The Data Stack Show - The PRQL: Cynical Data Guy: Unpacking Tech's Latest Hype Cycles

Episode Date: June 2, 2025

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Welcome to the Data Stack Show prequel. This is a short bonus episode where we preview the upcoming show. You'll get to meet our guests and hear about the topics we're going to cover. If they're interesting to you, you can catch the full-length show when it drops on Wednesday. Welcome back to the Data Stack Show, one of our favorite monthly installments, actually our only monthly and

Where we go deep into the bowels of corporate data America and talk to the cynical data guy about recent topics in the news Matt welcome back as always. Thanks for having me so Matt You're a couple years out now. Like at what time does, like, is there an expiration date on your cynicism with corporate America? Are you just not enough here? Yeah, you are. Yeah, I guess you have been expelled.

You have been expelled. Yeah, but the PTSD is always there. It's forever. Yeah. True. It's in data therapy forever after this. Yes. Yes. we got it and you know just sitting down for half an hour at a mic is a lot cheaper than you know Actually talking to a licensed therapist. Yeah, yeah

Synthesis therapy doesn't work Did we this one for you? Yeah, And by works for you, I mean just reinforces your sense of humor. We're glad we can be part of your process. That's really the most important. That's the whole reason you do this, is to see smiles on people. Okay, speaking of people, there was big news with Klarna. So it must have been a year ago or so in this company Klarna They came out and they said hey, we are going AI first with our customer support You know made a bunch of news It's one of the first sort of big stories around a company publicly making a move and announcing, you know plans to stop hiring

Customer support and using AI. Okay, I'm gonna read the headline from just a few days ago If you don't know what clarinet does What does it do? Yes? It's like a pay-as-you-go. It's an instrument like after pay or yeah, sorry clarin is clarin is fintech So you can essentially, you know finance purchases typically like on a smaller scale fine out pay later. Yep Yeah, here's the headline as clarna flips from AI first to hiring people again a new landmark survey reveals most projects most AI projects fail to deliver so I would I would describe that for those listeners who are not in the studio, which is everyone

I would describe what Matt just did as a snide truckle. It just, his face is turned away from the mic in disgust. All right, that's a wrap for the prequel. The full length episode will drop Wednesday morning. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.