Build a Fractional Data Team That Actually Delivers

Every week we see it:

“Looking for a data generalist who can handle ETL, build dashboards, manage Snowflake, create LLM workflows, and advise the board.”

This is the job post version of a fantasy.

A “data unicorn” that can do everything, fast, cheap, and without burning out.

And here’s what happens 9 times out of 10:

• The role stays open for 6+ months

• You finally hire someone who’s strong at one thing, overwhelmed by everything else

• They spend their first quarter trying to untangle legacy infra while fielding executive asks for AI initiatives

• Then they leave

Meanwhile, your backlog grows, your competitors move faster, and your exec team starts questioning whether “data” is worth the investment.

Sound familiar?

Let’s fix that.

Why Unicorn Hiring Doesn’t Work Anymore

Hiring a single person to do everything in data—engineering, analytics, architecture, AI, and business storytelling—is not just inefficient. It's reckless.

Here’s what actually happens:

• They can write dbt, but not design it at scale

• They can build a dashboard, but don’t know how to get clean source data

• They understand metrics, but can’t explain them to execs in business terms

• They get pulled into 12 directions and deliver none

Even if they’re brilliant, they become a single point of failure.

One resignation, one burnout, and your entire data capability resets.

What We Do Instead: Fractional Data Squads

At Aztela, we’ve stopped trying to “fill every role” with one hire.

Instead, we deploy a pre-built fractional team that works like an internal data department—but without the hiring drama.

What you get:

• A data engineer who builds clean, reliable pipelines

• An analytics lead who makes your KPIs bulletproof

• An infra/operator who keeps things fast and cost-efficient

• A GenAI lead who prototypes assistants and copilots

• A PM/translator who turns business goals into clear, buildable priorities

Each one works on your backlog, based on what matters most right now.

Why This Model Wins

You get all the benefits of a full-stack team—without the cost, churn, or hiring risk.

3 Clear Signs You Need a Squad, Not a Unicorn

1. You’re missing business targets because of data delays

Product can’t see which features retain users.

Marketing doesn’t know which campaigns drive revenue.

And that exec dashboard? Still in Notion.

2. Your team is stuck in constant fire-fighting

Everyone’s reacting, no one’s building.

You’re asking “why is this metric broken?” every week.

Data is a cost center, not a growth driver.

3. Your tools keep changing, but nothing improves

You’ve paid for Snowflake, Fivetran, dbt, Looker…

But no one knows who owns what.

Your Slack is filled with abandoned “tool debates” and unfinished charts.

Real Impact from a Squad Model

Ecommerce brand

We replaced their full-time data hire (who was overwhelmed and blocked by legacy pipelines) with a 4-person fractional team. Within 6 weeks:

• Rebuilt 4 key pipelines

• Fixed core attribution logic

• Shipped daily dashboards with marketing ROI insights

  → Result: budget reallocation increased ROAS by 22%

Social app

They were stuck trying to build a retention model with one hire.

We deployed a data engineer + analytics lead. In 4 weeks:

• Identified key churn triggers by feature

• Enabled product team to focus roadmap on real blockers

  → Result: 90-day retention up 18%, revenue up

And when the work was done, we handed off everything—documented, reproducible, and ready for the next growth phase.

TL;DR

Stop trying to hire the “perfect” data generalist.

Start thinking like a product team: cross-functional, agile, modular.

The fractional squad model works because:

• It adapts to what you need right now

• You’re not betting everything on one person

• You actually get value in 30 days—not 9 months

• You scale up or down without drama

Want to See If It Fits?

We’ll review your data backlog and tell you:

• What’s missing

• What to prioritize

• What a lean team setup would look like

▶ Schedule your session

We’ll show you what your current data team is leaving on the table—and how a fractional squad could change everything.

FAQ (Structured for SEO)

What is a fractional data team?

A cross-functional team of data experts working part-time across multiple clients, offering the capability of a full data department without the overhead.

How is this different from hiring freelancers?

You get a structured team with shared context, not siloed contractors. We manage coordination, delivery, and quality as one unit.

Can I scale it up or down?

Yes. Add bandwidth during peak projects. Scale down when focus shifts. That’s the power of fractional.