This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations from this year, featuring insights worth revisiting. Thank you for being part of the Data Stack community. Stay up to date with the latest episodes at datastackshow.com. This week on The Data Stack Show, the crew brings you another conversation live from Data Council in Oakland, California. In this episode, Viktor Kessler from Vakamo explores the evolution of data architecture from rigid warehouses to flexible Lakehouse systems. Powered by Apache Iceberg, this new approach enables seamless data sharing, governance, and potential monetization. Viktor discusses how open-source innovation is transforming data management, highlighting the shift towards treating data as a product and the emerging potential for AI-driven data exchanges. The conversation provides insights into the future of decentralized, adaptable data infrastructure and so much more.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations from this year, featuring insights worth revisiting. Thank you for being part of the Data Stack community. Stay up to date with the latest episodes at datastackshow.com. This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Misha Laskin, Co-Founder and CEO of ReflectionAI. Misha shares his journey from theoretical physics to AI, detailing his experiences at DeepMind. The discussion covers the development of AI technologies, the concepts of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and superhuman intelligence, and their implications for knowledge work. Misha emphasizes the importance of robust evaluation frameworks and the potential of AI to augment human capabilities. The conversation also touches on autonomous coding, geofencing in AI tasks, the future of human-AI collaboration, and more.

This episode is a re-air of one of our most popular conversations from this year, featuring insights worth revisiting. Thank you for being part of the Data Stack community. Stay up to date with the latest episodes at datastackshow.com. This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on technology and business. They discuss AI's rapid advancements, drawing parallels to historical shifts like e-commerce. The conversation explores the future of roles within companies, particularly in data management and SaaS products, and considers the broader implications for business operations. They also touch on the changing landscape of data roles, the accessibility of AI-driven services, the potential for AI to democratize high-value services and reshape industries, and more.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Barry McCardel, CEO and Co-Founder of Hex, joins Eric Dodds and John Wessel to discuss the transformative impact of AI on data teams and the broader data industry. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping workflows, team structures, and the very definition of data roles, while also addressing the anxieties and opportunities that come with rapid change. Barry shares Hex’s journey from having a dedicated AI team to fully integrating AI across the product, and offers insights on industry consolidation, the infinite demand for data insights, and the importance of embracing change. Key takeaways include the need for data professionals to adapt and focus on problem-solving, the growing value of context and curation, the competitive advantage for organizations that leverage AI-driven tools and foster a culture of innovation, and so much more.

In this bonus episode, Eric and John preview their upcoming conversation with Barry McCardel of Hex.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Alexander Patrushev joins John to share his journey from working on mainframes at IBM to leading AI infrastructure innovation at Nebius, with stops at VMware and AWS along the way. The discussion explores the evolution of AI and cloud infrastructure, the five pillars of successful machine learning projects, and the unique challenges of building and operating modern AI data centers—including energy consumption, cooling, and networking. Alexander also delves into the practicalities of infrastructure as code, the importance of data quality, and offers actionable advice for those looking to break into the AI field. Key takeaways include the need for strong data foundations, thoughtful project selection, and the value of leveraging existing skills and tools to succeed in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Don’t miss this great conversation.

In this bonus episode, John previews the upcoming conversation with Alexander Patrushev of Nebius.

This week on The Data Stack Show, AI entrepreneur Alberto Rizzoli shares his journey from early computer vision breakthroughs to leading the automation of back-office workflows at V7. The discussion explores the shift from bespoke model training to configurable AI solutions, the impact of automation on business roles, and emerging best practices for integrating AI into enterprises. Listeners will gain insight into how AI infrastructure is moving from labs to everyday businesses, which roles are most vulnerable or secure amid automation, and why future-proofing your career means focusing on creativity, first principles, and continuous improvement. Don’t miss it!

In this bonus episode, Eric and John preview their upcoming conversation with Alberto Rizzoli of V7.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Ryan Dolley joins Eric and John to discuss his unique journey from playwriting to leading product strategy in the data industry. The conversation explores the evolution of business intelligence (BI), the growing influence of AI on analytics, and the shifting skill sets required for data professionals. Key topics include the challenges of adapting to rapid technological change, the importance of embracing engineering practices in BI, and the need for continuous learning. Listeners will gain insights into how AI is transforming data roles, why storytelling remains central to analytics, practical advice for thriving in a fast-changing industry, and so much more.

