In this episode of Insane Data, Giuliano sits down with Lukas Schulte — former Microsoft developer, co-founder of the recently acquired SDF Labs, and now Director of Engineering at dbt Labs.

They dive into the story behind dbt Fusion, what it means to bring Rust into data engineering, and how adding type systems to SQL can transform development. Lukas explains why reusability and better developer tooling are the future of analytics, and how Fusion is changing orchestration and cost efficiency on platforms like Snowflake and BigQuery.

The conversation also looks beyond the technical: Lukas reflects on the balance between open source and enterprise, the evolving role of analysts in the AI era, and where the data ecosystem is heading as companies like Snowflake, Databricks, and 5Tran reshape the landscape.

Whether you’re a data engineer, analyst, or just curious about the next big shifts in the modern data stack, this episode offers a unique inside look at the future of dbt and beyond.