This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome microservices expert Mark Fussell. Mark is Founder & CEO at Diagrid and Co-Creator of Dapr. In this conversation, the group explores the evolution of software architectures, focusing on the shift from monolithic to microservices systems. With over 20 years at Microsoft, Mark shares insights from his work on projects like Dapr and Azure Service Fabric. The discussion also covers the challenges developers face today, the importance of leveraging existing technologies to avoid reinventing the wheel, and the role of AI in enhancing productivity. Mark highlights how tools like Dapr simplify microservices development and emphasizes the need for continuous innovation in software architecture. Don’t miss this great conversation!

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Willz Tolbert, Co-Founder & COO at Readyy. Willz shares his entrepreneurial journey from real estate brokerage to tech innovation, discussing his experiences building MapSheet and his current AI-powered startup, Readyy.ai. Listeners will learn how AI is transforming sales research, providing insights into more efficient account preparation, and bridging the gap between technological automation and human expertise in the sales process. The conversation emphasizes creating centralized data repositories for better customer engagement and highlights the need for innovative solutions to streamline data management. The group also provides valuable insights into the intersection of real estate and technology, showcasing the potential for transformative industry practices and so much more.

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, 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. 

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Michael Drogalis, Founder of shadwotraffic.io. Michael shares his journey in data, focusing on distributed systems and streaming data. He discusses his background as a software engineer, his work with open-source projects, and founding Distributed Masonry, which was acquired by Confluent. At Confluent, Michael contributed to stream processing technologies like Kafka Streams and KSQL. The conversation covers solopreneurship, synthetic data challenges, and the evolution of streaming technologies, offering valuable insights into innovation and entrepreneurship in the tech industry. Don’t miss it!

This week on The Data Stack Show, the tables turn as Eric takes the guest seat! Eric shares his unexpected career journey—from aspiring doctor to business and data enthusiast—shaped by an early passion for mechanics. He reflects on navigating the 2008 economic downturn while working at a marketing agency, sharpening his adaptability and networking skills. The conversation dives into working with startups and venture-backed companies, the power of understanding customer pain points, and the value of hands-on product experience. Packed with insights on data and product management, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to blend strategy, adaptability, and a customer-first mindset.

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome back Matt Kelliher-Gibson for another edition of the Cynical Data Guy. The three go through their hot-takes lightning round as they discuss the challenges faced by data teams, focusing on technical debt and the concept of data mesh. They critique the illusion of productivity in data teams, the pitfalls of complex SQL queries, and the difficulties of implementing data mesh in organizations. The conversation emphasizes the importance of clarity, governance, and practical strategies in managing data while also exploring the potential of AI to optimize SQL queries and reduce technical debt, highlighting the need for balanced human oversight. Stay cynical! 

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.