In this bonus episode, Eric and John preview their upcoming conversation with Ryan Dolley of GoodData.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric Dodds and John Wessel explore how AI is reshaping the data industry, focusing on the ongoing cycles of bundling and unbundling within data infrastructure. They discuss the potential for closed ecosystems like Notion to deliver personalized, integrated experiences and examine recent industry moves such as Fivetran’s acquisitions. The conversation also highlights the challenges faced by both startups and incumbents, the influence of enterprise customers on product development, and the enduring importance of trade-offs when choosing between bundled and unbundled solutions. Key takeaways include the complexity of implementing AI across platforms, the likelihood that market cycles will persist despite technological advances, and the need for organizations to carefully weigh integration, flexibility, and long-term risk when adopting new data tools.

This week on The Data Stack Show, the crew welcomes Eric Dodds back to the show as they dive into the realities of integrating AI and large language models into data team workflows. Eric, Matt and John discuss the promise and pitfalls of AI-driven automation, the persistent challenges of working with APIs, and the evolution from big data tools to AI-powered solutions. The conversation also highlights the risks of over-reliance on single experts, the critical importance of documentation and context, and the gap between AI marketing hype and practical implementation. Key takeaways for listeners include the necessity of strong data fundamentals, the hidden costs and risks of AI adoption, the importance of balancing efficiency gains with long-term team resilience, and so much more.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Brooks and John welcome back Kostas Pardalis, long-time co-host of the Data Stack Show and now Co-Founder of typedef. The group discusses the rapid evolution of AI and data infrastructure. The conversation also explores how AI is accelerating industry change, the challenges of integrating large language models (LLMs) into data workflows, and the limitations of current semantic layers. Kostas shares insights on building next-generation query engines, the importance of using familiar engineering paradigms, and the need to make AI seamless and almost invisible in user experiences. Key takeaways include the necessity of practical, incremental innovation, the reality behind AI hype, strategies for making advanced data tools accessible and reliable for engineers and businesses alike, and so much more.

In this bonus episode, Eric and John welcome back longtime co-host of the Data Stack Show Kostas Pardalis to talk through all things AI and his co-founding of typedef.

This week on The Data Stack Show, John and Matt dive into the latest trends in AI, discussing the evolution of GPT models, the role of tools in reducing hallucinations, and the ongoing debate between data warehouses and agent-based approaches. They also explore the complexities of risk-taking in data teams, drawing lessons from Nate Silver’s book on risk and sharing real-world analogies from cybersecurity, football, and political campaigns. Key takeaways include the importance of balancing innovation with practical risk management, the need for clear recommendations from data professionals, the value of reading fiction to understand human behavior in data, and so much more.

In this bonus episode, John and Matt preview their upcoming conversation about trends in AI, the evolution of GPT modes and the ongoing debate between data warehouses and agent-based approaches.

This week on The Data Stack Show, John and Matt bring you another edition of the Cynical Data Guy. John and Matt dive into the evolution of customer data infrastructure, the growing influence of low-code tools like Clay, and the blurred lines around the “engineer” title in modern data roles. They also discuss the trade-offs between SaaS adoption and building custom solutions, the pitfalls of enterprise software buying, and the realities of platform lock-in—using Palantir’s unique business model as a case study. Key takeaways include the importance of simplicity and scalability in data engineering, the need for clear requirements when evaluating tools, and a healthy skepticism toward sales pitches and “art of the possible” features. Don’t miss this month’s Cynical Data Guy.

In this bonus episode, John and Matt preview the next installment of the Cynical Data Guy.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Brooks and John chat with Andy MacMillan, CEO of Alteryx. Andy discusses the evolving landscape of data and AI, focusing on empowering business users to solve complex problems. He explores the concept of "citizen developers" and how tools like Alteryx can bridge the gap between IT and business teams by democratizing data access. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of creating controlled environments where business users can leverage cloud data platforms and AI technologies to reimagine workflows, without bypassing governance. Key takeaways include the need for organizations to enable innovation through accessible data tools, the potential of AI-driven agents to transform business processes, the critical role of employees who understand their business functions in driving technological transformation, and so much more.