Catalog & Cocktails: The Honest, No-BS Data Podcast
By data.world
Catalog & Cocktails: The Honest, No-BS Data PodcastFeb 03, 2022
Season 3 Finale
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!
Data Models are Divas w/ Ergest Xheblati
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?
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Ergest Xheblati, will live discuss why data modeling should be at the core of an enterprise.
This episode will also cover:
- How data modeling is going to change the world moving forward.
- How to start in data modeling
- Why are data models such freakin divas?
Takeaways with Ergest Xheblati
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Ergest Xheblati, will live discuss why data modeling should be at the core of an enterprise.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming show.
Don't let good metadata go to waste w/ Peter Kapur
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.
Takeaways with Peter Kapur
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.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming show.
Getting all meta about data w/ Sanjeev Mohan
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?
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Sanjeev Mohan, former Gartner analyst and principal at SanjMo, explore how metadata acts as a proverbial travel guide for your data and analytics journey.
This episode will also cover:
- Visions of a data catalog, the ordinary and profound
- Who needs lineage and why
- In the Magic Quadrant of summer foods, what goes in the leaders quadrant, and what’s in niche?
Takeaways with Sanjeev Mohan
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Sanjeev Mohan, former Gartner analyst and principal at SanjMo, explore how metadata acts as a proverbial travel guide for your data and analytics journey.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming show.
Does our understanding of data bias our analytics outcomes?
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.
Is it possible to take the bias out of data work? That’s the question we ponder in this episode featuring Ciaran Dynes, chief product officer at Matillion.
This episode will also cover:
- What responsibilities companies and people have to curb information bias
- How hypothesis testing and experimentation can improve data work
- What’s the most egregious example of information bias in the wild?
Takeaways with Ciaran Dynes
Is it possible to take the bias out of data work? That’s the question Tim and Juan ponder in this episode featuring Ciaran Dynes, chief product officer at Matillion.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming show.
The Data Entrepreneur’s Essentials w/ Brett Hurt
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.
We are live from the data.world All Hands and joined by Brett Hurt, CEO and co-founder of data.world, author, and serial entrepreneur. Brett will share what it’s like to fundraise and scale a data company in this challenging economic climate, who inspires him and why, and how he sees the data and analytics landscape evolving.
This episode will also feature:
- How to hire and retain great people
- What we can all learn from failure
- Recommendations for wines under $20
Takeaways with Brett Hurt
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Brett discuss what it’s like to fundraise and scale a data company in this challenging economic climate, who inspires him and why, and how he sees the data and analytics landscape evolving.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
A Roadmap to Data Mesh Success w/ Omar Khawaja
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.
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Omar Khawaja, Global Head of BI at Roche, break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the company's data mesh journey.
This episode will also feature:
- How to identify potential use cases and pick the one to prioritize
- How to think about ownership when data and tools are widely distributed
- You’ll be at Snowflake Summit in Las Vegas next month. So will we. What’s the best buffet food?
Takeaways with Omar Khawaja
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.
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Omar Khawaja, Global Head of BI at Roche, break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the company's data mesh journey.
This episode will also feature:
- How to identify potential use cases and pick the one to prioritize
- How to think about ownership when data and tools are widely distributed
- You’ll be at Snowflake Summit in Las Vegas next month. So will we. What’s the best buffet food?
Is your Modern Data Stack delivering value? w/ Sarah Krasnik
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?
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Sarah Krasnik get back to first principles and remind us why everyone was excited about the modern data stack to begin with.
This episode will also feature:
- How to think about “minimum viable data stack” vs. modern data stack
- Criteria for evaluating the minimum viability of data tools
- You once compared data self-service to shopping for frozen yogurt. Defend your most controversial frozen yogurt take.
S3E18 Takeaways with Sarah Krasnik
In this episode, Tim, Juan, and Sarah Krasnik get back to first principles and remind us why everyone was excited about the modern data stack to begin with.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Automating the Enterprise: LIVE from the Knowledge Graph Conference w/ Francois Scharffe
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.
