Catalog & Cocktails: The Honest, No-BS Data Podcast

In this engaging discussion, Professor Oscar Corcho, an expert in ontology engineering at the Technical University of Madrid, unveils the rich history and evolution of ontologies. He traces their roots in AI from the 1990s, emphasizes the transition from prototypes to practical applications, and showcases their role in semantic interoperability, like harmonizing railway data across Europe. Oscar also shares insights on starting ontology projects and how using LLMs can enhance the ontology development process, urging teams to treat ontologies as vital software products.

Discover the fascinating history of ontologies, tracing back to the 1990s and expert systems. Learn how they are applied to complex systems like data centers and railways to streamline processes. The importance of human agreement in ontology work is highlighted, showcasing its challenges. Explore the role of governance and how modern software practices can enhance ontology development. With LLMs aiding in ontology generation, find out how they can minimize hallucinations and improve outputs, treating ontologies as crucial software artifacts.

Juan and Tim dive into the buzz around context graphs, questioning their trendiness and the reactions from executives skeptical of the hype. They argue that context management will likely become an integrated feature in broader platforms. The duo emphasizes the importance of capturing knowledge and processes, steering clear of the pitfalls seen during the big data hype. They classify companies into three archetypes based on their data strategies and advocate for a focus on industry-specific solutions, pushing data teams to drive real business impact.

Tony Baer, an esteemed industry analyst known for his insights into data and AI, teams up with Matt Housley, host of 'It's About Data' and a seasoned data practitioner. They dive into the rise of agentic architectures and the vital role of semantics in AI, emphasizing the importance of a shared understanding. The conversation tackles the pitfalls of 'magic' thinking around LLMs, the potential of graphs in analytics, and the historical cycles of data architectures. Tony and Matt also offer practical advice for navigating the evolving data landscape.

This is the takeaway episode about the chat that Tim and Juan have with Tony Baer and Matt Housley, hosts of the “It’s About Data” podcast about what are the trends they are seeing with the start of 2026. We talked about AI magical thinking, Agentic architectures, Graphs, careers and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this lively discussion, Juan and Tim reflect on the dramatic shifts in the data landscape throughout 2025, focusing on AI's evolution from hype to practical application. They dive into the importance of semantics and ontologies for enterprise AI, while also addressing the notable trend of tool consolidation among vendors. Tim emphasizes the need for data teams to become proactive partners in driving value, and they enthusiastically predict that ontology adoption will grow in 2026. Expect insights into balancing governance with practical action and a touch of humor along the way!

Lena Hall, Senior Director of Developer Relations at Akamai and seasoned AI practitioner, joins the conversation to demystify AI agents. They explore the difference between coding agents and product agents, emphasizing their roles in natural-language processing. Lena shares practical advice on building agents, the importance of precise specifications, and the need for context management through knowledge graphs. The discussion also touches on emerging trends like context engineering and the future of coordinated agent networks. A deep dive into AI's exciting landscape!

This is the takeaway episode with Lena Hall, the Senior Director of Developer Relations at Akamai, and an AI practitioner where we dive into what it means to build AI agents. If you like what you heard, you should check out the full episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim and Juan chat with Arielle Rolland, a Data & AI Strategy Manager and Data Product Enthusiast and dive into how many teams are overcomplicating data products. We discuss what makes a good data product initiative and a good data product. Is a waterfall approach actually that bad? And how to balance between strategy and delivery. If you are scratching your head about data products and feel lost, this episode is for you!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the takeaway episode with Arielle Rolland, a Data & AI Strategy Manager and Data Product Enthusiast where we dive into how many teams are overcomplicating data products. We discuss what makes a good data product initiative and a good data product. Is a waterfall approach actually that bad? And how to balance between strategy and delivery. If you are scratching your head about data products and feel lost, this episode is for you!  If you like what you heard, you should check out the full episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.