Podcast
Catalog & Cocktails
A podcast for data people.
Join us for an honest, no-BS, non-salesy conversation about enterprise data management and analytics. This is your 30-minute elixir containing everything interesting about data and metadata management, DataOps, knowledge graphs, and more. Join Juan and Tim as they explore emerging topics and speak with visionary leaders.
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Next Episode
August 31 @ 4 pm CT
Hosts
Juan Sequeda
Principal Scientist
Tim Gasper
VP of Product
Latest Episodes:
EPISODE 100 WITH FIVETRAN
Duration - 67
About this episodeAnswering critical business questions relies on integrating data from a variety of systems. But it takes a lot of ... Play Now
The Future of Data Catalogs w/ Ole Olesen-Bagneux
Duration - 67
About this episodeData Catalogs are at the center of every enterprise’s data strategy. It’s important to explore the current state and ... Play Now
Your Thoughts Become Action; Going From Thought Leadership To Practice W/ Roel And Valentijn Of Vopak
Duration - 61
About this episodeYou are listening to great talks, podcasts, webinars on how to improve and take your data and analytics to the next ... Play Now
Build Bridges. Don’t burn them.
Duration - 61
About this episodeBridging the gap between business and IT is an age-old problem. IT doesn’t understand the business. The business ... Play Now
Season Three Finale w/ Juan and Tim
Duration - 65
Join Juan and Tim for the Season Three Finale of Catalog & Cocktails. The hosts discuss the takeaways of the takeaways, best guest moments and valuable advice from some of the guests from the last 20 episodes! Play Now
Data Models are Divas w/ Ergest Xheblati
Duration - 67
We live in a data first world. Give me more and more data. But what about the meaning of that data? How should the data be modeled so it can be easily understood and consumed by data scientist and analyst? Play Now
Don’t let good metadata go to waste w/ Peter Kapur
Duration - 65
LIVE from the Snowflake Summit in Vegas. The hosts of Catalog & Cocktails sit down with Peter Kapur from WM to explore how we should be getting true value from metadata, data and analytics. Play Now
Getting all meta about data w/ Sanjeev Mohan
Duration - 66
So much of the focus of the analytics and vendor community today is on data. We have solutions for data visualization, warehousing, observability, cataloging, transformations, and more. But data is nothing without context. So why does metadata tend to draw the short straw? Play Now
Does our understanding of data bias our analytics outcomes?
Duration - 66
Why do some data-driven decisions seem to go so disastrously wrong? Ironically, the answer to this question likely isn’t found in the data at all, but rather our subconscious. In a time when companies have never been more data rich, it’s often our inherent information biases that doom critical analytics and data science work. Play Now
The Data Entrepreneur’s Essentials w/ Brett Hurt
Duration - 68
What does it take to build a successful data & analytics business? An entrepreneurial spirit, a problem-solving mindset, a sense of adventure, and the strength to get started. Play Now
A Roadmap to Data Mesh Success
Duration - 65
Some of the greatest breakthroughs throughout human history can be attributed to the biotech field, from life-saving vaccines to advances in supply chains. So it’s no surprise that biotech is also a fast-mover when it comes to innovative socio-technical paradigms like data mesh. Play Now
Is your Modern Data Stack delivering value? w/ Sarah Krasnik
Duration - 58
Everyone has an opinion on the modern data stack. What’s in it? What’s out? What’s the cool new buzzy technology? Unfortunately, it’s often the most important question that people fail to ask: How are your tools delivering value? Play Now
LIVE from the Knowledge Graph Conference w/ Francois Scharffe
Duration - 54
How do the most successful companies stitch together data governance, understanding, access, and use to create active and engaged data cultures? The answer, as usual, can be found in the knowledge graph. Play Now
A layered approach to data meaning and measurement w/ Nick Handel
Duration - 66
About this episodeData architecture is more layered than an onion. Data, metadata, access, transform, virtualization, visualization. ... Play Now
Everybody’s an Imposter Sometimes w/ Steve Perry
Duration - 67
It’s not easy being a “data leader.” For one, you have to advocate for good data practices at your company. But you may also feel a strong desire to create your own brand on social media and at conferences. With the constant noise, posturing, and rigorous debate over every facet of data and analytics, this can be daunting. And sometimes, you feel like an imposter. Play Now
Why are we so bad at this modern data stack? w/ Chad Sanderson
Duration - 61
Imagine sitting down at a restaurant. Your food is already on the table, and the waiter hands you a menu of different dishes and silverware you can use to consume your meal. That’s a completely backwards experience, but it’s kind of how data architecture works today. We have our data in cheap storage, and then we purchase software that helps us consume it. Is this also wrong? Play Now
Can data policy drive data productivity? w/ Nong Li
Duration - 59
About this episodeEveryone - including us - wants to talk about how to get value from your data, but the truth is you can’t even get ... Play Now
The future of data is knowledge w/ Bob Muglia
Duration - 59
About this episodeCompanies have most of the last decade in pursuit of data. We’ve waded through data lakes, explored data warehouses, ... Play Now
Agile like a fox, but for data. w/ Shane Gibson
Duration - 58
About this episodeAgile processes in software development date back to the beginning of the century. We’re now seeing concepts like ... Play Now
Your privacy is my currency with Patricia Thaine from Private AI
Duration - 60
What does the word, “privacy” mean to you? Is it about being left alone? Being forgotten? In today’s world of ubiquitous digital apps, we think about privacy and utility as a give and get. Play Now
Are you swimming upstream by not streaming data?
