Are you a giver or a taker?It seems like every few months, I have to put out a PSA about how I get annoyed at unsolicited pitches from people who are one-sided and transactional. These people are takers. I've got no time for takers.Instead, pay it forward. Give away your ideas in free articles and videos. Mentor people. Create an open source project. Be a friend and a human without asking anything in return. Be a giver.
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A Veteran Tech Executive's Warning on AI, Greed, the Cost of Mass Layoffs w/ Wendy Turner-Williams
In this episode, I sit down with Wendy Turner-Williams, a distinguished tech leader and executive with a deep history at companies like Microsoft and Salesforce. She's of the original minds behind what became Azure Data Factory, among other foundational tech. In this wide-ranging conversation, Wendy charts the trajectory from the early days of the Internet to the current AI-driven hype cycle and looming crisis. She explains how these tools of innovation are now being turned against the workforce and why this technological revolution is fundamentally more disruptive than anything that has come before. This episode is a candid, unfiltered discussion about the real-world impact of AI on jobs, the economy, and our collective future, and a call for leaders to act before it's too late.Timestamps:00:22 - Catching up: The tough job market and writing new books. 05:49 - Wendy's impressive career history at Microsoft, Salesforce, and Tableau. 06:17 - The origin story of Azure Data Factory and other foundational projects at Microsoft. 09:18 - A personal story about the challenges of being a woman in Big Tech in the early days. 13:02 - A look back at a favorite early-career project: Digitizing physical maps with nascent GPS technology in 2001. 18:11 - The state of the tech industry: "Tech is cannibalizing itself because of AI." 20:31 - The massive, impending shock to the job market and why AI is different from previous industrial revolutions.27:26 - Why the "human in the loop" is a temporary and misleading solution. 29:55 - Breaking down the numbers: The staggering quantity of white-collar jobs projected to be eliminated. 36:37 - Why leaders are failing to act and conversations are happening behind closed doors without solutions. 38:25 - Discussing potential solutions: Should companies have quotas for their human workforce? 45:21 - The need for "truth tellers" and leaders who are willing to question the current path and drive human-centric transformation. 53:15 - The grim reality for recent graduates with computer science degrees who can't find jobs. 56:22 - The risk of IP hoarding and engineers deliberately crippling systems to protect their jobs.01:00:20 - Final thoughts: Are we waiting for a "let them eat cake" moment before we see real change?
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1:00:21
Freestyle Fridays w/ Matt Housley - The Pedantic Layer, Frauds, and more
Matt Housley joins me for our monthly chat. This time, we discuss my article The Pedantic Layer, fraud, and more.
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34:14
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34:14
The Future of AI, Data Architecture, a Life of Non-Stop Travel and Punk Rock with Stephen Brobst
There are very few people like Stephen Brobst, a legendary tech CTO and "certified data geek," Stephen shares his incredible journey, from his early days in computational physics and building real-time trading systems on Wall Street to becoming the CTO for Teradata and now Ab Initio Software. Stephen provides a masterclass on the evolution of data architecture, tracing the macro trends from early decision support systems to "active data warehousing" and the rise of AI/ML (formerly known as data mining). He dives deep into why metadata-driven architecture is critical for the future and how AI, large language models, and real-time sensor technology will fundamentally reshape industries and eliminate the dashboard as we know it. We also chat about something way cooler, as Stephen discusses his three passions: travel, music, and teaching. He reveals his personal rule of never staying in the same city for more than five consecutive days since 1993 and how he manages a life of constant motion. From his early days DJing punk rock and seeing the Sex Pistols' last concert to his minimalist travel philosophy and ever-growing bucket list, Stephen offers a unique perspective on living a life rich with experience over material possessions. Finally, he offers invaluable advice for the next generation on navigating careers in an AI-driven world and living life to the fullest.
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47:22
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47:22
Freestyle Fridays - What's Next After AI?
The AI hype cycle seems to be calming down a bit, and this is awesome. Humanity always craves another hype cycle, so I give some ideas on what I think is next after AI.
What happens when a best-selling author and "recovering data scientist" gets a microphone? This podcast.
I'm Joe Reis, and each week I broadcast from wherever I am in the world, sharing candid thoughts on the data, tech, and AI industry.
Sometimes it's a solo rant. Other times, I'm chatting with the smartest people I know.
If you're looking for an unfiltered perspective on the state of AI, data, and tech, you've found it.
Österreich