Send us Fan Mail David Morgan-Gumm speaks with Alex Merced, Head of DevRel at Dremio, tech educator, and author, about the open source foundations behind modern data engineering. They break down Apache governance, Apache Arrow, Iceberg, Polaris, and how these pieces fit together in lakehouse architectures. Alex also shares his path into technical writing, community building, and why AI is changing how creators and data teams work. Key topics In this episode: the difference between open source and genuinely open governance, and why Apache projects matter for shared standardsAlex explains how the Apache Software Foundation works, including incubation, top level projects, and why community control matters more than corporate controlThe conversation compares Apache Foundation governance with the Linux Foundation model and why each solves a different problemAlex walks through the stack behind Dremio, including Apache Drill, Apache Arrow, and Apache CalciteWe discuss why Apache Arrow matters as a standard in-memory data format and how it reduces translation overhead between enginesAlex explains Apache Iceberg as a table format that tracks table versions, metadata, manifests, and file statistics for file skippingThe episode covers Apache Polaris as a catalogue and governance layer for Iceberg tables, including access control and vendor-neutral metadata managementDavid and Alex discuss how lakehouse architecture lets teams switch engines without moving data or redefining permissions from scratchAlex shares how federated querying in Dremio can help bridge older systems like SQL Server, Synapse, Redshift, and Snowflake while migrating toward IcebergThe episode closes with Alex’s origin story, his path from comics and finance into developer advocacy, and why writing books became a natural extension of teachingTimestamps 00:00 - Introduction to SQL Squared and guest welcome 03:46 - What Apache means in open source governance 06:06 - How Apache projects become community driven 07:59 - Community over code and why that matters 09:52 - Dremio’s roots in Arrow, Drill, and Calcite 10:21 - Hadoop, MapReduce, and the need for better query engines 11:46 - Why Apache Arrow standardizes in-memory data 13:55 - Where Arrow shows up in modern tools 15:22 - Why Iceberg emerged from Hadoop and Parquet limitations 17:10 - From folders of files to tables with metadata 18:10 - How Hudi, Iceberg, and Delta Lake solve versioning differently 19:07 - Iceberg metadata trees and manifest lists 20:04 - File skipping and why it speeds up analytics 23:26 - Iceberg as the table, Polaris as the catalogue 24:24 - Polaris as vendor-neutral phone book and governance layer 25:47 - Querying the same Iceberg tables from different engines 26:47 - Why lakehouse architecture is future-proof 28:12 - AI makes data silos harder to live with 30:00 - How Dremio helps migrate without a hard cutover 31:28 - Table-by-table migration with views and abstraction 33:47 - Why the role of DevRel matters in data infrastructure 34:32 - Alex’s early tech roots, from GeoCities to RPG Maker 36:27 - Years in finance, training, and building a personal brand 38:20 - Boot camp teaching, video content, and the move into DevRel 41:41 - Why Alex started writing an Iceberg book 43:10 - The timing of the Iceberg book and rising industry interest 45:37 - Tabular, Polaris, and the catalogue gap 48:03 - Snowflake, Databricks, and the open catalogue race 50:15 - Alex’s YouTube channels and weekly newsletters 51:10 - AI, creativity, and the tension for working artists 54:39 - Using AI as a tool, not a shortcut 55:53 - What makes strong technical communities 58:36 - Different community types and how programming should match the audience 62:05 - Closing thoughts on community and open ecosystems Support the show Support the show! Enjoying The sql_squared Podcast? The best way to support us is by subscribing to our YouTube channel! Watch & Subscribe on YouTubeListen on other platforms: Apple Podcasts | SpotifyLeave a Review: If you found this episode helpful, please leave a 5-star review wherever you get your podcasts or leave a like and comment on YouTube. Share: Know someone who would love this episode? Go ahead and share a link! The sql_squared podcast is your guide to navigating the ever-evolving world of data. We go beyond the code to explore the tools, techniques, and trends that shape the data landscape, from SQL Server and cloud platforms to AI and developer productivity. Join us as we chat with experts from the community to help you learn, grow, and make the right decisions on your data journey. Website: https://www.sqlsquared.co.uk/Twitter/X: @sql_squaredLinkedIn: @sql_squaredEmail: mailbag@sqlsquared.co.uk
