Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano

In this engaging discussion, Rob Emanuele, a principal engineer at Microsoft and co-creator of the VS Code extension for PostgreSQL, shares his unique journey from music to software development. He dives into the challenges of using Postgres at planetary scale with the Microsoft Planetary Computer and reveals his insights into GitHub Copilot's role in modern coding. From thoughts on agent-driven workflows to the importance of feedback in building tools, Rob also highlights how creativity in music influences his engineering approach.

What do chess clocks, jazz, and Postgres replication have in common? In Episode 32 of Talking Postgres, solution architect Boriss Mejías shares how the idea of “interconnectedness”—inspired by Douglas Adams—can help you untangle complex Postgres questions. We explore OpenAI’s approach to scaling Postgres, how Postgres active-active mirrors Sparta’s dual kingship, and how a holistic approach can reveal the behavior of synchronous replication. Also: Beethoven’s 17 drafts, and why chasing perfection can hold you back. Listen to learn more about Boriss, Postgres, and the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.Links mentioned in this episode:Podcast Ep32 of Talking Postgres: What went wrong (& what went right) with AIO with Andres FreundPodcast Ep03 of Talking Postgres: Why give talks at Postgres conferences with Álvaro Herrera & Boriss Mejías:  Wikipedia: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas AdamsTalk at PGConf NYC 2025: Scaling Postgres to the Next Level at OpenAI, by Bohan ZhangVideo of PGConf.dev 2025 talk: Scaling Postgres to the Next Level at OpenAI, by Bohan ZhangTalk at PGConf NYC 2025: Improved Freezing in Postgres Vacuum: From Idea to Commit, by Melanie PlagemanTalk at PGConf NYC 2025: Database Modeling to Study the New York Jazz Scene, by Boriss MejíasJazz Club in NYC: Patrick’s Place in HarlemVideo of PGConf EU 2024 talk: Sparta’s Dual-Kingship and PostgreSQL Active-Active, by Boriss Mejías Video of POSETTE 2025 talk: Postgres Storytelling: Cunning Schema Design with Creative Data Modeling, by Boriss Mejías & Sarah Conway Talk at FOSDEM PGDay 2024: High Availability Configurations Are Very Common for PostgreSQL, But How Do You Investigate Performance Problems When the Standby Can’t Keep Up? by Boriss Mejías and Derk van VeenConference: PGDay Lowlands 2025, the second year of this “second-best Postgres conference in Europe” Conference Schedule: upcoming PGConf EU 2025 in LatviaWikipedia: Chess clockBook: Daily Rituals, by Mason CurreyArticle: It Takes Two to Think, by Itai Yanai & Martin J. LercherPoem: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel ColeridgeWikipedia: City of Bruges Belgium, a good place for beer and cheeseCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep33 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Nov 5, 2025

Six years, a prototype, and a brief multi-layered descent into “wronger and wronger” design—what does it take to land a major architectural change in Postgres? In Episode 31 of Talking Postgres, Andres Freund—major contributor, Postgres committer, and lead of the Asynchronous I/O project—shares the wins, the missteps, and why he thinks AIO definitely took too long. We dig into io_uring in Linux, direct I/O, streaming reads, technical leadership, and exactly when is the right time to stop working on a prototype. If you’ve ever wondered how big architectural changes happen, or why they sometimes take years, this episode is for you. Links mentioned in this episode:Talking Postgres podcast: How I got started as a developer (& in Postgres) with Andres Freund & Heikki LinnakangasRelease Notes: PostgreSQL 18 release notes News: PostgreSQL RC 1 Released on Sep 04 2025Wikipedia page: io_uringPostgreSQL: Join the PostgreSQL Hacking DiscordVideo of talk: What went wrong with AIO by Andres Freund at PGConfdev 2025Commit: Add core asynchronous I/O infrastructure to PostgreSQLWiki page: AIO project in PostgreSQL with state, sub-projects, and work still to be doneUpcoming Talk: AIO in PG 18 and Beyond at PGConf NYC on 30 Sep 2025Upcoming Talk: AIO in PG 18 and Beyond at PGConf EU on 23 Oct 2025Wikipedia page: XZ Utils backdoor discovery by Andres FreundCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep32 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Oct 8, 2025

Discover the heart and soul of the Postgres community as you listen to engaging stories from developers and contributors. Hear about their journeys, the challenges they've faced, and the lessons learned along the way. From open-source adventures to the allure of PostGIS, each tale reveals why passion drives these individuals. Expect a mix of triumphs, setbacks, and the rich tapestry of experiences that make the Postgres ecosystem so vibrant and relatable.

