The Joe Reis Show

Tech is full of smart people with smart ideas - enterprise data models, ontologies, data mesh, proprietary AI strategies - that repeatedly fail to gain traction. When they fail, the blame usually goes to "stupid users", "lazy and immature organizations." Perhaps, but I don't think that's the whole story, and if you adopt that mindset, you're sure to keep failing.I think there's more to the story. Listen and find out...

In this episode, I visited the Hex office and sat down with Barry McCardle (CEO of Hex) to talk about the massive shift we’re seeing in the data stack. Countless companies have spent decades buying BI tools in the hope of "self-serve Nirvana," yet most dashboards still raise more questions than they answer. Barry and I dive into why the traditional dashboard is becoming a "jumping-off point" rather than a destination, and how AI agents are finally closing the gap between having a question and getting a sophisticated answer.We also discuss building tools people love, "commitment engineering", Barry's story, and much more.

What status game are you playing? Are you trying to outcompete others, or playing your own game? In this episode, I talk about status games in data and careers in general.

The technology industry is prone to moving fast and forgetting its history. This is a shame because our industry is built on the shoulders of many giants, often long forgotten. Bill Inmon, Roger Whatley, and I discuss the history of technology and computing, covered in their new book, From Stone to Silicon. We talk about the big people and moments in technology and computing, and much more.From Stone to Silicon (book): https://amzn.to/4pLfqat

Welcome to 2026! In this spontaneous Friday AMA, I take listener questions on ontologies, the “leaky abstractions” of AI coding tools, why the “button pusher” era of engineering is a professional dead end, and the shifting landscape of data engineering.I also provides an update on my upcoming book, Mixed Model Arts (launching in March 2026), and discuss the unexpected convergence of library science, ontologies, and traditional data modeling, something not on my 2025 bingo card.Great turnout, especially for no notice. Thanks to everyone who showed up!