

The Data Engineering Show
The Firebolt Data Bros
The Data Engineering Show is a podcast for data engineering and BI practitioners to go beyond theory. Learn from the biggest influencers in tech about their practical day-to-day data challenges and solutions in a casual and fun setting.
SEASON 1 DATA BROS
Eldad and Boaz Farkash shared the same stuffed toys growing up as well as a big passion for data. After founding Sisense and building it to become a high-growth analytics unicorn, they moved on to their next venture, Firebolt, a leading high-performance cloud data warehouse.
SEASON 2 DATA BROS
In season 2 Eldad adopted a brilliant new little brother, and with their shared love for query processing, the connection was immediate. After excelling in his MS, Computer Science degree, Benjamin Wagner joined Firebolt to lead its query processing team and is a rising star in the data space.
For inquiries contact tamar@firebolt.io
Website: https://www.firebolt.io
SEASON 1 DATA BROS
Eldad and Boaz Farkash shared the same stuffed toys growing up as well as a big passion for data. After founding Sisense and building it to become a high-growth analytics unicorn, they moved on to their next venture, Firebolt, a leading high-performance cloud data warehouse.
SEASON 2 DATA BROS
In season 2 Eldad adopted a brilliant new little brother, and with their shared love for query processing, the connection was immediate. After excelling in his MS, Computer Science degree, Benjamin Wagner joined Firebolt to lead its query processing team and is a rising star in the data space.
For inquiries contact tamar@firebolt.io
Website: https://www.firebolt.io
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 26, 2024 • 25min
Tech Stacks and Tradeoffs: Xudo's Founder on Picking the Right Tools for BI Success
Wouter Trappers is the founder of Xudo and shares his slightly unconventional path from philosopher to data consultant with the Bros in this latest episode of The Data Engineering Show. Wouter’s grounding in philosophy has proved to be a shaping influence on his approach to business intelligence. Much more than just a software solution, for Wouter, BI is all about change management and aligning leadership with data projects.They discuss:From Excel to Expert: From basic Excel tasks to a full mastery of BI tools like QlikView, Wouter has blended his technical and philosophical approaches to data to become a bona fide expert.Data Strategy as Transformation: Good change management principles have to be adhered to if a BI project is going to bear fruit. Focus on leadership alignment, KPI clarity, and user empowerment instead of simply implementing software. Challenges of Starting Small: Wouter has some tips to offer smaller companies around bootstrapping their data journey using existing tools, practical education, and even Gen AI.Balancing Scales: Smaller startups compared to large enterprises face a very different set of challenges.Wouter’s combination of philosophy and pragmatism brings fresh takes to building effective data solutions.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Oct 31, 2024 • 28min
Data Rewind: Conversation Highlights from Zach Wilson, Matthew Housley, Joe Reis, and Krishnan Viswanathan
In this special roundup episode of The Data Engineering Show, the Bros revisits some of the best bits from episodes with data thought leaders Zach Wilson, Matthew Housley, Joe Reis, and Krishnan Viswanathan, spotlighting essential trends and lessons learned across the evolving data engineering landscape. From data observability to bridging academia with real-world practice, this episode covers perspectives on where data engineering is heading and why certain challenges persist.Topics include:Foundations of Data Engineering: Zach Wilson emphasizes the importance of core, tech-agnostic skills in data modeling, quality assurance, and storytelling. By sharing his experiences at Airbnb and in education, he reveals that effective data engineering hinges on creating robust data models, quality controls, and persuasive narratives rather than expertise in any single tool or language.Bridging Academia and Practice: Matthew Housley and Joe Reis delve into the need for better data education, emphasizing hands-on experience and data fundamentals over tool-specific training, and advocate for apprenticeships and real-world collaborations in educational settings.Legacy Meets Modern in Data Engineering: Krishnan Viswanathan reflects on recurring themes in data engineering and the importance of adapting legacy approaches to new data needs, underscoring the challenges and benefits of vendor-built versus in-house solutions.Join the Bros for a well-rounded exploration of current themes in data engineering, filled with practical advice for data professionals at any stage of their journey.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Sep 24, 2024 • 33min
The Resurgence of SQL: Insights from Ryanne Dolan from LinkedIn
