exclusive 1:1 sessions to help you decide and take action. If interested, DM him on LinkedIn.

Shaun Davis’ Day 1 Reflections

I’m writing this from a quiet back porch just off the main drag outside the San Diego Convention Center, collecting my thoughts after Day 1 of Tableau Conference 2025.

Here’s what’s landing for me:

• Salesforce and Tableau are learning how to talk to their users. The messaging is evolving. There’s progress, but it’s still a work in progress.
• The overall vibe is uncertainty. Where are we going? Who’s leading? Tableau has a chance to answer both questions during Devs on Stage.
• The tone is austere and subdued. These are serious times. The conference reflects that–fewer frills, less seating, vast open spaces that require headphones, but likely save on setup and staging costs.
• One thing that’s abundant: gratitude. The Tableau team is clearly thankful for the community that’s stuck with them through this transition.

What I don’t see here is just as telling:

• No Marc Benioff. Despite his deep involvement across Salesforce acquisitions, he’s not made an appearance (yet?).
• Where are all of the data sponsors? Ilija Stojic observed that all of the key, marquis-level data sponsors of years past are absent, such as Info Lab and InterWorks. Why are they absent?
• No oversized plushy mascots. No trails, no ranger hats. The trailhead theme is out.
• In its place: natural materials, potted plants, and a softer aesthetic.

As I wrap this up, I can hear cheers echoing from Petco Park—Padres vs. Cubs. A nice reminder that whatever happens next, this is just the beginning.

Ryan Aytay, Man of the People

In this hallway chat from yesterday’s TC25 keynote, Shaun observes how much Tableau’s CEO, Ryan Aytay, tried to connect with the audience, in an earnest attempt to communicate: “It’s we, not me.”

Being an Exec in the AI Era

Keith writes: I have empathy for the AI execs responsible for messaging this moment of rapid change. It is a sticky wicket they’re attempting to thread.

Tableau CEO Ryan Aytay described today at TC25, “We are in an era of change.”

• “Your Role is Changing” > “You are a superhero”
• ”The time is now” > “This is your moment”

However, I also saw a notable absence of specific supporting evidence or narrative to bolster this claim. As an Actionaut at the beginning of her career, Autumn Kloth has pointed out a particular sense of “out of touch” from executives who take this stance and posture. And yet, what else would we expect, or have them say?

What Others Are Feeling

After yesterday’s TC25 morning keynote, Shaun Davis asked an attendee what they thought and their reaction was: “It’s a good start.” Some people in the room felt heard and positive about the constant solicitation for feedback. That feels good, but at the same time, it makes others nervous about Tableau/Salesforce not having a clear path forward. As Keith points out, both of these can be true.

The Tone in the Room

In this clip of Tableau Conference 2025 hallway reactions with Action’s Keith and Shaun, Keith comments on what he felt was a somber tone in the room during the keynote and contrasts it to the excitement of previous Tableau conference addresses.

Clarity of Messaging

In this moment from TC25 Day 1, Keith and Shaun offer their immediate reactions to the morning’s keynote address with Ryan Aytay, Southard Jones, and Rekha Srivatsan.

Both Keith and Shaun went into the TC25 keynote keen to hear what sort of clarity there would be around Tableau’s product direction. They both could not follow a clear path from the address.

Who Were They Speaking To?

Action’s Keith Helfrich and Shaun Davis offer their immediate reaction to this morning’s TC25 keynote address with Ryan Aytay, Southard Jones, and Rekha Srivatsan.

Here, Keith wonders whether, given all of the anxiety analysts have been feeling (and expressing) going into the event, if maybe the presenters ended up over-index talking to the “datafam” and not adequately addressing the CXOs and CIOs. It’s a deft balance they’re needing to strike.

Action’s Jonathan Drummey took this pic of our amazing video editor, Josh Greenwalt, recording the immediate post-keynote reactions of fellow Actionauts Shaun Davis and Keith Helfrich. Stay tuned for that video!

Technology and Professional Empowerment

As I board my flights to Southern California, I’m reflective, something of an open-minded skeptic. My recent decade+ has been deeply intertwined with Tableau, a technology that’s become more than just a tool–but a catalyst for personal, professional, and organizational transformation.

Tableau has represented more than just a tool for data and visualization; it was the thrust for a movement of empowerment. Tableau culture has unlocked a unique ability to access and work with the data trapped within large organizations, breaking down barriers and empowering individuals of all roles with a new sense of agency. For me, anchoring Tableau has contributed a significant anchor around which I could bridge various aspects of my own identity—the professional, the technologist, and the creative.

What has made Tableau truly special in these 12+ years is an ethos of personal empowerment. This empowerment ethos is strong with our data culture at Action. Personal and professional empowerment doesn’t just improve the processing of organizational information; empowerment activates a sense of self within us. Working with and around the Tableau platform, and company, has been my “anchor of choice” with which to unify the previously disconnected parts of my professional and creative self, helping me to build a more holistic sense of professional identity, purpose, and expression.

As I continue along this trajectory, I observe that my present and future work are anchoring increasingly around new tools, and new technologies. Namely, conscious leadership. As I head to San Diego, I’m open to what new connections and inspirations might arise. And I’m also considering whether this relationship with Tableau might need a healthy dose of conscious refactoring.

While I’m at TC25, I will be focused on being present. And focus on the discernment of where and how Tableau fits within the broader ecosystem of organizational transformation.

Tableau has been a testament to how tech can transform not just how we work, but how we see ourselves. Regardless of the relationship to future Tableau, I am committed to carrying this mission of personal, professional, and organizational transformation forward. –Keith

Reflecting on TC2; Looking To TC25

In Reflecting on Tableau Conference 24 and Looking Ahead to TC25, we revisit some of the major announcements from Tableau Conference 2024 and assesses the progress made over the past year. We highlight key initiatives like Tableau Pulse, semantic models, and the shift toward agent-driven analytics experiences with Tableau Next. As we approach TC25, we discuss what we’re most curious to learn, see, and hear at TC25, including updates on feature readiness, platform alignment, and real-world use cases. We’re anxious to know how Tableau’s direction and product innovations will shape the future of data and analytics.

Why TC25 is an Inflection Point

In this must-watch Sensemakers episode, our team unpacks why TC25 is more than just another Tableau conference — it is a crossroad, for both the Tableau software brand and the future direction of their business. Keith, Jonathan, Shaun, and Robert assess the future of Tableau Core and Tableau Next, the rise of AI in analytics, and the critical challenges that Tableau must solve to retain the trust of its community moving forward.

If you want the big-picture, must-have analysis, and especially if you’re attending the conference in person, begin with The Sensemakers.

Shaun Reflects upon Tableau Tim’s “Whiplash” Video

In this early morning rush hour reflection, Shaun Davis captures the dizzying speed of change that’s defining Tableau and TC25. From AI-powered everything to Tableau’s expanding product universe, he breaks down how today’s announcements could reshape tomorrow’s analytics landscape. It is a direct and honest look at the opportunities and the anxieties facing data leaders right now.