Duration - 58
Are you on Team Batch or Team Stream? Next-gen data warehouses, lakehouses, ELT, and orchestration have made batch more modern and popular than ever, but more and more use cases - from fraud detection to smart energy grids - rely on continuous streams to make real-time decisions. Is streaming the coming revolution, or just another way to process data? Play Now
Why are data transformations such a big deal?
Duration - 63
Data transformations, dbt, data catalogs, data teams, data culture, data mesh. It’s a lot. But pour yourself a drink and enjoy this special edition of Catalog & Cocktails. Play Now
The easiest data is always the hardest to model w/ Karen Lopez
Have you ever had a tax form sent to the wrong address, a credit card with no suspicious activity get deactivated, or been billed for a service you’ve never used? If so, you may be the victim of poor data modeling. Play Now
The three most important letters in data & analytics are W-H-Y
Analytics are great for answering the “what.” Did we hit our sales targets or not? Did our supply chain hold up under the strain of a prolonged pandemic? But smart data leaders recognize that real transformational insights come from people, processes, and tools that answer the bigger question of “why.” Play Now
Can Agile Practices Disrupt Data Governance? w/ Laura Madsen
For all the incredible innovation in the field of data and analytics, one practice unfortunately remains stuck in neutral. Data governance, when applied with an agile approach that aligns with business objectives and focuses people first, can be a boon for data-driven organizations. However, most companies today still think about governance in terms of tools, workflows, or privacy and compliance. Play Now
Can the Data Mesh be Governed? w/ Dora Boussias
Duration - 58
Data mesh continues to be a hot topic in 2022, and it feels like we’re finally past the definition stage. The big question to resolve this year is: how do you do federated data governance in a decentralized environment? Can you even do it? Play Now
What good is a Metrics Layer w/ Benn Stancil
Duration - 60
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Benn Stancil, chief analytics officer and founder of Mode to discuss all things Metrics Layer including what it is and why we should care. Play Now
Modern Data Work at Drizly w/ Emily Hawkins
Duration - 60
Sure, it’s fun to chat with data executives and thought leaders, but this season, we are focusing on the people who roll up their sleeves and get the data work done. And there’s no better place for a podcast like ours to start than with a data practitioner at Drizly. Play Now
Will 2022 change how we think about data?
