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PODCAST · technology

Plumbers of Data Science

by Andreas Kretz

Data Engineering is the plumbing of data science. Almost invisible, but super important and a big mess when done wrong.We talk about interesting Data Engineering trends and topics. I also train Data Engineering in my Data Engineering Academy at LearnDataEngineering.com

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Feb 1, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. #130 How Much Control Should You Give AI Agents? An Expert Talk with Exasol's Florian Wenzel & Jürgen Albertsen

    AI agents can write queries, explore your data and build things on their own. But how much access should they actually get? In this episode, Florian Wenzel, VP of Product at Exasol, and Jürgen Albertsen, product manager for the Exasol platform, joined me to talk about topics like: - why agents…

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  2. #129 Don't Become a Data Engineer Without Knowing These 9 Things

    SQL, Python, and one cloud platform. That's what a post I saw claimed makes a good engineer. I don't fully agree, so in this episode I break down what actually makes you a good data engineer or platform architect.It starts with understanding how a data platform actually works: data sources,...

  3. #128 How Data Engineering Has Changed Because of AI

    AI has changed engineering a lot, so in this short solo episode I think through where it's actually landed: development, debugging, optimization, and the AI engineering hype. The honest take: AI writes the code now. Our tests, our docs, root causes, query plans that used to need years of...

  4. #127 Is AI Making Us Worse Engineers? - with Dan Beach from Data Engineering Central

    Is AI actually making us better engineers, or quietly making us worse? I sat down with Dan Beach from Data Engineering Central to talk honestly about what it feels like to build data systems in the age of Cursor, Claude, and the so-called 100X engineer. Dan uses AI every day, but he also admits...

  5. #126 The Cloud, Java, and the Future of Serverless – with Vadym Kazulkin

    In this podcast episode, I’m talking with Vadym Kazulkin, AWS Serverless Hero and Principal Cloud Architect. He’s part of the AWS community for years now, speaking at events, testing new features early, and helping the community grow. We talked about: How serverless is being used in the real…

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  6. #125 AI Hype vs. Reality – with Christina Stathopoulos

    In this episode, I’m joined by Christina Stathopoulos, a former Googler who now works independently as a data & AI evangelist, trainer, and advisor. Not only did we talk about her path from data engineering into data science, and eventually into teaching and strategic consulting. We also covered:...

  7. #124 These Skills Get You a Data Consulting Job – with Tom Schamberger

    In this episode, I’m talking with Tom Schamberger from the German consultancy msg. He leads their cloud data platform team and has a super interesting background: started coding Java at 12, co-founded startups, and now helps big companies design scalable data platforms. We talk about: What it...

  8. #123 Building Fast and Fun Data Projects - with Mehdi Ouazza

    In this episode, I sit down with Mehdi Ouazza - data tinkerer, indie hacker, and content creator - who's always up to something interesting in the world of data and AI. We started with DuckDB but quickly veered off into much more exciting territory: side projects, voice-to-SQL with actual quacks,...

  9. #122 Why Writing Is Thinking , and What Data Engineers Can Learn from It - with Simon Späti

    In this podcast episode, I’m joined by Simon Späti, long-time BI and data engineering expert turned full-time technical writer and author of the living book Data Engineering Design Patterns. We talk about: His 20-year journey from SQL-heavy BI to modern Data Engineering Why switching from…

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  10. #121 From Application Dev to AWS Hero: A Journey in Tech & Impact - with Johannes Koch

    In this episode, I’m joined by Johannes Koch, Principal Engineer and AWS DevTools Hero, to talk about the real DevOps mindset, the evolution of developer experience, and how community work changed his career. Johannes shares how starting in QA and support gave him a unique edge in understanding...

  11. #120 Teaching Data Engineering Like It’s Done on the Job - with Deepak Goyal

    In this episode, I sit down with Deepak Goyal, the founder of AzureLib, to talk all things data engineering, cloud platforms, and how to teach the next generation of engineers. We explore why Azure became his go-to, how real-world projects beat theory every time, and why tools like ChatGPT are...

  12. #119 Recruiting is harder than I thought

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I dive into the challenges of recruiting today, from overwhelming job application volumes to reaching out directly to recruiters. I’m testing new strategies to make the process smoother for everyone involved, focusing on fresh job listings...

  13. #118 Freelancing as a Data Engineer - Hero Talk with the "Seattle Data Guy" Ben Rogojan

    In this Hero Talk episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Ben Rogojan, better known as the "Seattle Data Guy." Ben is a data engineer, YouTuber, and freelancer with a background at Facebook. He's become a go-to expert on freelancing for engineers, particularly in the data space. We dive into...

  14. #117 We Are Starting a Recruiting Service!

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I'm sharing some exciting updates about the future of Learn Data Engineering and a big new service we’re launching—recruiting! I explain how this new offering will help engineers find their next career move while connecting companies with…

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  15. #116 Data Modeling is F***ing Easy!