And what better place to talk nodes and edges than the Knowledge Graph Conference in New York City? In this episode, Tim and Juan are joined by conference chair, Francois Scharffe, to discuss how knowledge graphs are driving the automated enterprise.
This episode will also feature:
- How to apply knowledge graphs to address critical business problems
- What automation looks like when powered by a knowledge graph
- What kind of graph is the New York Subway system?
S3E17 Takeaways with Francois Scharffe
What better place to talk nodes and edges than the Knowledge Graph Conference in New York City? In this episode, Tim and Juan are joined by conference chair, Francois Scharffe, to discuss how knowledge graphs are driving the automated enterprise.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
A layered approach to data meaning and measurement w/ Nick Handel
Data architecture is more layered than an onion. Data, metadata, access, transform, virtualization, visualization. And with the modern data stack, we’re now talking more about semantics and metrics layers.
This week, Tim and Juan are joined by Nick Handel, CEO of Transform, to talk all things semantics and metrics and why enterprises need to be thinking more about more about relationships.
This episode will also feature:
- Clear definitions for semantic layer and metrics layer and the relationships between them
- How to design your architecture to take advantage of semantics and metrics
- Cake, dip, or sandwich. What is the best layered food?
S3E16 Takeaways with Nick Handel
This week, Tim and Juan are joined by Nick Handel, CEO of Transform, to talk all things semantics and metrics and why enterprises need to be thinking more about more about relationships.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Everybody’s an imposter sometimes w/ Steve Perry
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.
In this episode, Tim and Juan are joined by Steve Perry, Director of Data and Analytics at Genius Sports, to talk about the challenges that rising data leaders face, and how to block out the noise, and chart your path to success.
This episode will also feature:
- How to get over your fear of saying something stupid in a public square
- Success metrics for data leaders
- What’s an awkward conversation you’ve walked into and quickly realized you don’t belong?
S3E15 Takeaways with Steve Perry
In this episode, Tim and Juan are joined by Steve Perry, Director of Data and Analytics at Genius Sports, to talk about the challenges that rising data leaders face, and how to block out the noise, and chart your path to success.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Why are we so bad at this modern data stack? w/ Chad Sanderson.
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?
In this special episode, Tim and Juan are joined by Chad Sanderson, Head of Product, Data Platform at Convoy, to discuss whether or not we're incorrectly architecting our modern data stack.
This episode will also feature:
- Lessons learned from Amazon and Facebook on building services before data
- How to align your data team with business goals
- Getting data architecture right often requires paying down legacy debt. What’s something you recently purchased that you maybe shouldn't have?
S3E14 Takeaways with Chad Sanderson
In this special episode, Tim and Juan are joined by Chad Sanderson, Head of Product, Data Platform at Convoy, to discuss whether we’re incorrectly architecting our modern data stack.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Can data policy drive data productivity? w/ Nong Li
Everyone - including us - wants to talk about how to get value from your data, but the truth is you can’t even get your data program off the ground without policy. Policies guide our decisions, our access controls, and even our data supply chains. But can policy make us more productive?
In this special episode, Tim and Juan are joined by Nong Li, CEO of Okera, to discuss why and how the data world should be thinking about policies.
This episode will also feature:
- How to think about policy as it relates to GDPR, CCPA, and the right to be forgotten
- The impact of the modern data stack on data policy
- One of the lyrics In the 1990 Depeche Mode song, “Policy of Truth,” is “Never again Is what you swore, the time before.” What’s something you swore you’d never do again, but did it anyway?
S3E13 Takeaways with Nong Li
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Nong Li, CEO of Okera, to discuss why and how the data world should be thinking about policies.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
The future of data is knowledge w/ Bob Muglia
Companies have most of the last decade in pursuit of data. We’ve waded through data lakes, explored data warehouses, routed through data hubs, and migrated our data to the cloud. But the end goal was never about the data. It was the pursuit of knowledge.
