This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome back Pete Soderling, Founder of Zero Prime Ventures and Founder of Data Council, to the show. During the conversation, the group discusses Pete’s career journey, from the first dot-com bubble in New York City to his transition to the Bay Area. The discussion highlights the significance of data culture, the rise of AI, and the current tech ecosystem, particularly in San Francisco. Pete emphasizes the evolving role of data engineering in the AI era and the importance of robust data management. They also preview the upcoming Data Council conference, focusing on data and AI integration and looking ahead at other notable speakers and topics for the conference. Don’t miss the special DataStack show coupon for money off your ticket to Data Council.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome back Matt Kelliher-Gibson for another edition of the Cynical Data Guy. The group discusses the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on data work. They dig into AI-driven transcription services, code generation, and the evolving landscape of AI tools. The conversation also highlights the potential failures of companies relying on outdated models, the importance of maintaining a deep understanding of data systems, balancing AI efficiency with foundational knowledge in data engineering, and so much more.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Solomon Kahn, Founder & CEO of Delivery Layer and Founder & Chief Data Officer at Top Data People. Solomon discusses his career journey from startups to large corporations, emphasizing the importance of being a “triple threat” in data—proficient in statistics, programming, and business. He shares insights from his work at Nielsen, particularly in sports sponsorship analytics. The conversation covers client-facing reporting, customer analytics, and professional development. Solomon highlights the necessity of mastering foundational skills, building executive relationships, actively pursuing business improvements through data, what it takes to become a LinkedIn influencer, and more.