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I’m sharing my thoughts on why data modeling isn’t as complicated as people make it out to be. You hear about courses and tutorials that stretch for hours—but is it really that hard? I’ll break down the two main things you need to focus on...

  16. #115 His Career Started With a Bootcamp & Now He Helps Others Succeed - Hero Talk w/ Mezue Obi-Eyis

    In this Hero Talk episode, I talk with Mezue, a seasoned Data Engineer with expertise in Azure Databricks Data Engineering. We cover his journey from Electrical Engineering to Data Engineering and discuss the key skills, like Python, SQL, and Spark, that are essential in the field.Mezue also…

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  17. #114 Dirty Data & Data Cleaning - Hero Talk with "The Classification Guru" Susan Walsh

    In this Hero Talk episode, I chat with Susan Walsh, the “Classification Guru,” known for her expertise in cleaning and classifying messy data. We dive into her unexpected journey into the data world, starting with a spend analytics job, and how that led to her founding her own business focused on...

  18. #113 A Deep Dive Into APIs, IoT, and Data Storage - Hero Talk with Paolo Lulli

    In this Hero Talk episode, I sit down with Paolo Lulli, an experienced Data Engineer, to explore some of the core challenges and decisions in API development and data management. We dive deep into the debate between serverless infrastructure versus traditional servers, discussing the pros and…

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  19. #112 Why testing data pipelines can be so challenging - and how to tackle it

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I’m diving into why testing can be so challenging for data engineers. The inspiration for this topic actually came from one of my recent Coaching sessions, where the question of test-driven development (TDD) came up during a Q&A. It stuck...

  20. #111 Is This the Synthetic Data Revolution?! Hero Talk with Mario Scriminaci from Mostly AI

    In this Hero Talk episode, we dive deep into the fascinating world of synthetic data, a critical tool for development, testing, and training Machine Learning models. Joining me is Mario Scriminaci, Chief Product Officer at Mostly AI, who shares his expertise on how synthetic data can…

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  21. #110 Bootcamps vs Coaching

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I’m diving into the debate between bootcamps and coaching programs, especially for those looking to advance in Data Engineering. I’ll break down the pros and cons of each approach - from the structured, intensive nature of bootcamps to the...

  22. #109 Why your data and goals matter more than tools!

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I’m diving into what truly matters when building data platforms and pipelines. As engineers, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest tools, but real success starts with understanding your data sources and defining clear goals. I’ll walk…

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  23. #108 Why Apache Spark Is Such An Essential Skill - Hero Talk with Philipp Brunenberg

    In this episode, we explore the essentials of learning and mastering Apache Spark. Joining me is Philip, an experienced Spark developer and educator, who shares his expert roadmap for becoming proficient in Spark. We discuss why Spark is a crucial tool for data engineers, how to set it up...

  24. #107 The Future of Data Observability - Hero Talk with Ryan Yackel

    In this Hero Talk episode, we explore the crucial topic of data observability, a field that has become essential for Data Engineers dealing with complex data pipelines. I am joined by my special guest Ryan Yackel from DataBand, who shares his insights and expertise on the subject. Ryan delves…

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  25. #106 Should You Move to Germany for a Data Engineering Career?

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, I’m breaking down the real deal of working as a data engineer in Germany. Does it live up to the hype? Sure, we’ve got free education and solid health insurance, but what’s the actual cost of living here, and how much of your salary do you...

  26. #105 Personal Branding in Data - Hero Talk with Kate Strachnyi

    In this Hero Talk episode, we delve into the fascinating world of personal branding in data with our special guest, Kate Strachnyi, founder of DataCated.Join us as Kate shares her vast expertise in personal branding, drawing from her experience as an author and LinkedIn Learning instructor. We...

  27. #104 The Secret Why Time Series Databases Are Awesome - Hero Talk with Jeff Tao

    In this Hero Talk episode, we explore the dynamic world of time series data and time series databases with a special guest, Jeff Tao, founder and CEO of TD Engine. Join us as Jeff shares his journey from designing smart devices to founding TD Engine, a leading time series database. We dive deep...

  28. #103 From India to the U.S.: Becoming a Data Engineer at Toyota - Hero Talk with Ayan Tiwari

    In this Hero Talk episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Ayan Tiwari, a Data Engineer at Toyota North America. Join us as Ayan shares his remarkable transition from being an undergrad in civil engineering in India to working for a major company like Toyota in the U.S. Ayan walks us…

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  29. #102 Data Tools & Platforms: Why you should always be skeptical

    In this episode of the Plumbers of Data Science podcast, we explore why you should be skeptical of data platforms and tools. Using a LEGO Grogu set from Star Wars as an analogy, I reveal the hidden issues behind flashy exteriors: chaotic scaffolding, empty spaces, and missing features.I emphasize...