Duration - 64
The new year means it’s time for another trek around the sun. It’s also time to make a few predictions about what might change in data & analytics. Is it time for data practitioners to participate in boardroom conversations? Will we see data teams embedded in business units? What new technologies will become part of the modern data stack? Play Now
Season Two Finale
Duration - 68
About this episode Join Juan and Tim for the Season Two finale of Catalog & Cocktails. The hosts discuss the takeaways of the ... Play Now
Please be quiet. The machines are talking. w/ Steve Whitla
Duration - 59
In this wildly diverse yet hyperconnected world, it's hard enough to understand how people communicate with one another. So how do machines do it? Play Now
What happens when everyone is a data worker? w/ Kelly Wright from Gong
Duration - 60
In a relatively short time, we’ve gone from collecting and neglecting data to managing, enriching, and learning from data. We are in the age of collective data empowerment, where user-friendly apps and data ubiquity mean almost anyone can answer complex business questions. So why does the “data-driven” enterprise still sound like a pipe dream? Play Now
Modern Data Stack: Technology, Methodology, or both? w/ Nick Schrock
Duration - 59
The modern data stack is often defined by the type of technologies that exist within it. Cloud-based, open source, low/no code tools, ELT, and reverse ETL. But surely there’s more to it… isn’t there? Play Now
Long live the monolith? W/ Andy Palmer
Duration - 57
It wasn’t that long ago that enterprise software was dominated by proprietary data architectures from the likes of IBM, Oracle, and SAP. Once you made a selection, you were stuck with it for better or worse, in sickness and in health. But that’s not the case today. The methodical movement towards resilient, open SaaS applications and best-of-breed tools has ushered in the era of DataOps buoyed by the “modern data stack.” But, is this a good thing? Play Now
Is self-service BI the answer? w/ Cindi Howson
Duration - 59
Self-service is great for listening to music, pumping gas, and figuring out what to binge watch on TV. But is self-service really what we want from our analytics? What happens to the business world when everyone is a data analyst? Play Now
Data tools: the good, the bad, and the ugly w/ Erik Bernhardsson
Duration - 57
New data tools drop daily, but are they worth the hype? Some launch with overinflated expectations, while others solve a problem that doesn’t really exist. On the flip side, there are tools that transform the enterprise and have the potential to change the way we do data forever. The question is, how can you tell the difference? Play Now
Data is the new… Herman Miller Aeron Chair w/ Doug Laney
Duration - 56
If data, and information more broadly, is a company's most important asset, then why is it so often treated with less respect than office furniture? It's in various states of disarray, often unaccounted for, and employees bring it home against corporate policy. Play Now
The Great Data Mesh Debate! With hosts Juan and Tim
Duration - 55
About this episode“What is a data mesh?” It’s one of the most frequently asked questions on this podcast, and is almost a microcosm ... Play Now
Sure you’re responsible, but are you ethical? w/ Partha Srinivasa
Duration - 58
When we think about good, responsible data stewardship, we often think in terms of compliance and governance. We talk about access, trust, and consumption. But there’s another dimension we must consider if we’re to be truly responsible with data. We simply can’t ignore the role of ethics in data use. Play Now
A data analyst, scientist, and engineer walk into a bar…w/ Danielle Oberdier
Duration - 60
Quick, what’s the difference between a data engineer and a data analyst? One preps the data, the other analyzes the data, right? A data scientist, meanwhile, analyzes more complex and disorganized data. The truth is all three of these roles perform overlapping functions leading to an incredible amount of confusion in the job market. Play Now
Do we have a data infrastructure crisis? w/ Mammad Zadeh
Duration - 57
Is your data infrastructure designed for the next decade of data work? Probably not, but are you at least heading in the right direction? It’s an existential question that often reveals fundamental flaws in the system. Play Now
Fashion Week… but for data w/ Jans Aasman
Duration - 57
Join Tim, Juan and guest Jans Aasman from Franz Inc, the makers of AllegroGraph, for a conversation on why your graph-based machine learning and 360 projects should start with data modeling. Play Now
How to think about data value w/ Lars Albertsson
Duration - 59
We all strive to be data-driven. And yet we all instinctively know that we’re not very good at it. In fact, if you believe any number of recent surveys, it seems we may actually be getting worse at data. Play Now
What’s the deal with Reverse ETL? w/ Tejas Manohar
Duration - 42
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Tejas Manohar, CEO of Hightouch for a conversation about Reverse ETL and why it matters now. Play Now
The Era of Data Usage w/ Mike Ferguson
Duration - 58
This week, Tim and Juan are joined by Mike Ferguson, managing director of Intelligent Business Strategies Limited to look at why we’re not using data nearly as effectively as we think and what can be done about it. Play Now
You can’t spell Buzzwords without BS w/ Kirk Borne
Duration - 58
We all want to get more value from our data, right? So should we wrangle it, prep it, classify it, mine it, or model it? Then once we’ve got our data squared away, should we do prescriptive or predictive analytics? And does that require real-time or just-in-time data? If we had a nickel for every buzzword we hear, we could afford far better podcasting equipment. Play Now
Free-range, grass-fed, open-source data
Duration - 59
About this episodeOpen source software is one of the largest and fastest growing segments within the data landscape. And if you’re ... Play Now
Documents and Clouds and Graphs, Oh My!
