Thoughtworks Technology Podcast
Data contracts: What are they and why do they matter?
Nov 14, 2024
In this discussion, Andrew Jones, an independent data consultant and creator of the data contract concept, teams up with Ryan Collingwood, a data strategist and author-in-progress on data contracts. They dive into the significance of data contracts, likening them to APIs for stable data transfer. The conversation highlights challenges in maintaining reliable data interfaces and the importance of collaboration between data producers and consumers. Additionally, they explore how tailored data contracts can enhance data quality and adapt to future organizational needs.
37:38
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Quick takeaways
- Data contracts act like APIs for data, ensuring stable and reliable data transfer, crucial for reliable data-driven applications.
- They facilitate structured interactions between data producers and consumers, improving data management and enabling effective use for analytics and AI.
Deep dives
Understanding Data Contracts
Data contracts serve as a crucial interface for data similar to how APIs function in software development. They provide a layer of abstraction that enhances the reliability and accessibility of data by ensuring consistent data streams despite underlying database schema changes. By facilitating structured interaction between data producers and consumers, data contracts help clarify the context and meaning of the data, as well as its reliability and timeliness. This not only improves the management of data but also enables organizations to leverage data more effectively for applications like machine learning and artificial intelligence.
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