Best Dbt Labs Inc Podcasts (2025)

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Work smarter, not harder 55:48

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6d ago55:48

55:48

Perfectionism. Over-engineering. Spending way too much time on regex code that should’ve just been a copy-paste. In this episode of The View on Data, Faith, Ric, and Grace swap stories about the times they brute-forced their way through data work, and the lessons learned when they finally stepped back. They discuss: Why “good enough” is sometimes t…

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Agentic coding in analytics engineering (w/ Mikkel Dengsøe) 44:20

10d ago44:20

44:20

Tristan talks with Mikkel Dengsøe, co-founder at SYNQ, to break down what agentic coding looks like in analytics engineering. Mikkel walks through a hands-on project using Cursor, the dbt MCP server, Omni’s AI assistant, and Snowflake. They cover where agents shine (staging, unit tests, lineage-aware checks), where they’re risky (BI chat for non-ex…

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25: From COBOL Developer to Insurance Data Engineer: Brad Cronkrite 44:10

7d ago44:10

44:10

Description: In this conversation, Brad Cronkrite shares his journey from a developer to a lead data analytics engineer at Mercury Insurance. He discusses the critical role of data in the insurance industry, the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, and the importance of mentorship and self-awareness in career growth. Brad also emphasizes t…

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23: From Nonprofit & Education, to Senior BI Analyst @ JustWorks: Millie Symns 45:44

12d ago45:44

45:44

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Millie Symns, a senior Business Intelligence analyst at JustWorks. Millie shares her journey into the data field, emphasizing the importance of mission-driven work and the intersection of data and education. She discusses her current role, the challenges of communicating data insight…

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22: From Semi-Pro Baseball to Dir of Engineering @ BetterHelp, w Johnathan Brooks 54:39

11d ago54:39

54:39

Description: In this conversation, Bolaji and Johnathan "JB" Brooks discuss JB's journey from semi-pro baseball player to a data engineering leader at BetterHelp. They explore the balance between mental health and high-pressure environments, the importance of dbt and Kimball modeling in data engineering, and the evolving landscape of AI and machine…

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21: From Optimizing Physical Warehouses, to Optimizing FinOps Data Warehouses: Eddy Zulkifly 44:59

12d ago44:59

44:59

Description: In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Eddy Zulkifly, a senior staff data engineer at Kanaxis. They discuss Eddy's journey from chemical engineering to data engineering, his passion for soccer coaching, and the importance of community and mentorship in professional growth. Eddy shares insights on the role of …

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20: From Data Science & Engineering, to AI & ML Solutions Architect: Louis Guitton 42:17

21d ago42:17

42:17

Description: In this episode, Bolaji interviews Louis Guitton, an engineering leader with extensive experience in data engineering and analytics. They discuss Louis's journey from sports to data, his experiences at One Football Labs, and the challenges of communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. Louis shares insights on handl…

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Under the hood of Apache Iceberg (w/ Christian Thiel) 55:59

19d ago55:59

55:59

Tristan digs deep into the world of Apache Iceberg. There’s a lot happening beneath the surface: multiple catalog interfaces, evolving REST specs, and competing implementations across open source, proprietary, and academic contexts. Christian Thiel, co-founder of Lakekeeper, one of the most widely used Iceberg catalogs, joins to walk through the st…

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Imposter Syndrome 53:29

1M ago53:29

53:29

In this episode of The View on Data, hosts Lauren Benezra, Faith Lierheimer, Erica Louie, and Paige Berry get real about a feeling so many data professionals experience but don’t always talk about—imposter syndrome. Through honest reflections and personal stories, they explore: • The pressure to constantly prove your worth • How feedback, even when…

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How to Start a Career in Data 1:08:15

1M ago1:08:15

1:08:15

Welcome to the very first episode of The View on Data, a new monthly roundtable podcast from dbt Labs. In this kickoff conversation, we get to know your hosts, Lauren Benezra, Paige Berry, Grace Goheen, Faith Lierheimer, and Erica Louie, as they share their journeys into the world of data. You’ll hear how theater majors, political science buffs, an…

