The Evolution of Software, Streaming, and Data Engineering with Robin Moffatt

More from Data Engineering Central Podcast All episodes →

1. 

   18 Mar 2026 · 1 hr

   DuckDB, AI, and the Future of Data Engineering

   In this episode, I sit down with Matt Martin , Staff Engineer, data architect, ETL practitioner, and author of a new book on DuckDB coming soon, to talk about the past, present, and future of data engineering . Matt has spent decades building and architecting data platforms across technologies such as SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Hadoop, Redshift, and BigQuery , and now focuses on modern tools such as DuckDB and single-node analytics . We discuss how the data industry has evolved, what actually makes data platforms succeed, and where tools like DuckDB, Polars, Databricks, and Snowflake fit into…

2. 

   11 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

   What Decades in Software Engineering Teaches You

   In this episode of Data Engineering Central, I sit down with a veteran Software Engineer John Crickett ; with decades of experience in the industry to unpack what really matters in building a long and successful engineering career. We talk about how he first got into software, the early jobs and tools that shaped his thinking, and the massive technology shifts he’s witnessed across decades of engineering—from early stacks and tools to today’s AI-assisted workflows. * We also dive into the difference between coding and real-world software engineering, what separates junior, senior, and…

3. 

   3 Mar 2026 · 47 min

   Data Engineering, AI, and Career Growth

   In this episode of the Data Engineering Central Podcast , I sit down with Yuki ( Yuki Kakegawa ) to talk about his journey into tech, the tools and platforms he’s worked with, and where he thinks data engineering and AI are headed next. We cover: • How Yuki got into tech • Early career lessons and pivots • Tools and technologies he’s worked with over the years • How data engineering has evolved • The impact of AI on software development • What engineers should focus on right now • Advice for those building their careers in data Yuki shares practical insights on navigating the industry,…

4. 

   25 Feb 2026 · 45 min

   Spark, Lakehouse & AI: A Deep Conversation with Bart Konieczny

   In this episode of Data Engineering Central, I sit down with Bart Konieczny — data engineer, distributed systems expert, and well-known author in the Data and Spark ecosystem — for a deep technical conversation about modern data engineering. We cover: * How Bart got into tech and distributed systems * His journey through different engineering roles * Spark internals and why they still matter * The realities of lakehouse architecture * Streaming vs batch systems * AI’s impact on data engineering * What engineers should focus on in 2026 In a world obsessed with abstractions and AI tooling, we…

5. 

   18 Feb 2026 · 41 min

   DevOps vs ClickOps with Maxine Meurer

   In this episode of the Data Engineering Central Podcast , I sit down with Maxine Meurer , DevOps engineer, author, and educator behind I Love DevOps , for a wide-ranging conversation about careers, infrastructure, automation, and what it actually means to build systems that last. This isn’t a buzzword-heavy DevOps chat. It’s a grounded, honest discussion between two engineers about how people really get into tech , how careers evolve over time, and why modern infrastructure is as much about systems thinking and human judgment as it is about tools. We talk through Maxine’s journey from early…

6. 

   3 Feb 2026 · 59 min

   The Lakehouse Architecture: Multimodal Data, Delta Lake, and the Future of Data Engineering (with R. Tyler Croy)

   In this episode of the Data Engineering Central Podcast , I sit down with R. Tyler Croy for a wide-ranging conversation on the present—and future—of modern data platforms. Tyler is a long-time open-source contributor to projects such as delta-rs. You can watch him on YouTube , read his blog , or work directly with him through his consultancy, Buoyant Data . Tyler has spent years deep in the open-source data ecosystem, contributing to projects such as Delta Lake and thinking critically about how real-world data systems are built and maintained. This isn’t a hype-driven conversation—it’s a…

7. 

   28 Jan 2026 · 46 min

   Building the Full Data Stack and the Audience That Comes With It

   In this episode of the Data Engineering Central Podcast , I sit down with Hoyt Emerson , founder of The Full Data Stack and Early Signal , for a wide-ranging conversation on data, analytics, and creating content in the tech world. We talk candidly about: * What actually matters in modern data and analytics * Why so much “data content” misses the mark * The difference between noise and real signal * What works (and doesn’t) when building a technical audience * Writing, consistency, and credibility in the data space * Why opinions + experience beat trends and buzzwords If you’re a data…

8. 

   20 Jan 2026 · 2 hr 10 min

   From Wiring Circuits to Data Pipelines

   In this episode of the Data Engineering Central Podcast , I sit down with Andy Leonard — someone who’s been building systems long before “data engineering” was even a job title. Andy’s career didn’t start in software at all. It started with physical circuits, literally wiring systems as an electrician, before moving into programming, databases, and eventually decades of hands-on data engineering work. This conversation isn’t about trends or hype cycles. It’s about how the fundamentals of data work have evolved, what hasn’t changed, and what you only learn after years of building, breaking,…

9. 

   14 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

   From DBA to Data Everything

   In this episode of the Data Engineering Central Podcast, I interview a Data OG, someone who’s been around the data space forever, and we talked about all things data, past, present, and future. I’m joined by Thomas Horton a longtime friend and one of the most well-rounded data professionals I know. Over the course of his career, Tom has worn just about every hat in data: developer, DBA, analyst, and everything in between. He’s lived through the era of on-prem databases, the rise of analytics, and the constant reinvention that defines modern data engineering today. We talk about what’s…

10. 

    17 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 51 min

    Scott Haines on the Future of Data Engineering

    In this episode, I sit down with Scott Haines — O’Reilly author, Databricks MVP, and veteran of Yahoo, Nike, and Twilio — for a wide-ranging conversation on the real state of modern data engineering. We dig into open-source ecosystems, Lakehouse architectures, the evolution of Spark, streaming, what’s broken and what’s working in today’s data tooling, and the lessons Scott has learned scaling platforms at some of the biggest companies in the world. If you care about data engineering, architecture, OSS, or the future of the modern data stack, you’ll love this one. Thanks for reading Data…