Postmodern Architecture: The Python Powered Modern Data Stack
John Sandall
The Modern Data Stack has brought a lot of new buzzwords into the data engineering lexicon: "data mesh", "data observability", "reverse ETL", "data lineage", "analytics engineering". In this light-hearted talk we will demystify the evolving revolution that will define the future of data analytics & engineering teams.
Our journey begins with the PyData Stack: pandas pipelines powering ETL workflows...clean code, tested code, data validation, perfect for in-memory workflows. As demand for self-serve analytics grows, new data sources bring more APIs to model, more code to maintain, DAG workflow orchestration tools, new nuances to capture ("the tax team defines revenue differently"), more dashboards, more not-quite-bugs ("but my number says this...").
This data maturity journey is a well-trodden path with common pitfalls & opportunities. After dashboards comes predictive modelling ("what will happen"), prescriptive modelling ("what should we do?"), perhaps eventually automated decision making. Getting there is much easier with the advent of the Python Powered Modern Data Stack.
In this talk, we will cover the shift from ETL to ELT, the open-source Modern Data Stack tools you should know, with a focus on how dbt's new Python integration is changing how data pipelines are built, run, tested & maintained. By understanding the latest trends & buzzwords, attendees will gain a deeper insight into Python's role at the core of the future of data engineering.
John Sandall
Affiliation: Coefficient
John Sandall is the CEO and Principal Data Scientist at Coefficient.
His experience in data science and software engineering spans multiple industries and applications, and his passion for the power of data extends far beyond his work for Coefficient’s clients. In April 2017 he created SixFifty in order to predict the UK General Election using open data and advanced modelling techniques. Previous experience includes Lead Data Scientist at YPlan, business analytics at Apple, genomics research at Imperial College London, building an ed-tech startup at Knodium, developing strategy & technological infrastructure for international non-profit startup STIR Education, and losing sleep to many hackathons along the way.
John is also a co-organiser of PyData London, co-founded Humble Data in 2019 to promote diversity in data science through a programme of free bootcamps, and in 2020 was a Committee Chair for the PyData Global Conference. He is currently a Fellow of Newspeak House with interests in open data, AI ethics and promoting diversity in tech.
