Kafka for Architects • Ekaterina Gorshkova & Viktor Gamov

This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club.http://gotopia.tech/bookclubEkaterina Gorshkova - Apache Kafka Engineer at SOFTEC & Author of "Kafka for Architects"Viktor Gamov - Principal Developer Advocate at Confluent & Co-Author of "Kafka in Action"Check out more here:https://gotopia.tech/episodes/440RESOURCESEkaterinahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-gorshkova-978bb6https://medium.com/@katyagorshkovaViktorhttps://bsky.app/profile/gamussa.devhttps://x.com/gAmUssAhttps://github.com/gamussahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/vikgamovhttps://gamov.ioLinks45% off discount code (expires on 25 May 2026): GOTOKGKafkaAffiliate link: https://hubs.la/Q044HgTvhttps://current.confluent.io/londonDESCRIPTIONApache Kafka has evolved far beyond a simple message broker — it has become a foundational layer for modern enterprise software. In this GOTO Book Club episode, Ekaterina Gorshkova, author of "Kafka for Architects", shares how her decade-long journey with Kafka — starting in a Czech bank's integration team in 2015 — shaped her understanding of what it really takes to design Kafka-based systems at scale. The conversation covers core architectural decisions, real-world patterns for enterprise integration, the role of Kafka Streams, and how to avoid the classic pitfalls of building systems that "only three engineers understand".The episode also looks forward: Ekaterina and host Viktor Gamov explore how Kafka is increasingly becoming the connective tissue for AI-driven systems, acting as an orchestration layer between intelligent agents, real-time data, and business workflows. Her book's central argument is that while AI and tooling change fast, the fundamental knowledge of how to design robust, event-driven systems is durable and career-proof. Kafka for Architects is framed not just as a technical manual, but as a roadmap for architects who want to get Kafka right from day one — requirements, design, testing, and all.RECOMMENDED BOOKSEkaterina Gorshkova • Kafka for Architects • https://amzn.to/42mDarUDylan Scott, Viktor Gamov & Dave Klein • Kafka in Action • https://amzn.to/4vJ3KcjViktor Gamov, Tartakovsky, Rasputnis & Fain • Enterprise Web Development • https://amzn.to/3CezL0RShapira, Palino, Sivaram & Petty • Kafka: The Definitive Guide • https://amzn.to/3RPtdLPBill Bejeck • Kafka Streams in Action • https://amzn.to/3CGJiiMBlueskyInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!