#126 The Cloud, Java, and the Future of Serverless – with Vadym Kazulkin
In this podcast episode, I’m talking with Vadym Kazulkin, AWS Serverless Hero and Principal Cloud Architect.He’s part of the AWS community for years now, speaking at events, testing new features early, and helping the community grow.We talked about:How serverless is being used in the real worldWhy Java still has a place in modern cloud setupsWhat stops big companies from going all inHow AWS is evolving — and what’s missingAnd what engineers should know before going “cloud-native” If you're building in the cloud or just trying to make smart decisions in a fast-moving space, this episode has a lot for you.Connect with Vadym via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadymkazulkin/
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#125 AI Hype vs. Reality – with Christina Stathopoulos
In this episode, I’m joined by Christina Stathopoulos, a former Googler who now works independently as a data & AI evangelist, trainer, and advisor.Not only did we talk about her path from data engineering into data science, and eventually into teaching and strategic consulting. We also covered:Why many companies still struggle with data & AI basicsThe hype vs. reality of generative AI (and how to cut through the noise)Why soft skills like communication, critical thinking, and storytelling are underrated in techHow regulation in Europe might be slowing things down, and why AI won’t wait for bordersThe difference between online and in-person learning (and why human connection still matters)and much more!All in all: A thoughtful, honest conversation full of insights on AI, data culture, and the human side of technology.Get in touch with Christina via LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinastathopoulos/
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#124 These Skills Get You a Data Consulting Job – with Tom Schamberger
In this episode, I’m talking with Tom Schamberger from the German consultancy msg. He leads their cloud data platform team and has a super interesting background: started coding Java at 12, co-founded startups, and now helps big companies design scalable data platforms.We talk about:What it really takes to be successful in data engineering consultingWhy soft skills matter just as much as tech skillsHow consulting projects actually work — from Excel chaos to full platformsThe role of tools like Databricks, Snowflake, and Microsoft FabricAnd why being tool-agnostic might be your biggest advantageIf you're curious about consulting, data platforms, or just want to hear what a data engineer's job looks like behind the scenes, dive right into it!
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#123 Building Fast and Fun Data Projects - with Mehdi Ouazza
In this episode, I sit down with Mehdi Ouazza - data tinkerer, indie hacker, and content creator - who's always up to something interesting in the world of data and AI.We started with DuckDB but quickly veered off into much more exciting territory: side projects, voice-to-SQL with actual quacks, the power of local models, and why WebGPU might be one of the most underrated browser technologies today.We also talked about how we teach and learn data engineering in 2025: the importance of fun, interactivity, and why we both dream of creating a data engineering game that’s part "Among Us" and part serious skills training.Mehdi shares what tools he's using, where he sees GenAI actually helping—not replacing—engineers, and how he's building courses and meetups that inspire creativity in technical work.Perfect for data folks who like to experiment, educators looking for inspiration, or anyone wondering how far a fun idea can go with the right mix of curiosity and tooling.
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#122 Why Writing Is Thinking , and What Data Engineers Can Learn from It - with Simon Späti
In this podcast episode, I’m joined by Simon Späti, long-time BI and data engineering expert turned full-time technical writer and author of the living book Data Engineering Design Patterns. We talk about:His 20-year journey from SQL-heavy BI to modern Data EngineeringWhy switching from employee to full-time author wasn’t planned, but necessaryHow he uses a “Second Brain” system to manage and publish his knowledgeWhy writing is a tool for learning, not just sharingThe concept of convergent evolution in data tooling: when old and new solve the same problemThe underrated power of data modeling and pattern recognition in a hype-driven industry Simon also shares practical advice for building your own public knowledge base, and why Markdown and simplicity still win in the long run.Whether you're into tools, systems, or lifelong learning, this one’s a thoughtful deep dive.***About Simon Späti:Simon is a Data Engineer and Technical Author with 20+ years of experience in the data field. He's the author of the Data Engineering Blog (ssp.sh), curator of the Data Engineering Vault (vault.ssp.sh), and currently writes a book about Data Engineering Design Patterns (dedp.online). Simon maintains an awareness of open-source data engineering technologies and enjoys sharing his knowledge with the community.Socials: Bluesky, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, YouTube
Data Engineering is the plumbing of data science. Almost invisible, but super important and a big mess when done wrong.
We talk about interesting Data Engineering trends and topics. I also train Data Engineering in my Data Engineering Academy at LearnDataEngineering.com
Italia