  30. #101 GenAI from a Data Engineer's perspective - Hero Talk with Vinoth Nageshwaran

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  31. #100 Why Excel should be a go-to tool for data professionals

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  32. #99 Real Talk on GenAI & Large Language Models - Hero Talk with Harpreet Sahota

    In this Hero Talk episode we dive into the exciting and evolving world of Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) with a special guest, Harpreet Sahota. Join us as Harpreet shares his extensive knowledge and experience as a seasoned data scientist. We explore the transformative potential…

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  33. #98 Are Job Guarantees a Scam?

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  34. #97 Data Science Career AMA! - Hero Talk with Andrew Jones

    In this Hero Talk episode we dive into the world of Data Science careers with a special Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. Join me as I welcome Andrew Jones, founder of the Data Science Infinity program. Andrew shares his journey from working at top tech companies such as PlayStation to founding his...

  35. #96 Can GenAI be trusted?

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  36. #95 The Perfect CV for Switching Careers

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  37. #94 - Making less money to set yourself up for success?!

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  38. #93 Is the highest paying job the best?

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: ⁠learndataengineering.com⁠

  39. #92 Is it impossible to get a Data Engineering job as a fresher?

    The ultimate place to learn Data Engineering: learndataengineering.com

  40. #91 A New Beginning & All Successful Students Have This:

    Starting up the podcast for another session :)

  41. #90 Taylor McGrath - The Future of the Modern Data Stack

    Super happy to have Taylor with me on this stream. She is the VP of Data Labs at Rivery and therefore has a lot of experience with data platforms. We'll talk about the modern data stack and where it's going. I'm excited to hear her experience about the changes that are happening in the data…

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  42. #89 Piyush Sachdeva - Getting Into Google After Eight Rejections from Amazon!

    In this video I talk to Piyush who's an engineer at Google and has his own YouTube channel: "Tech Tutorials with Piyush". He's a really good guy and I love how he's dedicated to teaching engineering. We are talking about some awesome topics like: Is Linkedin a must for getting a job? Tips for...

  43. #88 - Wouter Trappers - How to Realize a Data Strategy Like a Pro!

    I have seen people doing that wrong a few times. Luckily Wouter Trappers who is helping companies as a professional can help. We talked about The steps you need to take from value proposition to dashboards. Wouter is really knowledgeable and it was super fun talking with him and hearing his...

  44. #87 - Dhruba Borthakur - From Hadoop to real time analytics

    Dhruba Borthakur is CTO at Rockset and a passionate Data Engineer. Before co-founding Rockset he played a big role in development of Hadoop HDFS at Yahoo as well as HBase and RocksDB at Facebook. His current project is the serverless Rockset platform where you can gain real time analytics insight...

  45. #86 The Ultimate Data Engineering Introduction

    The Podcast is back!!!! I promise I am going to keep it up to date this time ;) In this episode I talk about my newest Data Engineering course. I think it's the ultimate 1 hour 15 minutes introduction to Data Engineering. There were also a ton of questions from the chat that I answered. Think you...

  46. #085 Big Data and Data Science Landscape plus trying to read Tweets with Nifi

    We are looking into the network communication protocol map. I first saw this like 10 years ago and its awesome. Then we check out the Big Data and Data Science Landscape image. It shows you all the tools available to do data science, machine learning and data engineering. Which is very helpful if...

  47. #084 Behind the scenes: Audio podcast, free transcriptions and GitHub

    Today's podcast is a bit of a behind the scenes. What it takes to do a audio podcast. How you can get audio to text transcriptions for free. .Also Github questions on how to work with branches on the Cookbook

  48. #083 Data Engineering at OLX Case Study

    Today a case study about OLX with a guest it was super fun! Here are the slides Alexeyand I talked about: https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/AlexeyGrigorev/image-models-infrastructure-at-olx

  49. #082 Reading Tweets With Apache Nifi & IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS

    In this episode we install the Nifi docker container and look into how we can extract the twitter data. We are also talking about the differences between infrastructure as a service, platform as a service and application as a service.

  50. #081 How to get tweets from the Twitter API

    In this episode we look into the Twitter API documentation, which I love by the way. How can we get old tweets for a certain hashtags and how to get current live tweets for these hashtags.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Data Engineering is the plumbing of data science. Almost invisible, but super important and a big mess when done wrong.We talk about interesting Data Engineering trends and topics. I also train Data Engineering in my Data Engineering Academy at LearnDataEngineering.com

HOSTED BY

Andreas Kretz

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Plumbers of Data Science have?

Plumbers of Data Science currently has 125 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Plumbers of Data Science about?

Data Engineering is the plumbing of data science. Almost invisible, but super important and a big mess when done wrong.We talk about interesting Data Engineering trends and topics. I also train Data Engineering in my Data Engineering Academy at LearnDataEngineering.com

How often does Plumbers of Data Science release new episodes?

Plumbers of Data Science publishes regularly with 125 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Plumbers of Data Science?

You can listen to Plumbers of Data Science on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Plumbers of Data Science?

Plumbers of Data Science is created and hosted by Andreas Kretz.
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