Eventual Consistency | Your reality check on what's actually happening in data.

IBM is acquiring Confluent for $11 billion, and the data world is trying to figure out what it means. We cut through the press releases and LinkedIn hot takes to discuss what's actually happening here. Is this about mainframe modernization, hybrid cloud expansion, or IBM's bet on AI agents driving streaming adoption? We examine why IBM paid a 34% premium, what this means for the future of open-source Kafka, and whether the agentic commerce narrative holds water. Plus, we dig into what data leaders should actually be paying attention to as the industry consolidates around a few major platforms. About the hosts James is a data consultant who has spent years in the trenches helping enterprise organizations actually implement the technologies that vendors promise will revolutionize their business. He specializes in data infrastructure, real-time systems, and the practical realities of what works when the proof of concept becomes production. His approach is skeptical, pragmatic, and focused on the economics of technology decisions, because someone has to pay for all that streaming infrastructure. Ross brings a background in analytics and data strategy, working with companies to cut through the noise and focus on what actually drives business value. With experience spanning industries such as e-commerce, education, biotech, and finance, as well as the evolving landscape of AI-enabled work, he focuses on the intersection of data capabilities and business outcomes. He's particularly interested in how shifts in technology change not just what's possible, but how people think about and use data in their daily work. Connect with us:  Sponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancyConnect with Ross Katz on LinkedInConnect with James Winegar on LinkedIn

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar and Toby Mao, CTO and co-founder of Tobiko Data, discuss the development of SQL Mesh, insights from Toby’s experiences at Netflix and Airbnb exploring the innovative features of SQL Mesh, and the ability to promote data transformations to production seamlessly. Join us for a great conversation about how Toby co-founded his company and what’s next for the future in SQL Mesh. Introduction to Tobiko and SQL MeshVirtual Data Environments and Instant DeploymentsIntroduction to SQL Mesh and CI/CD IntegrationSQL Glot: Standardizing SQL Across PlatformsType Annotations and Logical Planning in SQL GlotFuture Developments and Multi-Gateway Features in SQL Mesh Connect with Toby Mao on LinkedIn This podcast is sponsored by CorrDyn

In this episode of Data BS, James Winegar sits down with Nicole Radziwil, Co-Founder & Chief Data/AI Officer at Qzuku, to dive into the intersection of data, strategy, culture, and power within organizations. They discuss the crucial role of data teams in shaping decision-making, fostering alignment, and navigating power dynamics. Nicole shares valuable insights on how data professionals can drive impact beyond technical execution by facilitating shared understanding across teams. They also explore the importance of process improvement, visibility, and leadership in data-driven organizations—highlighting how Chief Data Officers (CDOs) and data teams can enhance collaboration and break down silos. Plus, Nicole introduces key concepts from her book Data, Strategy, Culture, and Power and shares actionable steps for organizations to address these challenges. Data teams have unique visibility into organizational misalignments and power dynamics. They should play an active role in resolving these tensions.Improving processes leads to better data and decision-making. Strong processes help teams align on shared goals.A CDO's job isn't just about technology—it’s about enabling the organization to access and use data effectively to drive meaningful change.Data teams should proactively surface misalignments between departments (e.g., sales and marketing) to create shared understanding.Whether in product analytics or broader data strategy, intentional problem-solving leads to scalable and effective solutions.Recognizing and addressing power imbalances in decision-making can help organizations unlock the full potential of their data.Organizational challenges are often rooted in human factors—improving communication, expectations, and feedback loops can significantly enhance productivity. Resources Mentioned Data, Strategy, Culture, and Power – Nicole Radziwill’s book on data leadership and organizational alignment.People and Data – A book by Tom Redman exploring the human side of data.Force Field Analysis – A technique for analyzing the forces that drive or hinder change in an organization Connect with Nicole Radziwill on LinkedIn

In today’s episode, James Winegar from Corrdyn and Alex Monahan, a Customer Engineer at MotherDuck discuss DuckDB, a powerful analytical database designed for performance and ease of use. They explore the unique features of DuckDB, its relationship with MotherDuck and DuckDB Labs, and the upcoming DuckDB 1.2 release, which promises significant performance improvements.  The discussion also covers how DuckDB handles out-of-memory datasets, its various use cases, its limitations in certain scenarios, and the importance of extensions, emphasizing DuckDB's ease of use and performance. DuckDB is designed for analytics, making it unique compared to other databases and 1.2 focuses on real-world performance improvements.Proprietary solutions are losing value compared to open-source options.Mother Duck enhances DuckDB for cloud applications and data warehousing.The serverless model at Mother Duck allows for efficient resource usage.Contributing to DuckDB can be done through community extensions and GitHub discussions. Connect with Alex Monahan on LinkedIn

