Insane Data Podcast

Maxime Beauchemin – The Man Who Built the Modern Data Stack

Maxime Beauchemin is the creator of Apache Airflow and Apache Superset — two of the most widely used open source tools in data engineering today. Former data engineer at Yahoo, Facebook, Airbnb, and Lyft, and founder of Preset, Maxime has spent two decades at the very foundation of the modern data stack. In this conversation with Giuliano Giannetti, Maxime talks about what happens when the tools you built start to be challenged by the next wave. They go deep on how AI is reshaping data teams, why open source is accelerating, how agents are replacing entire workflows, whether the premise of the data warehouse is crumbling — and what it actually takes to stay relevant in data today. Maxime also shares what he's building next with Agor, a command center for AI agent orchestration. 🎙️ Follow Insane Data — because the foundation is shifting, and you'll want to know what's replacing it.

Dr. Everett C. Dolman – Who Controls Orbit, Controls Earth

This episode of Insane Data is a bit different — but absolutely worth your time. Giuliano Giannetti sits down with Dr. Everett C. Dolman — former NSA intelligence analyst, CIA award winner, Professor of Strategy at the US Air Force Air War College, and the author of Astropolitik — the foundational text on space geopolitics. They go deep into why whoever controls low Earth orbit controls everything, how corporations like SpaceX now hold more space power than most governments, China's quiet Moon strategy, AI replacing humans in missile defense, and why we might not be able to fix Earth without space. A conversation that starts in orbit — and lands right back on Earth.  🎙️ Follow Insane Data — the most unexpected episode yet.

Bill Inmon, Father of the Data Warehouse

In this episode, Giuliano Giannetti sits down with Bill Inmon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/billinmon/]— the father of the data warehouse — to talk about how modern data thinking actually began, and why its original ideas still matter today. Bill reflects on a time when data was used only for transaction processing, why his ideas were once considered heresy, and how business — not IT — pushed the data warehouse into existence. Along the way, he shares his own path: from mathematician and outspoken critic of IT culture to reluctant entrepreneur, learning the hard way what it takes to stand by your ideas. 👉 Hit play and follow Insane Data Podcast.

Serge Gershkovich - The Future of Data Modeling

This episode features Serge Gershkovich [https://www.linkedin.com/in/serge-cloud-connected/] author of Data Modeling with Snowflake and product success leader at SQLDBM. Serge shares the story behind his book, shaped by years of hearing recurring pain points from data architects and engineers. He talks about his transition from the SAP ecosystem to Snowflake, the dramatic shift modern cloud platforms bring, and why strong fundamentals—not tools alone—lead to effective data architecture. The conversation dives into practical modeling guidance, how to bridge business and technical teams, and how writing publicly reshaped Serge’s career. 🎙️ Tune in to learn the principles, pitfalls, and real-world lessons every data practitioner should know — and don’t forget to follow the show for more conversations like this.

Lukas Schulte on Rust, Fusion, and the Future of dbt

In this episode of Insane Data, Giuliano sits down with Lukas Schulte — former Microsoft developer, co-founder of the recently acquired SDF Labs, and now Director of Engineering at dbt Labs. They dive into the story behind dbt Fusion, what it means to bring Rust into data engineering, and how adding type systems to SQL can transform development. Lukas explains why reusability and better developer tooling are the future of analytics, and how Fusion is changing orchestration and cost efficiency on platforms like Snowflake and BigQuery. The conversation also looks beyond the technical: Lukas reflects on the balance between open source and enterprise, the evolving role of analysts in the AI era, and where the data ecosystem is heading as companies like Snowflake, Databricks, and 5Tran reshape the landscape. Whether you’re a data engineer, analyst, or just curious about the next big shifts in the modern data stack, this episode offers a unique inside look at the future of dbt and beyond.