252: What the Heck is Happening in Data Right Now with the Cynical Data Guy
This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome back Matt Kelliher-Gibson for another edition of the Cynical Data Guy. The group explores the current state of data engineering and team dynamics while critically examining the evolving landscape of analytics engineering, dissecting the hype around the modern data stack and its tools. The conversation also explores the challenges of data team management, including headcount reductions, rising technology costs, and the struggle to maintain efficiency. Key discussions revolve around the need for open standards, the impact of AI on data roles, the complex hiring practices in tech startups, and so much more. Highlights from this week’s conversation include:The Evolution of Analytics Engineer Roles (1:53)Job Titles and Role Consolidation in Data (3:20)Standardization and Open Data Standards (7:51)SQL as a Universal Standard & Vendor Lock-In (11:58)Modern Data Stack: Hype vs. Reality (13:29)The State of Data Teams in 2025 (18:12)Morale and Job Market Realities for Data Professionals (25:17)Bonus Round: Extreme Work Culture Satire (28:41)Honesty in Hiring and Team Building (33:18)Challenges of Building and Leading Data Teams (37:31)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (41:15)The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.
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The PRQL: Data Engineering in 2025: Tooling, Headcount, and Survival Strategies with the Cynical Data Guy
The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.
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251: Data Teams at the Crossroads: Proving Value in a Changing Business Landscape with Ben Rogojan
Highlights from this week’s conversation include:Technical Freelancer Academy & Consulting Community (1:21)Evolution of Data Teams and Technology (2:52)Data Team Growth and Output vs. Outcome (4:47)Internal Optimization vs. Client-Facing Data Work (7:23)Audience, Delivery Mechanisms, and Actionability (12:40)Proving ROI and Prioritizing Work (15:27)Practical Tips for Data Team-Business Alignment (18:31)Dealing with Vanity and Security Blanket Metrics (23:39)AI’s Impact on Data Workflows (27:07)BI Tools, AI Integration, and Dashboards (32:25)Top Skills for Data Professionals (37:27)Career Growth: Technical, Communication, and Business Skills (42:02)Show, Don’t Tell: Prototyping and Feedback (44:37)Taking Initiative and Risk in Data Roles (50:21)Parting Advice and Closing Thoughts (51:16)The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.
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The PRQL: Beyond Dashboards: Selling Data Value to the Business with Ben Rogojan
The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.
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250: The Chat Interface Debate: Is Text Really the Future?
Highlights from this week’s conversation include:Dashboard vs. Chatbot Discussion (1:40)The Future of Chat Interfaces (3:03)Vibe Revenue Concept (6:36)AI's Early Days Compared to the Internet (10:14)OpenAI and Hardware Collaboration (13:09)Challenges of Hardware Development (16:20)Productivity in Programming Languages (18:18)Critique of 'Language is Dead' Posts (21:34)Legacy Systems in Use (22:34)Deterministic vs. Non-Deterministic Workflows (23:37)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (23:45)The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, customer data infrastructure that enables you to deliver real-time customer event data everywhere it’s needed to power smarter decisions and better customer experiences. Each week, we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.
Each week we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.
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