Dave Wentzel on Why You Don’t Need a Data Warehouse

In this episode of Data Driven, Frank and Andy chat with Philadelphia Microsoft Technology Center Data Architect Dave Wentzel on why you do not need a data warehouse.

Also, Frank discusses leaving Microsoft, Frank and Andy talk about five seasons of Data Driven, and even BAILeY has a sentimental moment.

Transcripts

00:00:00 BAILey 

Hello and welcome to data driven, the podcast where we explore the emerging wait a tick. This is the premiere episode of Season Five. Can you believe it? Data driven started four years ago this month. 

00:00:14 BAILey 

Up until last season, we had a human doing the voiceover work. That is until she was replaced by an AI. Yours truly. 

00:00:23 BAILey 

In this episode, Frank and Andy speak to Dave Wensel about why you don't need a datawarehouse. We're starting off the new season with a bit of contrarian tone. 

00:00:33 BAILey 

It's a lively back and forth conversation that runs contrary to prevailing wisdom. Don't say we didn't warn you? Now on with the show. 

00:00:41 Frank 

Hello and welcome to data driven. The podcasts were we wait a minute. We've been saying this Andy for four years now. Can you believe it? 

00:00:48 Andy 

Four years, that's crazy talk. 

00:00:52 Frank 

That's just craziness. So I think when you and I first talked about this and that was that fateful, I think it was December was right after Thanksgiving. But before Christmas, I was thinking about starting a podcast and as a data scientist, I needed someone. 

00:01:01 Andy 

Yeah, yeah. 

00:01:09 Frank 

That was a data engineer that could kind of round out the talent there and and and and obviously I wanted someone I knew, liked, and trust. 

00:01:11 Frank 

Found out. 

00:01:11 Frank 

00:01:22 Frank 

And so it was you. 

00:01:25 Andy 

Well, I'm just glad all of the real smart data engineers you knew were busy. That's all I got to say. 

00:01:25 Frank 

Much. 

00:01:30 Frank 

Ah, no man. You were the first one. I reached out to and the only one I would have done it with it. So I was delighted when you said yes because starting a podcast can sound like a daunting thing, particularly if you haven't done it before. 

00:01:44 Andy 

Yeah, neither one of us really had. And gosh, it's it's worked out. What are we up to? 180,000 downloads or something? I mean that's. 

00:01:52 Frank 

Something. 

00:01:53 Frank 

Like that about hundred 8000 downloads. I mean, we're not Joe Rogan, but that's OK, Yep. 

00:01:55 

Yeah. 

00:01:57 Andy 

No. 

00:01:59 Andy 

Yep, Yep. 

00:01:59 Andy 

Yep. 

00:02:01 Frank 

But you know what, we we we've impacted. I think the community in a significant way. We've we've done a number of things we've we've innovative how we podcast. 

00:02:12 Frank 

Uh, we we've actually managed to keep a good cadence with some exceptions. 

00:02:18 Andy 

Yeah, thanks. 

00:02:19 Frank 

You know, we we finally did earlier this year or late last year, kind of fulfill our vision of it being data driven TV when we actually interviewed guests on. 

00:02:27 Andy 

Yes. 

00:02:32 Frank 

On video. 

00:02:33 Frank 

And that was that actually delayed the launch of the show by about three months. 

00:02:38 Andy 

It did but also uhm. Yeah, that was interesting, but you know it's typical software development, right? You release a feature and then you debug it. The I have this saying about that Frank. All software is tested some intentionally. 

00:02:52 Frank 

Sometimes. 

00:02:53 Andy 

Right? 

00:02:56 Frank 

I love it, but I also like how, how, how both our careers have evolved over the last four years. And dumb, you know, this being the premiere episode of Season 5 and we have something special lined up, but I'll get to that in a minute. 

00:02:58 Andy 

Hello. 

00:03:03 Andy 

Oh gosh, itch. 

00:03:11 Andy 

June. 