Duration - 59
The data landscape has evolved substantially over the last decade. We’ve gone from data lakes to data hubs to lake houses. We see data represented as documents, columns, graphs, and time series. So how might this evolution continue over the next ten years? Play Now
Season Two Kickoff Episode w/ DJ Patil
Duration - 58
We're "back in the office." Now what? Hear Juan, Tim and Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, DJ Patil discuss what we learned about data work and data people over the last year. Play Now
Special Edition: Panel of Data Architecture at Knowledge Graph Conference
Duration - 58
Data Architecture is evolving and there are many questions with various perspectives. What is the balance between centralization and decentralization? How do you start treating data as a product? How do you incentivize people? What’s the role of Data Mesh, Data Fabric, Knowledge Graphs? Play Now
Season Finale: A Look Back at Season One
Duration - 63
Join in this season finale for a look back at season one and a candid talk about the lessons learned. Play Now
Episode 49: The Future of BI is AI
Duration - 41
Business intelligence has come a long way since the early days of IBM’s decision support systems. Today BI is the backbone of many data-driven organizations, and companies often look to BI tools to help them make accurate predictions. Play Now
Knowledge is Power: Knowledge Management meets Data Management
Duration - 48
We always talk about managing metadata and data...but what about managing knowledge? It has to be more than keeping a spreadsheet of a business glossary! Play Now
Episode 46: Data Organization: Reap what you Sow
Duration - 44
Every maturing company hits a point where the processes and systems that once worked no longer scale. Don’t let this happen to your data organization. Play Now
Episode 45: What’s the Secret Recipe for DataOps?
Duration - 41
Join Tim, Juan, and Chris Bergh from Data Kitchen for a conversation about DataOps and why it's imperative for your organization. Play Now
Episode 44: Why it’s time to mesh with your data architecture
Duration - 49
Mesh is everywhere. It’s in our clothes, our fishing nets, our Wifi networks, and now our data architecture. But what is a data mesh? Do you need one? And if so, how do you start? Play Now
Episode 43: What do they teach you at Data Science U?
Duration - 38
Get a gist of the Data Science U syllabus as George Fletcher, Professor at TU Eindhoven, discusses how higher level institutions are preparing the future data workforce. Play Now
Episode 42: Power to the Data!
Duration - 35
Know what it takes to shift from an application-centric to a data-centric mindset? There's a couple things to do... and it all starts from right within your organization. Play Now
Episode 41: Building a great data team: Mission (Im)possible
Duration - 39
Your company is making poor decisions about how to bring its latest product to market. Step one is building a strong data and analytics team. Play Now
Episode 38: A modern approach to data transformation
Duration - 38
We've relied on data integration processes like ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) to get the data in for decades, and little has changed in that time. Why? Play Now
Episode 36: What does a Chief Data Officer do?
Duration - 37
If data is the new oil, does that mean the Chief Data Officer is the new baron? Not exactly, but it is one of the fastest growing and most critical executive roles in the enterprise. Play Now
Episode 35: Do you test your data?
Duration - 37
We test our food. We test our cars. We test our code. But do we test our data? Data testing is a state of mind and commitment. Play Now
Episode 32: Is Your Data Fabric a Mesh?
Duration - 34
Let’s talk data management frameworks. What is a data fabric and how is it different from a data mesh? No seriously, we’re trying to figure it out ourselves. Play Now
Episode 31: Has Business Intelligence Jumped the Shark?
Duration - 33
There’s a dashboard for everything in the enterprise now, so it’s easy to answer your complex questions in graphical form. Play Now
Episode 30: Farewell 2020. Hello 2021.
Duration - 36
Our podcast began with an ambitious episode titled, “the future of data management.” And since then we’ve covered a lot of ground, from career paths and culture changes to data governance and data policy. Play Now
Episode 29: Getting your data bang for your catalog buck
Duration - 36
You may recognize your company needs a data catalog. But does your boss get it? Can you justify the investment and determine how quickly and what kind of return you’ll get? Play Now
Episode 28: How Airbnb built its internal data catalog
Duration - 34
What’s the secret behind Airbnb’s famously data-driven culture? It’s the company’s ability to provide all employees - not just the ‘data people’ - the ability to discover, understand, and trust data. Play Now
Episode 27: Master Data Management: Hot or Not?
Duration - 33
Master Data Management (MDM) sits at the intersection of metadata and data and has a lot in common with data integration, data modeling, and knowledge building use cases. It’s “old school” technology that even today confuses many data leaders. Is it still relevant? Play Now
Episode 26: The Data Landscape is CRAZY!
