The Joe Reis Show

Matt Turck, a venture capitalist at FirstMark and expert in AI and data, dives into the latest MAD Landscape. He reveals how over 1,000 logos were pruned to reflect a 'Cambrian explosion' of AI startups, and discusses the tension between established companies and newcomers. New categories like AI Agents are emerging while older ones fade. Matt argues that Europe is a hidden gem in AI talent and explores the intriguing possibility of AI winning a Nobel Prize by 2027. His insights on the evolving landscape make for a thought-provoking listen.

Dive into a journey filled with travel insights and tips! Discover Joe's motivations for international speaking, shaped by curiosity and a passion for data. Learn how he balances a travel-heavy career with family life and his packing strategies for minimal luggage. Uncover the importance of exploring cities on foot and managing travel fatigue with unplugging techniques. Plus, find valuable packing hacks and safety tips to enhance your travel experience!

Jeremiah Lowin, founder of Prefect and creator of FastMCP, dives into the seismic shifts in the AI and data landscape. He shares the fascinating origin of FastMCP as a Pythonic layer for Anthropic's Model Context Protocol, which skyrocketed to over a million downloads daily after OpenAI and Google support. Lowin emphasizes MCP's role as a 'USB-C for AI agents' and highlights its unexpected adoption by internal data teams seeking governable interfaces. Tune in for insights on the intersection of AI, data workflows, and the challenges of open-source maintenance.

Travel tales and speaking insights kick things off. The contrast between European caution and U.S. tech adoption sparks an interesting debate. Joe foresees an AI tsunami, highlighting regulation issues in Europe. Community-building efforts in Helsinki reveal the local data scene's vibrancy. Dive into the risks of vendor choices and the tensions between open source and commercialization. Joe stresses the importance of user contributions and the need for stable cloud primitives. Emotional attachments to tools can complicate acquisitions, making adaptability crucial.

Yordan Ivanov, Head of Data Engineering and creator of the newsletter 'Data Gibberish,' shares insights on bridging the gap between technical skills and essential soft skills for data engineers. He recounts his journey from failing as a manager to mastering people-centric skills, emphasizing the importance of effective communication. The conversation also delves into the risks of AI over-reliance and its impact on coding habits. Furthermore, Yordan discusses the evolving landscape of data tools and how engineers can better express their business value amidst rapid changes.

In this engaging conversation, Tyler Akidau, a seasoned streaming systems engineer and CTO at Red Panda Data, unveils the transformative impact of AI on data infrastructures. Tyler shares his journey from AI skepticism to excitement, discussing how agentic AI systems will reshape business operations. They dive into the reimagining of data architectures for machine-speed AI, the need for rigorous auditing, and the shift from windowing to a table-based approach. Tyler also explores governance challenges and the chaotic nature of AI agents using a clever D&D analogy.

The discussion kicks off with Joe Reis sharing travel updates and setting the stage for AI exploration. He highlights Europe's conservative stance on AI compared to the US and China. Emphasizing the importance of acting now, he advocates for businesses to adopt AI aggressively during this innovation wave. Joe illustrates how an AI-native workforce can revolutionize operations and reflects on the role of bubbles in driving innovation. He encourages cautious sectors, like banking, to embrace AI's potential for transformation.

Irina Malkova, VP of Data & AI at Salesforce, leads the charge in rethinking how we interact with data. She explores the decline of traditional dashboards in favor of AI-driven conversational agents, enhancing user engagement by reducing cognitive load. Irina discusses the evolving role of product telemetry as a key resource for AI and machine learning, emphasizing its value across all companies. With a focus on measurable ROI, she argues that data teams are pivotal in leading AI transformation, paving the way for more practical data infrastructure.

Matt Housley, a seasoned data industry practitioner, dives deep into the buzz surrounding Fivetran's rumored acquisition of dbt Labs. He highlights the need for consolidation in the modern data stack amidst shifting financial pressures and the rise of AI-native startups. The discussion reveals how mergers can drive efficiency and cash flow, while they also tackle the challenges of integrating new tech. Additionally, they explore the implications of AI on traditional vendor models and discuss the evolving landscape of database technologies.

Saket Saurabh, CEO of Nexla and a force in data engineering, delves into the transformative shift in AI from model-focused companies to those leveraging unique contextual data. He discusses the looming limits of current AI models, the vital role of knowledge graphs for reliable AI outputs, and how tools like Lovable and Cursor are redefining workflows for developers. The conversation also highlights the evolving landscape of data engineering, where AI is now a primary consumer, necessitating new approaches to architecture and semantics.