00:03:12 Frank 

You've progressed in your career. We, you and I've worked on some some projects together or virtual Summit. What we're calling Ring Gate, which will announce very very soon and and but. But most of all, is been my kind of skilling up in transition into data engineering myself. 

00:03:29 BAILey 

Ehm 

00:03:31 Frank 

Which was something that when I joined, so this is just a job update about a year ago. I I left the role of Microsoft kind of field sales and I went into the Microsoft Technology Center stick with me. There's a point to this story and basically I was at the rest in MTC. 

00:03:52 Frank 

And basically I was the AI guy on my my my field sales team, but I didn't really have deep knowledge of kind of the typical typical data engineering pipe work that goes into that role and basically my my. My then manager said you know he's like hey, you know, if you want this role, you've got a skill. 

00:04:12 Frank 

And skill up I did. And with Andy's mentoring and a bunch of other folks that helped me kind of skill up on our the data engineering side. I looked at it this morning. I'm like 88 hours on Pluralsight. 

00:04:25 Frank 

Wow, that was from mid may till we're recording this on April 30th. So just about a year 88 hours right now tracking on about 200 four 205 consecutive days of getting on LinkedIn. I'm not on LinkedIn on Pluralsight, LinkedIn learning. I also have a number of courses too. 

00:04:31 Andy 

Yeah. 

00:04:43 Frank 

Uh, that is something I'm proud of in terms of career evolution. 

00:04:47 Andy 

Absolutely Frank, you should be. How many cirts are you up to now? 

00:04:50 Frank 

I 87. 

00:04:53 Andy 

Slacker. 

00:04:54 Frank 

I know, I know. 

00:04:54 Frank 

Know, I know. 

00:04:54 Andy 

I think I've got 4. 

00:04:56 Frank 

Ah, now I know you and I did the data engineering thing, so you have at least 11. 

00:05:00 Andy 

That's true, that's true. We did that one and you know that was it's just. It's just been a nice journey and I'll take credit for this. 'cause 'cause I can I was. I was actually pestering you years ago. We've been friends since 2005 and we started doing. 

00:05:20 Andy 

Code camps here in the Richmond area. 

00:05:22 Andy 

Together and co-founded RE co-founded Richmond SQL Server Users Group and you know, worked with the net users group and stuff. And I told you as soon as I saw some of your graphic art and Frank would do a keynote for the Richmond code camps and every time he would make movie posters, the one that. 

00:05:41 Frank 

Oh yeah. 

00:05:42 Andy 

Still sticks out is 1 called devs on a plane. 

00:05:45 Frank 

Ha ha ha. 

00:05:49 Andy 

Oh yeah, I loved that one that was so so cool and. 

00:05:49 Andy 

And that was. 

00:05:49 Andy 

00:05:54 Andy 

You know I saw the graphic arts part of it and I just knew I said you, you'd be really good in analytics and data visualization. You should get into by and you were busy doing other stuff which was cool. You were good at that too. It wasn't, you know you. I don't know of anything you've done that you haven't mastered. By thank you. You know you when. 

00:06:14 Andy 

Things took a took, uh, started taking a turn for you in your first rodeo at Microsoft. You got into it and and took off with it. I don't. I won't tell the story well, but you just really turned around. You focused on data and. 

00:06:32 Andy 

You know, I'll say this Frank. I was right. 

00:06:35 Frank 

Well, with that he totally I. I think if anything I took away is I should have listened to Andy 10 years earlier. 

00:06:36 Dave 

You aren't very good. 

00:06:40 Frank 

Uhm? 

00:06:41 Frank 

And that that that that is something that that that that's the big takeaway we'll talk about, kind of that journey. 'cause I think that's worth kind of talking about. And I think one of the things we you, and I've been bouncing around is kind of interviewing each other. 

00:06:46 

We 

00:06:55 Frank 

Like in asking one of us those those those questions we have, so we definitely will do that, but not...