In this episode of How They Scaled It, host Courtney sits down with Pedro Arellano, Co-Founder and CEO of Wallabi, a next-generation business intelligence platform that bridges the gap between data access and actionable insight. If you’ve seen companies drowning in dashboards but starving for answers, this is the story behind the brand building a smarter path from data to decision.
From Commodore 64 to Cutting-Edge Analytics
Pedro’s journey into business intelligence started with a Commodore 64 and a teenage obsession with the 80s cult classic WarGames. But what began as a fascination with computers evolved into a passion for organizing information and deriving insights that move businesses forward. With 25 years in the BI space, including roles at Tableau and Looker, Pedro has witnessed and helped drive two massive waves of disruption: the rise of self-service analytics tools and the explosion of generative AI.
Wallabi is the product of Pedro’s years of experience and a growing frustration with how data is often more accessible, but not necessarily more useful. “Every company has dashboards,” he says, “but they still struggle to answer the most basic question: What should we do next?”
The Real Problem: Dashboards Aren’t Decisions
Pedro calls out a major flaw in the BI industry: the assumption that data access equals business impact. While many tools have focused on making dashboards easier to build, few have tackled the deeper challenge of making them truly relevant to the user. As he puts it, “There is a massive gap between the delivery of an insight and a business outcome.”
Wallabi aims to close that gap. Instead of just visualizing data, the platform contextualizes it. It helps users not just see what’s happening but understand why it’s happening and what they should do next. That leap from information to intelligence is what Pedro believes will set Wallabi apart in a crowded space.
From Listening Tours to Real Product-Market Fit
Like many founders, Pedro didn’t start with a product, he started with a problem. And to validate it, he and his team went on what he calls a “listening tour,” conducting dozens of conversations with potential users to uncover pain points and understand language. That research became foundational to both product development and go-to-market messaging.
“You can’t just build something cool,” Pedro says. “It has to solve a problem that’s painful enough for someone to pay to fix.”
Early growth has come through a blend of old-school grit and smart digital strategy. The Wallabi team experimented with direct outreach, refined ad campaigns, and obsessively tested messaging until it clicked. Their first self-serve customer didn’t even talk to a salesperson. They saw an ad, signed up, and stayed. That’s product-market fit in action.
AI + Empathy: The Secret Formula
Despite being an AI-driven product, Wallabi has a deeply human approach. Pedro emphasizes that business intelligence isn’t just about algorithms and automation. It’s about helping people make better decisions. That requires context, empathy, and a real understanding of how people work.
Internally, Pedro brings the same human-first mindset to company culture. “We have moments of elation and moments of doubt,” he shares. “What keeps us going is a team that genuinely cares about the mission and each other.”
He also believes in staying close to the problem. For Pedro, a successful week means more conversations on the calendar, not more lines of code. “If I don’t have people to talk to, something’s wrong.”
Advice to Founders: Stay Obsessed with the Problem
Pedro’s advice to aspiring founders is clear: Be honest about why you want to start something. “Some people chase the founder lifestyle. For me, it was an obsession with a problem I couldn’t stop thinking about.”
He also cautions against skipping the groundwork. Before building anything, talk to potential customers. And when you think you’ve found the problem? Talk to more. “Try to prove yourself wrong,” he says. “That’s how you know you’re onto something real.”
Want to hear the full conversation?
Listen to Episode 23 of How They Scaled It on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5P4EjTqU4NIAYeY7aF4GzD?si=KIddk80iS1uXs5Cuv41RTw
If you’re a founder looking to scale smarter, let’s talk. Right Left Agency helps brands like yours harness psychology-driven marketing for real growth. Get in touch today!
To learn more about Wallabi, visit www.wallabi.ai.Â
