Heavybit Podcasts Ep. #1, Introducing Data Renegades
Nov 22, 2025
In this engaging discussion, CL Kao dives into his journey from competitive programming to shaping civic tech with GovZero. He shares insights on making budget data accessible and the evolution of developer tools. CL explores the exciting realms of machine learning infrastructure and the implications of Software 2.0 and 3.0. He emphasizes the importance of merging data and software mindsets, highlighting how natural language can act as a programming abstraction. With a vision for hyper-personalized tools, CL is reshaping how we think about data transparency and software building.
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Episode notes
Postgres Extension To Serve Data As APIs
- In 2012 CL built a Postgres extension (PGREST) to turn relational data into REST endpoints, reducing ad hoc scripts.
- That pattern anticipated modern tools like Supabase and influenced easier data surfacing for civic apps.
Make Data Work Code‑First And Testable
- Model data pipelines as testable, code-first artifacts so you can CI/CD and compare results.
- Use tools like dbt to make transformations declarative and enable reproducible testing.
Mass Digitization Through Community Typing
- GovZero mobilized volunteers to digitize campaign finance by manual transcription and light image processing.
- The community cleared about 300,000 records in 24 hours using crowd efforts and simple tooling.