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The pragmatic guide to AI agents in the enterprise (w/ Sean Falconer) 49:59

2M ago49:59

49:59

What does it mean to be agentic? Is there a spectrum of agency? In this episode of The Analytics Engineering Podcast, Tristan Handy talks to Sean Falconer, senior director of AI strategy at Confluent, about AI agents. They discuss what truly makes software "agentic," where agents are successfully being deployed, and how to conceptualize and build a…

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24: From Ballet Mech Engineer, to HR Tech Data Engineer: Larissa Mendes 44:26

2M ago44:26

44:26

In this episode, Bolaji Oyejide interviews Larissa Mendes, a Level 3 Data Engineer at Gupy, who shares her unique journey from mechanical engineering to data engineering. Larissa discusses her experiences with data quality challenges, the importance of community support, and her current tech stack at Gupy. She also provides valuable insights on ove…

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3: Unlocking Insights with Model Context Protocol (MCP) 55:27

2M ago55:27

55:27

Description: In this episode of the Data Analyst Show, Christopher Fiore and his team engage in a lively discussion with Jason Ganz about the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and its implications for data analysts. They explore how MCP can enhance the interaction between AI and structured data, the challenges faced by data analysts in utilizing data ef…

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19: From Quantum Physicist to Roche Head of Engineering? Yannick Misteli 36:29

2M ago36:29

36:29

In this episode, Bolaji interviews Yannick Misteli, head of engineering at Roche, who shares his unique journey from a PhD in quantum physics to a leadership role in data science. Yannick discusses his early experiences in finance, the importance of building a solid data organization, and the balance between people, process, and technology. He emph…

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How Amazon S3 works (w/ Andy Warfield) 50:05

2M ago50:05

50:05

In this season of the Analytics Engineering podcast, Tristan is deep into the world of developer tools and databases. If you're following us here, you've almost definitely used Amazon S3 it and its Blob Storage siblings. They form the foundation for nearly all data work in the cloud. In many ways, it was the innovations that happened inside of S3 t…

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18: From CFO to Data Engineer? Philip Boontje 43:52

2M ago43:52

43:52

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Philip Boontje, a finance executive and data architect. Philip shares his unique journey from chemical engineering to finance and ultimately to data engineering. He discusses the challenges and successes he has faced in his career, including the transition from spreadsheets to data e…

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17: From Psychology to Analytics Engineering: Juan Manuel Perafan 44:18

3M ago44:18

44:18

In this episode, Bolaji interviews Juan Manuel Perafan, a psychology major turned analytics engineer, who shares his journey from Colombia to the Netherlands and his transition into the data field. They discuss the importance of networking, the challenges of imposter syndrome, and the evolving role of analytics engineering. Juan emphasizes the valu…

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15: From Biochemist to Analytics Engineering Mgr @ Hubspot: Nicholas Yager 48:51

3M ago48:51

48:51

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji speaks with Nicholas Yager, the Analytics Engineering Manager of Enterprise Data Platform, at HubSpot. They discuss Nicholas's journey from biochemistry to data engineering, his experiences at dbt Labs, and the importance of creative collaboration in data. Nicholas shares insights on navigating…

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From Docker to Dagger (w/ Solomon Hykes) 48:50

3M ago48:50

48:50

In this season of the Analytics Engineering podcast, Tristan is digging deep into the world of developer tools and databases. There are few more widely used developer tools than Docker. From its launch back in 2013, Docker has completely changed how developers ship applications. In this episode, Tristan talks to Solomon Hykes, the founder and creat…

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The history and future of the data ecosystem (w/ Lonne Jaffe) 53:53

3M ago53:53

53:53

In this decades-spanning episode, Tristan Handy sits down with Lonne Jaffe, Managing Director at Insight Partners and former CEO of Syncsort (now Precisely), to trace the history of the data ecosystem—from its mainframe origins to its AI-infused future. Lonne reflects on the evolution of ETL, the unexpected staying power of legacy tech, and why AI …

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14: From Marine Biologist to Sr Data Engineer at Shopify: Elize Papineau 45:50

4M ago45:50

45:50

In this episode, Bolaji interviews Elize Papineau, a senior data engineer at Shopify, who shares her unique journey from marine biology to data engineering. Elize discusses her eclectic background, the challenges of finding the right job title in data, and the importance of continuous learning. She highlights her experiences at dbt Labs and Shopify…

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13: From SW Intern to Chick-Fil-A Sr Lead Data Engineer: Tim Castillo 41:06

4M ago41:06

41:06

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji Oyejide interviews Tim Castillo, a senior lead data engineer at Chick-fil-A. Tim shares his journey from software engineering to data engineering, emphasizing the importance of operational efficiency and the role of data in enhancing customer experiences. He discusses the challenges of stakehol…

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2: The future of data analytics at dbt Labs 39:21

4M ago39:21

39:21

In this episode of the Data Analyst Show, the hosts discuss their experiences with new features at dbt, particularly focusing on the Insights feature, Co-Pilot, and Canvas. They share how these tools enhance their workflows, improve documentation, and facilitate collaboration among data teams. The conversation highlights the importance of cost mana…

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Everything terminals (w/ Zach Lloyd) 47:21

4M ago47:21

47:21

In this episode, Tristan talks to Zach Lloyd, founder of Warp—a terminal built for the modern era, including for AI agents. They explore the history of terminals, differences between terminals and shells, and what the future might look like. In a world driven by generative AI, the terminal could once again be the control center of computer usage. F…

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12: From Customer Support to RevOps Analytics @ 1Password: Nate Sooter 57:38

4M ago57:38

57:38

In this episode of the Data Career Transformations Show, Bolaji interviews Nate Sooter, a data professional who shares his unique journey from customer support to becoming a manager of Revenue Operations and Analytics at 1Password. Nate discusses the diverse paths into analytics careers, the importance of domain knowledge, and the challenges of nav…

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11: From Soul-Sucking Telecom Presales, to Data Engineering Mgr: Jessica Franks 50:20

4M ago50:20

50:20

In this episode, Bolaji interviews Jessica Franks, a data engineering manager at Not On The High Street, who shares her unique journey from telecom engineering to data leadership. Jessica discusses her transition to the UK, the challenges of managing a data team, and the importance of communication and mentorship in the data field. Jessica also exp…

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10: From Sys Admin Skateboards to Effective Data Products, with Ash Smith 47:07

4M ago47:07

47:07

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Ash Smith, a seasoned data professional with a diverse background in various industries including education, health, online gaming, and mining. Ash shares his journey into the data field, the evolution of data roles, and the importance of data products. He discusses the challenges fa…

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The Data Analyst Show, Ep 1: Analysts Hate Unearned Conviction. 26:21

4M ago26:21

26:21

In the inaugural episode of the Data Analyst Show, the hosts introduce themselves and delve into the essence of being a data analyst. They discuss the importance of storytelling in data analysis, the role of curiosity, and the detective-like approach analysts take to uncover insights. The conversation then transitions to the impact of AI on the fie…

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Why compilers matter (w/ Lukas Schulte) 41:59

4M ago41:59

41:59

In this episode, Tristan Handy and Lukas Schulte, co-founder of SDF Labs and now part of dbt Labs, dive deep into the world of compilers—what they are, how they work, and what they mean for the data ecosystem. SDF, recently acquired by dbt Labs, builds a world-class SQL compiler aimed at abstracting away the complexity of warehouse-specific SQL. Jo…

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9: From Actuary to Analytics Engr Mgr @ Hubspot. Kasey Mazza 40:42

5M ago40:42

40:42

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Kasey Mazza, an analytics engineering manager at HubSpot. Kasey shares her journey from actuarial science to analytics engineering, emphasizing the importance of merging technical skills with emotional intelligence. She discusses her approach to career growth modeled after the softwa…

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8: From Law School to Nigeria's FinTech Data Chef? Damola Onabanjo 36:24