In this special episode, Tim and Juan are joined by a legend in our industry. Bob Muglia, the former CEO of Snowflake, will hang out and chat about the modern data stack, new approaches to governance, and the search for the enterprise holy grail… knowledge
This episode will also feature:
- Demystifying the approaches between lakehouses and warehouses
- Interesting developments in data governance technology
- You were the first product manager for SQL Server. What’s your favorite movie SQL?
S3E12 Takeaways with Bob Muglia
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Bob Muglia, former CEO of Snowflake, to talk about the future of data; knowledge
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Agile like a fox, but for data. W/Shane Gibson from AgileData.io
Agile processes in software development date back to the beginning of the century. We’re now seeing concepts like scrum and sprints make their way into the world of data. data.world is even applying agile to data governance.
But what exactly does it mean to be agile in data? What’s the end product, and how do you measure and scale the practice in your organization? Join Tim, Juan and special guest Shane Gibson, Founder of AgileData.io to talk agile in the domain of data.
This episode will feature:
- How and why you should apply agile practices to data
- Why your sprints should actually be three weeks, not two
- As a longtime fan of the podcast, who’s your favorite host, and why isn’t it Tim?
S3E11 Takeaways with Shane Gibson
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Shane Gibson from AgileData.io, to talk agile in the domain of data.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Your privacy is my currency with Patricia Thaine from Private AI
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. To get the best experiences from Google, Facebook, and Amazon, I need to give up some measure of privacy. But, is that true?
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Patricia Thaine, CEO from Private AI to discuss the state of data privacy and how enterprises and customers should think about it.
This episode will feature:
- Examples of privacy done right and wrong
- How to balance privacy and customer experience
- Which company’s privacy policy is required reading for insomniacs?
S3E10 Takeaways with Patricia Thaine
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Patricia Thaine, CEO from Private AI to discuss the state of data privacy and how enterprises and customers should think about it.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Are you swimming upstream by not streaming data? w/ Arjun Narayan from Materialize
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?
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Arjun Narayan, CEO of Materialize to discuss all things data streams and how these pipelines fuel the modern data stack.
This episode will feature:
- Reasons why streaming analytics still kind of sucks
- The future of batch processing in the modern data stack
- Brook, creek, or river: Which is the best stream and why?
S3E9 Takeaways with Arjun Narayan
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Arjun Narayan, CEO of Materialize to discuss all things data streams and how these pipelines fuel the modern data stack.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Why are data transformations such a big deal? Live from the dbt Coalesce Happy Hour.
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.
Hosts Juan Sequeda and Tim Gasper broadcast live from the 2021 dbt Coalesce conference and were joined by special guests, Meetesh Karia and Claire Look from The Zebra to take a glimpse into the future of analytics engineering.
This episode will feature:
- Why is dbt such a big deal?
- Data teams and the role of an Analytics Engineer
- What have you transformed (you, someone else, a product, …) in your own life?
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.
Join Tim, Juan and Karen Lopez, aka @datachick from InfoAdvisors, to discuss what assumptions people and applications make about the simplest data. We’ll also try and answer the question, “why are phone numbers, and addresses so damn hard to model?!?”
This episode will feature:
- Why modeling simple things is harder than it seems, and what we can do about it
- The best and worst data modeling fails
- If Sports Illustrated had an issue dedicated to data models, what would be on the cover?
S3E7 Takeaways with Karen Lopez
Join Tim, Juan and Karen Lopez, aka @datachick from InfoAdvisors, to discuss what assumptions people and applications make about the simplest data. We’ll also try and answer the question, “why are phone numbers, and addresses so damn hard to model?!?”
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
The three most important letters in data & analytics are W-H-Y w/ Luke Slotwinski from Prologis
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.”
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Luke Slotwinski, VP of Data & Analytics at Prologis, to discuss how data leaders can empower their teams by asking for more from their data.
This episode will feature:
- Questions everyone should be asking about their data
- Critical tools and skills for diving deeper into data and analysis
- Why did the chicken cross the road? Data-driven answers only, please.