In this episode of The Data Engineering Show, the bros, Eldad and Benjamin are joined by Ryanne Dolan from LinkedIn to discuss the innovative Hoptimator (H2) project. This conversation reveals how LinkedIn has improved its data pipelines by automating the setup and management of complex workflows.Together they cover:Automated Data Pipelines: Ryanne explains how Hoptimator allows users to create and manage data pipelines using just a simple SQL SELECT query, streamlining the process of setting up Kafka topics, Flink jobs, and schemas.Integration with Kubernetes: The project utilizes Kubernetes to handle infrastructure tasks, treating Kubernetes as a database for managing state. This integration simplifies the orchestration of data workflows and automates routine tasks.Consumer-Driven Model: Ryanne discusses the shift from a producer-driven to a consumer-driven data model, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing consumer needs to reduce engineering complexity and optimize data systems.Future of Data Engineering: The conversation touches on the ongoing experimental nature of Hoptimator and its potential to transform data engineering practices, highlighting its impact on LinkedIn's data infrastructure.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Jun 4, 2024 • 43min
Vector Databases Won’t Replace SQL - Andy Pavlo
Andy Pavlo, an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, dives into the intricacies of database internals and optimization. He discusses the development of Autotune, a machine learning project aimed at improving database performance. Andy explains why SQL remains essential despite the allure of new technologies, like vector databases. He also highlights the synergy between academic research and practical applications, demonstrating how innovations in query optimization keep SQL relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Apr 16, 2024 • 40min
How ZoomInfo transitioned from data graveyards to ROI-driven data projects
Too often expensive resources and manhours are spent on dashboards no one uses, resulting in zero ROI. Philip Philip Zelitchenko, VP of Data & Analytics at ZoomInfo met the bros to talk about adopting product management principles to ensure data projects have value, and provide an unfiltered peak into ZoomInfo’s data stack and unique tech culture. The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Mar 26, 2024 • 27min
Matthew Weingarten from Disney Streaming about Data Quality Best Practices
Matthew Weingarten, Lead Data Engineer at Disney Streaming, talks about principles essential for data quality, cost optimization, debugging, and data modeling, as adopted by the world's leading companies.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Feb 29, 2024 • 26min
Joseph Machado, Senior Data Engineer @ LinkedIn talks best practices
Data engineering should be less about the stack and more about best practices. While tools may change, foundational principles will remain constant. Joseph Mercado, Senior Data Engineer at LinkedIn, is on The Data Engineering Show to talk about principles that are key to success, leveraging AI for automation, and adopting software engineering methods. The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Jan 24, 2024 • 46min
Professors Joe Hellerstein and Joseph Gonzalez on LLMs
Joe Hellerstein is the Jim Gray Professor of Computer Science at Berkeley and Joseph Gonzalez is an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. They’ve inspired generations of database enthusiasts (including Benji and Eldad) and have come on the show to talk about all things LLM and RunLLM which they co-founded.If you consider yourself a hardcore engineer, this episode is for you.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Jan 1, 2024 • 32min
Megan Lieu on powerful notebooks that enable collaboration
There are two types of data influencers on LinkedIn:1. Those who talk directly about the products and companies they work for2. Those that provide more general guidance, tips and opinions Can influencers actually be passionate about the products they’re developing and straightforwardly talk about them without sounding salesly? We’re kicking off 2024 with the amazing Megan Lieu on a new Data Engineering Show episode.Megan is one of those influencers that combine the two approaches, and with almost 100K followers, her content seems to be resonating with many data folks. She talked to the bros about her approach to data advocacy as well as the power of notebooks, especially when they become broader and enable collaboration.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing

Nov 22, 2023 • 30min
Transitioning from software engineering to data engineering
Every data team should have at least one data engineer with a software engineering background. This time on The Data Engineering Show, Xiaoxu Gao is an inspiring Python and data engineering expert with 10.6K followers on Medium. She’s a data engineer at Adyen with a software engineering background, and she met the bros to talk about why both software and data engineering skills are so important.Without software engineering skills you’ll be limited to the rigid capabilities of your stack. But without data engineering skills you’ll find it hard to be cost effective and see the bigger picture.The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.soPrevious guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data EngineerJoe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data EngineeringBill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing