Data Engineering, AI, and Career Growth

More from Data Engineering Central Podcast All episodes →

1. 

   15 Apr 2026 · 48 min

   From Industrial Data at BASF to Delta Lake Committer

   In this episode, Robert Pack walks through his journey from engineering and simulation work to building large-scale data systems across 900+ plants at BASF. We break down what those systems actually looked like, including ingestion, modeling, and the realities of batch vs real-time in industrial environments. We also dive into: * AI Workflows for Developers * His work as a committer on Delta Lake * Where lakehouse architecture works and where it falls short * The transition into Developer Relations at Databricks This is a grounded, practical conversation about what actually matters when…

2. 

   1 Apr 2026 · 52 min

   He Quit Apple After 13 Years

   In this episode of Data Engineering Central, I sit down with Kevin , who spent 13 years working at Apple before walking away at the end of 2025. * Not to jump to another job. * Not to start a company. * But to take a step back from everything. Kevin shares his full journey—from growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta to building a career at Apple, and ultimately reaching the point where he could walk away financially and mentally. You can follow along with Kevin below. We dive deep into what it’s really like working in tech: the high salaries , the lifestyle creep , the pressure , and the…

3. 

   24 Mar 2026 · 47 min

   Spark, AI, and the Future of Data Engineering with Daniel Aronovich

   In this episode of Data Engineering Central , I sit down with the founder of DataFlint , Daniel Aronovich , to talk about the realities of working with Apache Spark, distributed data systems, and the future of data engineering . We start with his early journey into tech—how he first discovered large-scale data systems and the lessons he learned from working with real-world Spark workloads. * The conversation then turns toward the future of data engineering , particularly the growing role of AI in software development and data infrastructure . We discuss why generic AI coding assistants often…

4. 

   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…

5. 

   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…

6. 

   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…

7. 

   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…

8. 

   9 Feb 2026 · 50 min

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

   In this episode, I sit down with industry veteran Robin Moffatt — Sr. Principal Advisor in Streaming Data Technologies (Kafka, etc.) and a longtime voice in the data engineering community, to unpack the journey from old-school data architectures to today’s real-time streaming ecosystems . From early mainframe data processing and COBOL through the rise of Apache Kafka, streaming ETL, and event-driven systems , Robin shares lived experience from across decades of building, scaling, and evolving data platforms. We dive into: * 🧠 How the role of software engineering has shifted with the rise of…

9. 

   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…

10. 

    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…