5M ago36:24

36:24

In this episode of Data Career Transformations, Bolaji interviews Damola Onabanjo, a business intelligence manager at Kuda, who shares her unique journey from an international law graduate to a data professional. The conversation covers her love for cooking shows, her role at Kuda, the transition from law to data, the importance of mentorship, and …

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7: From Clown School to Director of Analytics: Wade Wachs 45:37

5M ago45:37

45:37

In this episode of The Data Career Transformations Show, Bolaji interviews Wade Wachs, the Director of Information and Analytics at Liquid Web. Wade shares his unique journey from juggling and clown school to building a data-driven culture in a web hosting company. The conversation explores the evolution of data roles, the challenges of self-servic…

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The evolution of databases (w/ Wolfram Schulte) 54:17

5M ago54:17

54:17

In the first episode of our new season on developer experience, the cofounder and CTO of SDF Labs, now a part of dbt Labs, discusses databases, compilers, and dev tools. Wolfram spent close to two decades in Microsoft Research and several years at Meta building their data platform. For full show notes and to read 6+ years of back issues of the podc…

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6: From Pastry Chef to Head of Data at dbt Labs? Erica Louie. 36:54

5M ago36:54

36:54

In this engaging conversation, Erica Louie shares her unique journey from aspiring pastry chef to Head of Data at dbt Labs, with host Bolaji Oyejidehighlighting the importance of empathy and communication in the data field. Erica discusses the skills and milestones that helped him climb the career ladder, the challenges of hiring for data roles, an…

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5: From Video Gamer to Principal at Infinite Lambda: Michael Han 37:01

5M ago37:01

37:01

In this episode of The Data Career Transformations Show, Bolaji Oyejide interviews Michael Han, Head of Product at Infinite Lambda. Michael discusses his journey from finance to data science, the evolution of data roles, and the importance of effective communication and domain knowledge in the data field. Michael shares insights on the day-to-day r…

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4: From Math Tutor & Barista, to Analytics Engineer & Analyst! Lauren Benezra & Paige Berry of dbt Labs 42:28

6M ago42:28

42:28

n this engaging conversation, Bolaji, Lauren, and Paige explore their diverse journeys in the data analytics field, discussing their career paths, the accessibility of data science, and the importance of collaboration and communication within data teams. They share personal experiences with data disasters, technical challenges, and the ever-present…

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2: From Mobile Apps to Staff Engineer at Teads: Christophe Oudar 35:42

7M ago35:42

35:42

Bolaji interviews Christophe Oudar, a Staff Software Engineer at Teads, who shares his journey in data engineering, the challenges he faced, and the successes he achieved. Christophe discusses the vibrant dbt community, his career progression from junior to staff engineer, and the importance of mentorship and continuous learning. He also delves int…

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1: From Self-Driving Cars to Lead Data Engineer @ phData: Bruno Souza de Lima 37:08

7M ago37:08

37:08

Bolaji interviews Bruno Souza de Lima, an analytics engineer with a unique background in autonomous driving and programming. Bruno shares his journey from studying mechanical engineering to becoming a key contributor in the analytics community, emphasizing the importance of sharing knowledge, effective communication, and mentorship. He discusses hi…

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Building a data team from the beginning (w/ Daniel Avancini) 50:12

8M ago50:12

50:12

Daniel Avancini is the chief data officer and co-founder of Indicium—a fast-growing data consultancy started in Brazil. There are a lot of data consultancies around the world, and a lot of them do great work. What has been so fascinating about Indicium’s journey is their HR model. Rather than primarily hiring experienced professionals, they decided…

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Data engineering at Snowflake (w/ Rahul Jain) 44:04

8M ago44:04

44:04

A look inside at the data work happening at a company making some of the most advanced technologies in the industry. Rahul Jain, data engineering manager at Snowflake, joins Tristan to discuss Iceberg, streaming, and all things Snowflake. For full show notes and to read 6+ years of back issues of the podcast's companion newsletter, head to https://…

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The intersection of UI, exploratory data analysis, and SQL (w/ Hamilton Ulmer) 50:37