Duration - 34
The latest 2020 Data & AI Landscape now includes 80 boxes, each featuring anywhere from 10-30 vendor offerings! How do you navigate this landscape? Where do you start? And how do you know when you’re done? Play Now
Episode 24: The Data Governance House of Horrors
Duration - 32
Does the very idea of creating and managing new data assets keep you up at night? Do you get goosebumps just thinking about the state of your column headers? Play Now
Episode 23: Your best data source may be outside your company
Duration - 32
When you think about enterprise data, do you only consider the data associated directly with your company and its customers? It might surprise you to know external data is the fastest growing segment of enterprise data. Play Now
Episode 22: Time for a data culture makeover
Duration - 34
Is your data culture a drag? Turning it around requires you to be bold and take action. Join Tim and Juan as they discuss examples of what you should and shouldn’t do, and how to accelerate the transition to data awesomeness. Play Now
Episode 21: 95% Say Exit Polls Don’t Work. 15% Say They Do.
Duration - 35
Since 1848, The Associated Press has been counting and reporting the votes in US elections. But they haven’t always done it the same way. Play Now
Episode 20: Data work is much bigger than a soccer match
Duration - 32
Have you ever heard someone say, “data is a team sport?” The comparison makes sense. You can’t be successful on your own, you need to work well with peers, you run up against tough opposing forces. Play Now
Episode 19: What we learned at the first ever data.world summit
Duration - 33
Juan and Tim recap the biggest ideas and perspectives shared at this year’s data.world summit. Play Now
Episode 18: Data Catalog FIGHT NIGHT: Build vs Buy
Duration - 32
Data catalogs are foundational to a successful enterprise data management strategy. But, should you buy one off the rack or build it yourself using open source tools? Play Now
Episode 17: Should we salute our robot overlords?
Duration - 29
Enterprises are looking to ML/AI innovations in data management to accelerate their data strategies and achieve critical business goals. But how much of what we hear about ML/AI is real, and how much is hype? Play Now
Episode 16: Crowdsource your way to data empowerment
Duration - 30
The power of the crowd is everywhere these days. We fund companies through crowdsourcing. We crowdsource products, commercials, and designs for ugly Christmas sweaters. Play Now
Episode 15: Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist
Duration - 31
Does the future of data management involve semantic technologies? Is Semantic Web an answer to providing a universal medium to exchange data and knowledge? Play Now
Episode 14: How dirty is your data?
Duration - 31
What do you know about the quality of your data? Who’s responsible for cleaning and maintaining it? And what would ‘beautiful data’ mean to your company? Play Now
Episode 13: A data management chicken and egg
Duration - 31
What comes first, the data warehouse, or the data catalog? It’s a vexing chicken and egg question that data teams must answer. Play Now
Episode 12: Is it time to hire a data product manager?
Duration - 32
In this episode, we’ll explore how these various personas interact and why we believe a data product manager should sit right smack in the middle. Play Now
Episode 11: Get Data Governance Right for Once
Duration - 31
Data management is a broad discipline with so many people, tools, and methodologies. Sorting it all out is tough, and many companies are inclined to ”boil the ocean.” Play Now
Episode 10: Stuck in the middle: How to become an advocate for a data catalog and governance
Duration - 32
60% of organizations will use data catalogs by 2023. This prediction by IDC suggests a large number of companies are still using manual and complex processes to make sense of data. Play Now
Episode 8: How does data policy impact you?
Duration - 31
Successful enterprises understand the importance of data-informed decisions. But what role does data play in government affairs? Play Now
Episode 7: What’s the story with data lineage?
Duration - 30
How can you be certain the data you’re working with is trusted, up-to-date and understandable? Play Now
Episode 6: What’s the deal with Knowledge Graphs?
Duration - 31
What do companies like Airbnb, Google, and Lyft have in common? They put knowledge graphs at the center of their metadata and data strategy. Play Now
Episode 5: How does your data team get value from a data catalog?
Duration - 32
In this episode, we will chat how these pain points should be addressed by a data catalog in order to provide value to data teams. Play Now
Episode 4: Who’s on your data team?
Duration - 31
In this episode, we will chat about the myriad personas that interact with data, from producers to consumers and everything in between. Play Now
Episode 3: Data Integration from the trenches
Duration - 31
In episode three, data.world CTO and co-founder Bryon Jacob joins Juan and Tim to share how data integration nightmares in a prior role put him on the path to data and metadata enlightenment. Play Now
Episode 2: Don’t boil the ocean. Boil a fishbowl.
Duration - 30
This episode will look at how catalogs can address the continuum of metadata and data management and give you an achievable starting point on your journey to understanding all your data. Play Now
Episode 1: Where is Enterprise Data Management Heading?
Duration - 34
Data warehouses, big data, data lakes. How did we get here? Where is it all heading? Step up to the bar, and join Juan Sequeda and Tim Gasper as they discuss the future of enterprise data management. Play Now