S3E6 Takeaways with Luke Slotwinski
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Luke Slotwinski, VP of Data & Analytics at Prologis, to discuss how data leaders can empower their teams by asking for more from their data.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Can Agile Practices Disrupt Data Governance? w/ Laura Madsen from Moxy Analytics
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.
If data governance had a help line, it would likely be staffed by this week’s guest. Join Tim, Juan and Laura Madsen, author of “Disrupting Data Governance,” for a discussion on how we can all be better ambassadors for data.
This episode will feature:
- How to talk to your execs about agile data governance
- How to measure the effectiveness of your governance program
- What’s your favorite story of data governance malpractice?
S3E5 Takeways with Laura Madsen
Juan and Tim sit down for Catalog & Cocktailsv with Laura Madsen, CEO of Moxy Analytics and author of “Disrupting Data Governance,” for a discussion on how we can all be better ambassadors for data.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Can the Data Mesh be Governed? w/ Dora Boussias
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?
Join Tim, Juan and special guest Dora Boussias, Director of Enterprise Architecture and Data Strategy, for a live brainstorming session on how to implement data governance for the data mesh.
This episode will feature:
- The difference between data mesh and virtualization
- Best practices for federated data governance
- How long before we start seeing companies offering a “data mesh” as a product?
S3E4 Takeaways with Dora Boussias
Juan and Tim sit down for Catalog & Cocktails with Dora Boussias, Director of Enterprise Architecture and Data Strategy.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
What good is a Metrics Layer? w/ Benn Stancil from Mode
We all like to measure things: height, weight, company revenue, active users on our SaaS platform. Measurement, and a common understanding of that measure is critical whether you’re a doctor, an athlete, or a business decision maker. Self-service analytics is much easier today, but without shared definitions for the metrics we’re reporting on, trust in analytics is still relatively low. Is it time for a Metrics Layer?
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.
This episode will feature:
- Where does a metrics layer fit within the modern data stack
- What tools and skills are needed to make this a reliable part of your data strategy
- In honor of the Friday Fight post, what is the most controversial post/blog you’ve ever written, and what kind of feedback did you receive?
S3E3 Takeaways with Benn Stancil
Juan and Tim sit down for Catalog & Cocktails with Benn Stancil, chief analytics officer and founder of Mode
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Modern Data Work at Drizly w/ Emily Hawkins
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.
Special guest Emily Hawkins, analytics and data platform lead, joins Tim and Juan to share how the data team and the data stack were established and how the e-commerce platform is evolving following the company’s acquisition by Uber.
This episode will feature:
- The role of analytics engineer on a high-performing data team
- The evolving role of self-service BI
- What’s a delivery service you wish we had today that doesn’t exist yet?
S3E2 Takeaways with Emily Hawkins
Juan and Tim sit down for Catalog & Cocktails with Emily Hawkins from Drizly.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Will 2022 change how we think about data? w/ Sarah Catanzaro
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?
Join Tim, Juan and Sarah Catanzaro from Amplify Partners,, to discuss what’s in store in 2022.
This episode will feature:
- Suggestions on organizational design that keeps data closer to the business teams.
- Ways to address data gaps in strategic decision making
- What was the best/worst prediction you made at the start of 2021?
Season Three Premier Takeaways with Sarah Catanzaro
Juan and Tim sit down for the Catalog & Cocktails Season Three Premier with Sarah Catanzaro from Amplify Partners to discuss what’s in store in 2022.
This Takeaway episode will feature the summary of the upcoming episode.
Season Two Finale!!!
Let's wrap Season Two of Catalog & Cocktails with the Takeaways of the Takeaways!
Please be quiet. The machines are talking. w/ Steve Whitla
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?
Join Juan, Tim, and special guest, Steve Whitla from Visual Meaning for a discussion about how humans and systems talk to one another, and even have meaningful conversations.
Also in this episode:
- The role of semantics in reaching shared meaning
- What constitutes "understanding" when it comes to machine to machine communication
- Better talking machine: K.I.T.T. or Johnny 5?