Joe Reis

Joe Reis's Substack centers on discussions around data, technology, and business, with a recurrent emphasis on data engineering, the relevance and evolution of data modeling, and the intersection of technology with societal trends. It critiques industry practices, explores personal development within tech fields, and examines the politics and commercial influences on data use and conferences.

Data Engineering Data Modeling Technology Trends Personal Development in Tech Business and Data Strategy Data Conference Dynamics Politics of Data

Top posts of the year

And their main takeaways

Is Kimball Still Relevant?

648 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Data Modeling Open Source Hardware
  1. There are abundant tools and computing power available, but focusing on delivering business value with data is still crucial.
  2. Data modeling, like Kimball's dimensional model, remains relevant for effective analytics despite advancements in technology.
  3. Ignoring data modeling in favor of performance considerations can lead to a loss of understanding, business value, and overall impact.

My Definition of Data Modeling (for today)

530 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Data Modeling AI Venture Capital Data Management
  1. Data modeling has various definitions by different experts and serves to improve communication, provide utility, and solve problems.
  2. A data model is a structured representation that organizes data for both humans and machines to inform decision-making and facilitate actions.
  3. Data modeling is evolving to consider the needs of machines, different use cases, and a wider range of modeling approaches for various situations.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #2

294 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🕹 Technology Data AI Business Startups Learning
  1. Identify your motivation to learn in a rapidly changing industry by finding your ultimate goal or purpose.
  2. Focus on mastering the fundamentals of a topic by understanding it from end to end and learning from first principles.
  3. Be patient, read widely, and connect various ideas together to grow your knowledge over time.

Thoughts on Indie Data Conferences

255 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Podcasting
  1. Indie data conferences offer a vendor-free, peer-focused experience.
  2. Indie conferences are organized by individuals taking risks for the data community's benefit.
  3. Attending indie meetups supports real-world practitioners in sharing knowledge without commercial influence.
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Joe's Nerdy Rants #7

216 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Data AI Business Startups Events
  1. The data community deserves better events free of vendor influence.
  2. The major data platforms are in an intense competition and push to capture attention.
  3. Attending big-vendor conferences often involves dealing with aggressive selling tactics.

The Politics of Data

196 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Data AI Business Ethics Tech
  1. The politics of data often involves using data to push pre-determined agendas.
  2. In organizations, decisions are often driven by politics rather than technical excellence or data.
  3. Understanding the political dynamics within an organization can help navigate potential impacts on one's career.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #8

196 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
💼 Business Tech AI Data Startups Journalism
  1. People skills are becoming increasingly important in the tech industry.
  2. Technical skills are essential, but communication and empathy separate individuals for career success.
  3. Businesses are shifting towards paying tech vendors based on outcomes, emphasizing accountability.

Lots of Fancy Tools, and No Idea How to Use Them

196 implied HN points • 05 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Data Tools Best Practices
  1. There are a lot of advanced data tools available, but many struggle with how to use them effectively.
  2. The main challenge in the data industry today is a lack of understanding of basic data practices and best tool practices.
  3. Data teams need to focus on standardizing their knowledge and competencies to increase the value they provide to the business.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #5

176 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Data Modeling Artificial Intelligence Business Startups Programming
  1. Data professionals interpret the concept of 'model' in various ways, leading to confusion and inconsistency in the field.
  2. Establishing a shared understanding through high-level data modeling can promote consistent and reliable models in organizations.
  3. The use of AI tools in programming has become widespread, indicating a shift in the nature of programming but emphasizing the importance of understanding and verifying AI-generated code.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #3

98 implied HN points • 03 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Analysis Software Engineering Podcasts Events
  1. In many companies, there is a divide between software engineering and data teams.
  2. Data is becoming more integrated into applications, blurring the lines between data and software.
  3. The divide between software and data teams will eventually disappear as data becomes more critical to businesses.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #4

78 implied HN points • 10 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Management Data Quality
  1. Encourage kids and others to interact more in real life, consider alternatives to college, find careers that can't be easily automated, and learn to coexist with AI.
  2. Embrace lifelong learning and be open to change in order to adapt to evolving technologies and industries.
  3. Read up on interesting articles about tech, AI, data, and business topics for insights and inspiration.

Joe's Nerdy Rants #6

2 HN points • 24 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Data Modeling
  1. Data modeling needs to adapt to modern business workflows and technologies.
  2. There is a need to address the underlying issues in databases and data warehouses before implementing AI solutions.
  3. Practices like conceptual and logical data modeling should be revitalized and made simpler and more iterative.