9M ago50:37

50:37

Hamilton Ulmer is working at the intersection of UI, Exploratory Data Analysis, and SQL at MotherDuck, and he's built a long career in EDA. Hamilton and Tristan dive deep into the history of exploratory data analysis. Even if you spend most of your time below the frontend layer of the stack, it is important to understand the trends in both the prac…

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Making data movement as reliable as electricity (w/ Taylor Brown) 46:40

10M ago46:40

46:40

Fivetran recently passed $300 million ARR and has over 7,000 customers globally. Taylor Brown, the cofounder and COO of Fivetran, joins the show to talk about Fivetran’s moat, the impact of AI on the data ingestion space, and open table formats and catalogs. For full show notes and to read 6+ years of back issues of the podcast's companion newslett…

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Data as an assembly line (w/ Cedric Chin) 51:11

10M ago51:11

51:11

Cedric Chin runs Commoncog—a publication about accelerating business expertise. He joins Tristan to talk about the analytics development lifecycle, how organizations value (or misvalue) data, and why “data teams are not some IT helpdesk to be ignored.” For full show notes and to read 6+ years of back issues of the podcast's companion newsletter, he…

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The data jobs to be done (w/ Erik Bernhardsson) 42:55

11M ago42:55

42:55

Erik Bernhardsson, the CEO and co-founder of Modal Labs, joins Tristan to talk about Gen AI, the lack of GPUs, the future of cloud computing, and egress fees. They also discuss whether the job title of data engineer is something we should want more or less of in the future. Erik’s not afraid of a spicy take, so this is a fun one. For full show note…

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Coalesce 2024 edition: What’s next for data teams? (w/ Scott Breitenother) 44:23

11M ago44:23

44:23

Show description: Scott Breitenother, founder of data consultancy Brooklyn Data Co., joins Tristan at Coalesce 2024 in Las Vegas to discuss the early days of dbt, the evolution of data teams, and what's next for the dbt community. For full show notes and to read 6+ years of back issues of the podcast's companion newsletter, head to https://roundup.…

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The current state of the AI ecosystem (w/ Julia Schottenstein) 45:44

11M ago45:44

45:44

Former co-host Julia Schottenstein returns to the show to go deep into the world of LLMs. Julia joined LangChain as an early employee, in Tristan’s words, to “Basically solve all of the problems that aren't specifically in product and engineering.” LangChain has become one of, if not the primary frameworks for developing applications using large la…

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Creating value from GenAI in the enterprise (w/ Nisha Paliwal) 45:20

12M ago45:20

45:20

Nisha Paliwal, who leads enterprise data tech at Capital One, joins Tristan to discuss building a strong data culture for in the world of AI. She is the co-author of the book Secrets of AI Value Creation. For full show notes and to read 6+ years of back issues of the podcast's companion newsletter, head to https://roundup.getdbt.com. The Analytics …

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Developer productivity on GitHub Copilot (w/ Eirini Kalliamvakou) 53:59

1y ago53:59

53:59

Dr. Eirini Kalliamvakou is a senior researcher at GitHub Next. Eirini has built a career on studying software engineers, how to measure their productivity, how developer experience impacts productivity, and more. Recently, Eirini has been working on quantifying the impacts of GitHub Copilot. Does it actually help software engineers be more producti…

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The rapid experimentation of AI agents (w/ Yohei Nakajima) 45:55

1+ y ago45:55

45:55

Yohei Nakajima is an investor by day and coder by night. In particular, one of his projects, an AI agent framework called BabyAGI that creates a plan-execute loop, got a ton of attention in the past year. The truth is that AI agents are an extremely experimental space, and depending on how strict you want to be with your definition, there aren't a …

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Funnel analytics and AI models for event sequences (w/ Misha Panko) 44:09

1+ y ago44:09

44:09

Misha Panko has worked in data for a long time, including on high performance data teams at Uber and Google. Today, Misha is the co-founder and CEO of Motif Analytics, a product focused on helping growth and ops teams understand their event data. In this episode, Tristan and Misha nerd out about the state of the art in computational neuroscience, w…