The Analytics Engineering Podcast
dbt Labs, Inc.
Tristan Handy has been curating the Analytics Engineering Roundup newsletter since 2015, pulling together the internet's best data science & analytics articles.
Tristan and co-host Julia Schottenstein now bring the Roundup to real life, hosting biweekly conversations with data practitioners inventing the future of analytics engineering.
You can view full episode summaries and read back issues of the Roundup newsletter at https://roundup.getdbt.com.
The podcast is sponsored by dbt labs, makers of the data transformation framework dbt. To reach our team, drop a note to podcast@dbtlabs.com.
Tristan and co-host Julia Schottenstein now bring the Roundup to real life, hosting biweekly conversations with data practitioners inventing the future of analytics engineering.
You can view full episode summaries and read back issues of the Roundup newsletter at https://roundup.getdbt.com.
The podcast is sponsored by dbt labs, makers of the data transformation framework dbt. To reach our team, drop a note to podcast@dbtlabs.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
24 snips
Mar 8, 2026 • 55min
The Iceberg ecosystem today (w/ Anders Swanson)
Anders Swanson, developer experience advocate at dbt Labs and longtime data practitioner, walks through the modern Iceberg ecosystem. He defines query engines, object stores, and catalogs. He explains internal vs external catalogs, the rise of a fourth namespace tier, metadata performance needs, phased Iceberg adoption, vended credentials, and cross-platform access challenges.
44 snips
Jan 25, 2026 • 53min
Apache Iceberg and the catalog layer (w/ Russell Spitzer)
Russell Spitzer, principal engineer at Snowflake and Apache Iceberg maintainer, brings deep expertise in table formats and catalogs. He discusses why Iceberg simplifies data infrastructure. He explores catalog design choices, identity and access at the catalog layer. He outlines v1–v4 milestones and how catalog standards enable interoperability.
104 snips
Jan 11, 2026 • 54min
AI and the data lake (w/ Lauren Anderson)
In this discussion, Lauren Anderson, Senior Director for Okta's Enterprise Data Platform, shares her insights from a remarkable career in analytics. She explores the intersection of AI agents and the open data lake, advocating for central governance and a shared semantic layer. Lauren highlights the evolving roles of analytics engineers and data engineers as AI begins to automate more analytical tasks. She proposes implementing a centralized governance control plane to manage the complexities and security issues arising from these advancements.
111 snips
Dec 14, 2025 • 57min
Inside Snowflake's AI roadmap (w/ Chris Child)
Chris Child, VP of Product Management at Snowflake, dives into the future of data engineering and AI. He highlights the evolution from Snowpark to Cortex and the importance of row-column governance for AI agents. Chris discusses Snowflake's commitment to Apache Iceberg for better interoperability and how artificial intelligence is reshaping data access and processing. He predicts a shift towards standardized data products and emphasizes embedding semantic context in data workflows for more intelligent decision-making.
52 snips
Nov 23, 2025 • 57min
Building a multimodal lakehouse for AI (w/ Chang She)
In this discussion, Chang She, co-creator of pandas and CEO of LanceDB, dives into the future of AI data infrastructure. He shares his journey from finance to tech and the challenges faced in constructing a multimodal lakehouse for AI. Chang explains the limitations of Parquet for AI workloads and introduces the innovative Lance file format. He emphasizes the need for unified data retrieval systems to handle diverse, increasingly complex data types driven by AI and agents, paving the way for a seamless data experience.
75 snips
Sep 7, 2025 • 44min
Agentic coding in analytics engineering (w/ Mikkel Dengsøe)
Mikkel Dengsøe, co-founder of SYNQ, dives into the world of agentic coding and its transformative impact on analytics engineering. He shares a hands-on project using tools like Cursor and Snowflake, discussing where agents excel—like in staging and lineage checks—and where they pose risks, such as in BI chat for novices. Mikkel also emphasizes the shift from traditional dashboards to actionable insights, underlining the need for human expertise in AI integrations and the proactive evolution of data observability.
75 snips
Aug 24, 2025 • 56min
Under the hood of Apache Iceberg (w/ Christian Thiel)
Christian Thiel, co-founder of Lakekeeper, dives into the fascinating world of Apache Iceberg, a leading data management tool. He discusses its evolving ecosystem, addressing challenges in data architecture and the importance of timely data for machine learning. The conversation explores data access mechanisms, secure credential management, and the innovative features improving enterprise readiness. Thiel also highlights the flexibility of permission models and the role of Lakekeeper in enhancing data collaboration and integrity.
104 snips
Aug 3, 2025 • 50min
The pragmatic guide to AI agents in the enterprise (w/ Sean Falconer)
Sean Falconer, Senior Director of AI Strategy at Confluent, dives into the intriguing world of AI agents and their role in enterprise. He defines what makes software 'agentic' and explores its deployment challenges. Falconer shares insights on evolving from traditional models to dynamic agents, emphasizing the importance of data management for decision-making. He discusses the need for balance between autonomy and control for effective application in businesses, and highlights the critical skills necessary for successful AI team structures.
58 snips
Jul 20, 2025 • 50min
How Amazon S3 works (w/ Andy Warfield)
Andy Warfield, VP and Senior Principal Engineer at AWS, sheds light on the inner workings of Amazon S3, a vital player in cloud data management. He discusses the evolution of S3, its early misconceptions, and how customer feedback has guided its technology roadmap. The conversation highlights the significance of S3 table buckets in AI and ML applications and the integration with formats like Iceberg. Finally, they explore the future of storage solutions and how S3 continues to power advancements in data analytics.
45 snips
Jun 22, 2025 • 49min
From Docker to Dagger (w/ Solomon Hykes)
In this engaging discussion, Solomon Hykes, the visionary behind Docker, shares insights on its transformative journey from startup to a cornerstone of software development. He delves into containerization's technical magic and contrasts Docker with his new venture, Dagger, designed to streamline software workflows. Solomon also highlights the revolutionary role of AI in continuous integration, revealing how AI agents are set to reshape developer experiences and enhance productivity in an evolving tech landscape.