In this episode, Lindsay Murphy, a Head of Data at Hiive and host of the Women Lead Data podcast, joins James Winegar to share her unique journey in the data industry, offering insights on building data-driven strategies, creating balanced teams, and fostering authentic connections.  From leveraging LinkedIn to understanding the strategic value of data, Lindsay breaks down practical advice for professionals looking to thrive in the evolving world of data. Key Takeaways: Building Balanced Teams: Lindsay emphasizes the importance of creating diverse and inclusive data teams, discussing her proactive approach to sourcing talent, especially women, on LinkedIn.LinkedIn Optimization: Tips for making your LinkedIn profile recruiter-friendly, including the importance of authenticity and strategic keyword placement.Networking in a Post-COVID World: How virtual coffee chats and remote connections are transforming professional relationships and making networking more accessible.Data as a Strategic Function: The significance of aligning data initiatives with business goals and focusing on ROI to avoid inefficiencies and cuts.Empowering Teams with Self-Serve Models: How self-service tools and well-structured data models can enable smaller teams to deliver outsized value. Sponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy Connect with Lindsay Murphy on LinkedIn  Podcast: Women Lead Data on Apple Podcasts | Women Lead Data on Spotify Mentioned in the episode: Data and AI Diversity Report

In this episode of Data BS, James Winegar sits down with Matt Barlow, a Cloud Infrastructure Lead from StratusGrid, to explore the transformative potential of generative AI in incident response, platform modernization, and cloud engineering workflows. They dive into practical use cases, discuss the challenges of integrating Gen AI tools into workflows, and address the implications for junior engineers. From building customizable AI agents to leveraging tools like Cloud Engineer, Matt shares actionable insights on how to enhance productivity while avoiding common pitfalls. This episode is a must-listen for cloud professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve in an evolving tech landscape. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to Data BS wherever you listen to podcasts. Connect with Our Guest: Matt Barlow on GitHub: github.com/MattBarlow-SGConnect with Matt Barlow on LinkedIn Sponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, sits down with David Yaffe, Co-Founder of Estuary, to explore how their innovative approach to real-time data streaming is revolutionizing data pipelines. David shares how Estuary optimizes efficiency by leveraging streaming architectures, minimizing costs, and prioritizing smart resource allocation. They also discuss the importance of fostering a responsive customer support culture, Estuary's strategies for handling massive data scenarios, and how thoughtful engineering can create scalable solutions. Whether you're curious about streaming technology or building cost-effective infrastructure, this episode is packed with insights. Highlights: How Estuary designed connectors to run on just 1 CPU and 1GB RAM.The advantages of streaming-first data processing.Tips on minimizing cloud egress and compute costs.Creating a customer-first engineering culture with real-time Slack support. Links and resources: Their website: Estuary.dev  GitHub: github.com/estuaryConnect on LinkedIn: Estuary LinkedInConnect with David Yaffe on LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy

Listen to Part One of our interview with Kevin here wherever you get your podcasts - or find a link at the bottom of the Show Notes. *** In part two of this episode, we continue our conversation with Kevin Hartman, Head of Partner Solutions Architects in the Americas at Databricks and Lecturer at UC Berkeley. A visionary in the tech and data space, Kevin shares how his work at Databricks exemplifies collaboration across industries, academia, and diverse disciplines. From open-source technology to fostering grassroots initiatives like the LMOps program, Kevin emphasizes that sustainable solutions come from a commitment to openness and shared innovation. Highlighting the vibrant culture at Databricks where passion and innovation go hand in hand, the company has evolved from pioneering Apache Spark to introducing cutting-edge technologies like the Photon engine, Delta Lake, and MLflow. Breaking down silos—whether in data or among people—has been central to their success, enabling an exchange of ideas that fuels continuous improvement. Tune in to explore Kevin’s philosophy, Databricks’ journey, and how open-source principles are shaping the future of data science. Links and resources: Link to Part One. Connect with Kevin Hartman on LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy

In part one of this episode, we dive deep into the world of open standards, responsible data science, and the transformative power of community with Kevin Hartman, Head of Partner Solutions Architects in the Americas at Databricks and Lecturer at UC Berkeley. Kevin shares how his work at Databricks exemplifies collaboration across industries, academia, and diverse disciplines. From open-source technology to fostering grassroots initiatives like the LM Ops program, Kevin emphasizes that sustainable solutions come from a commitment to openness and shared innovation. He also advocates for responsible data science practices, encouraging professionals to consider not only what can be built but what should be built, with ethics and accountability at the forefront. Links and resources: Connect with Kevin Hartman on LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, talks with Tino Tereshko, Co-Founder of MotherDuck, about how the value proposition of serverless analytics data warehouses means analytics can now take place anywhere.  An open-source project that provides fast and efficient data analysis, MotherDuck can create a seamless experience for organizations who are looking for a simple, cost-effective, and easy-to-use data warehouse solution. Tino shares how and why they founded MotherDuck and how the system can adapt when they need to adopt new ideas in the industry.  Focusing on fairness and efficiency, Tino and James discuss how MotherDuck came to be, their rapid improvements since starting, and scaling as they grow. So say goodbye to lag and hello to zero-millisecond latency as you listen to the latest episode of Data BS from CorrDyn. Links and resources: Connect with Tino Tereshko’s on LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, sits down with Sam Kahn, VP of AI and Data Science at TICKR, to dig into the company's focus on AI and data science solutions for the consumer packaged goods sector - one of the fastest moving and most reliant industries on utilizing data to drive decision-making. Sam shares his insights into the unique challenges CPG companies face in taking control of their data, the role of GenAI in enhancing forecasting and data categorization, and the importance of data cleansing and to streamline business operations. The pair also unpack novel use cases for GenAI, including survey response prediction and proactive business decision-making based on consumer sentiment.  James then asks Sam to discuss the intricacies of out-of-stock prediction accuracy, some of the biggest challenges CPG organizations face around getting control of their data, and the role of generative AI in automating business processes - now, and into the future.  Finally, they round out the conversation by exploring how TICKR’s solutions can enhance operational efficiency and forecasting capabilities for CPG companies.  Links & Resources: Connect with Sam Kahn on LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy.

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, sits down with Carlos Aguilar, founder of Hashboard, to dive deep into the world of semantic business intelligence and explore how it transforms data management across organizations. Carlos explains how Hashboard is changing the way companies handle their metrics, offering a centralized system for managing and exploring data. He shares how Hashboard solves the problem of multiple sources of truth and eliminates the complexities of outdated dashboards, giving users—both technical and non-technical—the tools they need to access and interrogate their own data. Carlos provides insight into Hashboard’s “Explore” feature and how it empowers users to answer business-critical questions without needing to write code. Then, he and James also discuss Hashboard’s approach to version control and governance. Finally, Carlos reveals Hashboard’s vision for scaling up, from supporting small startups to mid-market and even large enterprise organizations. Links & Resources: Connect with Carlos Aguilar on LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy.

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, sits down with Jamil Bou Kheir, founder of Firezone, to explore the evolving landscape of Zero Trust Network Access and its growing impact on data security. Jamil shares how Firezone stands out from traditional VPN solutions, offering businesses a more secure, fine-tuned approach to protecting their networks and sensitive data. Drawing from his experience at Cisco during the pandemic, Jamil discusses the challenges of scaling remote work security and how Firezone’s architecture is designed to handle these issues. The conversation then turns to how Firezone helps businesses protect their databases from data breaches and the steps organizations can take to overcome the complexity of modern security frameworks. Jamil also gives some insight into Firezone’s upcoming roadmap and how the company is positioned to support both SMBs and large enterprises. Links & Resources: Firezone Official WebsiteFirezone GitHub RepositoryContact Jamil Bou Kheir via LinkedInSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy.

In this episode of Data BS, host James Winegar, CEO of CorrDyn, sits down with Sam Arnold, an enterprise account executive at Census, a leading data activation and reverse ETL platform. Sam shares his journey into the data space and provides insights into how Census differentiates itself in a competitive market. With James, the pair dig into the power of reverse ETL, the limitations of traditional customer data platforms, and how Census enables non-technical teams, like marketing and product, to use data without constantly needing help from data engineers. The conversation also dives deep into how AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are transforming the sales profession. Sam explains how AI-driven engagment fit scores and productivity enhancements have helped his team streamline their workflow and increase efficiency. The episode finishes up with a discussion on the future of AI in business, from drug discovery to manufacturing, and how AI will continue to revolutionize industries. Links & Resources: Visit Census: getcensus.comConnect with Sam Arnold on LinkedIn: Sam ArnoldSponsor: CorrDyn, a data consultancy.