Simon Willison, an open source developer and creator of Datasette, dives into how AI is reshaping data engineering. He shares the importance of structured data extraction and accessibility, underscoring Postgres's fit for AI projects. Their discussion spans the transformative power of AI in journalism, the evolving role of tools like large language models in data tasks, and the humorous benchmark of pelicans in AI-generated art. Willison also highlights essential AI tools, pushing for a playful and adaptive use of technology.

From dreaming of driving a bus to leading database engineering at Microsoft. In Episode 29 of Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano, Shireesh Thota traces his path to becoming CVP of Azure databases—rooted in a love of math, early BASIC programming, and a certainty that he’d become an engineer. We dig into the shift from engineer to manager (if only people came with documentation); why it’s so important for Microsoft to contribute to the PostgreSQL open source project—not just consume it; and whether Shireesh has a favorite database (hint: it better be Postgres.)Links mentioned in this episode:Blog post excerpt: Why we have a Postgres open source contributor team at MicrosoftPodcast episode: Leading engineering for Postgres on Azure with Affan DarVS Code Marketplace: New VS Code extension for PostgreSQLPOSETTE 2025 talk: Introducing Microsoft’s VS Code extension for Postgres by Matt McFarlandLinkedIn post: PGConf.dev 2025 talk on “The trouble with extensions” by Marco SlotPodcast episode: How I got started as a developer (& in Postgres) with David RowleyBook: Who Moved My CheeseCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep30 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Aug 6, 2025

What drives someone to publish 600+ issues of a Postgres newsletter for over a decade? In Episode 28 of Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano, Peter Cooper—creator of Postgres Weekly—shares how his days of rustic programming and QBASIC fanzines on Usenet led to a newsletter empire that now reaches nearly half a million developers each week. We dig into the BBC's "big tent" editorial influence, an accidental business model that just worked, and the perils of "temporary" hacks. Plus: spam filters, a Photoshop addiction, and one very cheesy story (dairy-free).Links mentioned in this episode:Newsletter: Postgres WeeklyCooperpress: List of newslettersNewsletter: Latest issue of Postgres Weekly on Jun 19, 2025Newsletter: Postgres Weekly issue with horrible graphicNewsletter: Very first issue of Postgres Weekly on Mar 13, 2013Newsletter: Ruby Weekly, the first Cooperpress newsletterBook: Beginning Ruby Third Edition, by Peter CooperPodcast episode: How I got started as a developer (& in Postgres) with David RowleyFeed reader: FeedbinGitHub repo: feedbin/feedbinFeed reader: FeederEmail testing software: LitmusGitHub repo: MGML markup language for emailPaper: The Design of PostgresGitHub repo: PGRX for building Postgres extensions in RustPodcast news: Podnews.net for daily briefings about podcastsWikipedia page: BBC MicroWikipedia page: ZX SpectrumCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep29 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Jul 9, 2025

How does a trek to K2 base camp in the Himalayas spark the idea for a database company? In Episode 27 of Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano, guest Peter Farkas—CEO and co-founder of FerretDB—shares the origin story of this open source MongoDB alternative. (Spoiler: “Ferret” wasn’t the original name). We dig into why Postgres was the obvious choice, what “true open source” means to Peter, and how FerretDB is now powered by the open source DocumentDB extension from Microsoft. Plus, why Hungarian Trappist cheese might deserve a footnote in database history. Links mentioned in this episode:GitHub: FerretDB/FerretDB repoBlog: FerretDB 2.0 GA: Open Source MongoDB alternative, ready for productionACM SIGMOD: The Design of Postgres, published 15 June 1986Postgres Weekly: Issue 591 featuring FerretDBGitHub: Microsoft/DocumentDB open source repoConference talk: From MongoDB to Postgres: Building an Open Standard for Document Databases at POSETTE 2025OSI Blog: The SSL is Not an Open Source LicenseRedMonk Blog: OSS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, by Stephen O’GradyTalking Postgres Ep18: How I got started as a developer (& in Postgres) with David RowleyOpenDocDB: initiative to define an open standardWikipedia: K2 (yes, the mountain)Go Blog: The Go Gopherxkcd: webcomic 927 on StandardsWikipedia: Trappista cheeseCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep28 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Jun 18, 2025 

What does it take to lead a global open source project like Postgres? In Episode 26 of Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano, we sit down with Bruce Momjian—co-founder and core team member of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group—to explore the art of leadership in a volunteer-run open source community. Bruce shares what “servant leadership” really means; how saying I’m sorry can help make problems go away; and how letting go of who-gets-the-credit can fuel collaboration. We also dive into Bruce’s origin story, from shaping Postgres’s early days to mastering the art of public speaking. Pro tip: if you see a man in a bow tie at a Postgres conference, be sure to say hello—it’s probably Bruce Momjian!Links mentioned in this episode:Open source project website: postgresql.orgWebsite: Bruce MomjianVideo of talk: Building Open Source Teams at FOSDEM 2023Slides: FOSDEM talk on Building Open Source TeamsWikipedia: John C. MaxwellHarry Truman quote: It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the creditThe New Stack: How to Generate AI From a DatabaseEDB Blog: Bruce Momjian’s Insights from PGConf India 2025Conference schedule: PGConf India 2025Book: Why We Sleep by Matthew WalkerVideo of talk: Why Database Teams Need Crew Resource Management by Chris TraversWikipedia: Anna Karenina principleTalking Postgres podcast: Why mentor Postgres developers with Robert HaasDiscord invite: PostgreSQL Hacking serverMailing lists: PostgreSQL mailing listsConference: PostgreSQL Conference Nepal 2025 happening May 5-6Conference: PostgreSQL Conference Germany 2025 on May 8-9Conference: POSETTE: An Event for Postgres 2025 on Jun 10-12Upcoming POSETTE 2025 keynote: Databases in the AI Trenches by Bruce Momjian Conference: SouthEast | LinuxFest on Jun 13-15 in Charlotte NC Conference: Swiss PGDay 2025 happening Jun 26-27 Conference: PGDay Austria 2025 happening in Vienna on Sep 4Conference: PGDay UK 2025 happening in London on Sep 9Conference: PGDay Lowlands 2025 happening in Rotterdam on Sep 12Video from PGConf.dev 2024: Making PostgreSQL Hacking More InclusiveTalking Postgres podcast: How I got started as a developer (& in Postgres) with David RowleyWikipedia: O'Reilly Open Source Convention (OSCON)Calendar invite: LIVE recording of Ep27 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed May 07 with guest Peter Farkas. The topic: “How I got started with FerretDB (& why we chose Postgres)”

When I found out that Django developer and Python Software Foundation chair Dawn Wages has a chapter in her upcoming Domain-Driven Django book called “Just Use Postgres”, I knew we had to get her on the show. In this episode of Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano, Dawn breaks down why so many Python and Django developers have such an affinity for Postgres. And we dive into the Djangonaut Space mentoring program (where contributors launch), learn why “free as in puppies” beats “free as in cake” for open source vibes, and dig into why Python is the second-best language for everything.Links mentioned in this episode:Project page: psycopgDocumentation: Psycopg 3 – PostgreSQL database adapter for PythonProject page: PostgreSQL open source projectGit repo: code for PostgreSQL.org websiteConference: PyCon US 2025, happening May 14-22 in PittsburghConference: PGConf.dev 2025 Schedule, happening May 13-16 in Montreal CanadaConference: Prague PostgreSQL Developer Day 2025 (P2D2) Schedule, which took place Jan 28-29Wikipedia page: Model-view-controller software design patternBook: Professional ASP.NET MVC 1.0, affectionately called “the four heads book”Podcast episode: Working in Public with Simon Willison & Marco SlotBlog: Simon Willison’s TILs, aka Things I’ve learnedSimon Willison’s Weblog: Here’s how I use LLMs to help me write codeSimon Willison’s Weblog: How I make annotated presentationsSurvey: Python Developers Survey 2023 ResultsPython Docs: What’s new in Python 3.14Mentorship program: Djangonaut SpaceMentorship program: Media & Talks about Djangonaut SpacePodcast episode: Why mentor Postgres developers with Robert HaasSlides: PGConf EU 2024 talk by Claire Giordano about Contributions to Postgres, including maps showing how global the Postgres project isVideo of POSETTE 2024 talk by Paolo Melchiorre: Semantic search with Django, PostgreSQL, & pgvectorVideo of Citus Con 2023 talk: Maps with Django (and PostGIS), by Paolo MelchiorreVideo of Citus Con 2022 talk: Django with PostgreSQL superpowers, by Paolo MelchiorreConference: DjangoCon Africa 2025, happening August 11-15 in Tanzania Calendar invite: LIVE recording of Ep26 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Apr 02, 2025 with guest Bruce Momjian, to talk about Open Source Leadership