The wrap-up conversation you weren't supposed to hear - four hosts getting real about conferences, careers, and the future of OneStream
Our hosts step away from interviewing guests to have an honest conversation about what they've learned, where they're going, and why this little corner of the tech world matters so much.
The Magic of Conferences (And Why We're All Secretly Introverts)
The hosts get surprisingly vulnerable about the conference experience - from Cameron's revelation about being "selectively extroverted" to the reality that they all went to bed by 11 PM. They explore the paradox of being seen as "rock stars" on stage while being regular people who just want to solve problems and teach others.
Key insights:
- Why conferences are both exhausting and career-defining
- The isolation of specialized technical work and how community events solve it
- Meeting your heroes vs. becoming someone else's hero
- The difference between stage personas and real personalities
Dynamic Cubes: When Technologists Get Excited
Watch four cube veterans get genuinely excited about OneStream's dynamic cubes announcement. While they acknowledge that customers care more about narrative reporting and AI voices asking "what was my budget here?", they can't help but geek out over the technical implications.
The technical perspective:
- Why dynamic cubes solve what Cameron calls "relational extensibility"
- How this enables seamless movement between relational and cube data
- Why it's been attempted before but never executed well
- The consultant's dilemma: knowing when to "lower the temperature" of what you implement
Career Evolution in Real Time
Perhaps most compelling is watching Cameron and Celvin process their career transitions in real time. For the first time since 1996, Cameron isn't doing implementations - he's moved to product management. Celvin is now development manager. They're questioning whether it's surprising they're not doing the "geeky technical presentations" they used to.
Career reflections:
- The difference between self-awareness and true reflection
- Letting go of ego while embracing new roles
- Why teaching and sharing knowledge became core to their identities
- The maturity that comes from understanding your strengths and limitations
The Investment and the Future
The hosts reveal the substantial investment Black Diamond made in this podcast experiment - from the vice presidential suite at Harrah's to the full production crew. They're genuinely uncertain if it will continue, making this conversation feel like both a celebration and a potential goodbye.
The business reality:
- Why no other consulting partner has attempted this format
- The risk-taking required to prioritize community over pure profit
- Their hope that competing firms will create their own content
- The genuine request for audience feedback to guide future decisions
Why This Matters Beyond OneStream
At its heart, this episode captures something universal about specialized technical communities. Whether you work with OneStream, other planning platforms, or any niche technology, you'll recognize the themes: the isolation of deep expertise, the magic of finding "your people," and the responsibility that comes with knowledge.
Perfect for anyone who's ever felt alone in their technical expertise, wondered about the real personalities behind conference presentations, or is navigating their own career evolution from implementer to something else entirely. This is community building in its most authentic form.
