The PRQL: The Data Switchboard

Eric Dodds 00:00
Hey welcome to The Data Stack Show PRQL, we just recorded a show with Max Werner who runs a consultancy called obsessive analytics. But he has done data work for all sorts of companies, small SAS startups, to you know, giant, the gaming division at Warner Brothers, you know, huge. And it was a really interesting and show Kostas I think one of the takeaways I had at the end of the show, was this concept of the switchboard, getting the data professional is like operating a switchboard. Do you think that that’s a good analogy?

Kostas Pardalis 00:41
For someone in a data role? Yeah, I mean, it is because like the switchboards also requires an operator, right? Like you need to have like a human there to, to make the connections. So yeah, I think that’s like for the current status of how things work in terms of like moving data around, yes, but natural rates. What I wonder, Is that, like, Does this mean that we are going to end up with instead of switchboards having automated circuits, and we’re not going to need someone to operate the switchboards soon?

Eric Dodds 01:21
I don’t know when the last few minutes, so we didn’t ask him now what about a good question? Yeah.

Kostas Pardalis 01:26
Yeah, probably we have to ask that like next time. But that that’s I think, is super important. But anyway, that’s for the future. Think that for now, like Yeah, like the switchboard is, like a very good analogy. And I think it would be great to hear actual, like, from the data engineers out there. How they feel about these. Um, yeah, that’s true. I would encourage like the people who want like to reach out and let us know, send an email or like, get in contact with us. And so if you think like, if you feel like a switchboard operator or not, yeah, that sounds great.

Eric Dodds 02:05
Yeah. Eric, dataset show.com or Costas datasets show.com. We would love your feedback on whether you think, switchboard operators to get an allergy. Of course, every analogy is imperfect.

Kostas Pardalis 02:19
You think dirty gloves. We can also like give something bucketing on the result to us. Like,

Eric Dodds 02:24
what? Oh, yes, absolutely. coffee mug and T shirt. 100%. If you reach out, we will send you a coffee mug and a T shirt. Whether you answer the question or not. Please clarify the question.

Kostas Pardalis 02:39
With a question. Yes, we need to know I was like a switchboard operator. Okay.

Eric Dodds 02:43
All righty. Well, thank you for joining us, for the people. If the concept intrigues you listen to the show with Max, we talked about all sorts of interesting stuff. The gaming pipelines at Warner Brothers was absolutely fascinating, you know, each team with their own Redshift cluster super crazy and fun to hear about that. And yeah, we will catch you on the next one.