Ep 1. Building Data Architecture from Scratch: Cloud, Data Mesh, and the Real-World Tradeoffs - The Data Playbook podcast by Kris Peeters & Thorsten Foltz
The Data Playbook Podcast
<p><strong>What does it really take to build a modern data architecture from the ground up?</strong> </p>
<p>In our very first episode of <em>The Data Playbook</em>, host <strong>Kris Peeters</strong>, founder and CEO of Dataminded, sits down with <strong>Thorsten Foltz</strong>, seasoned data architect and engineer, to unpack what works (and what doesn’t) when designing scalable, future-proof data platforms.</p>
<p>With a focus on real-world tradeoffs, this episode explores:</p>
<ul>
<li>Cloud vs on-prem vs hybrid: how to choose the right infrastructure</li>
<li>The rise of <strong>Data Mesh</strong> and when it actually makes sense</li>
<li>Why <strong>fake news</strong> isn’t just a media problem—it’s a data problem inside companies too</li>
<li>Vendor lock-in, cloud sovereignty, and the growing relevance of <strong>European alternatives</strong></li>
<li>The balance between <strong>open source</strong> and managed services: cost, control, and complexity</li>
<li>Why <strong>team culture and communication</strong> often make or break your data strategy</li>
<li>What engineers can really expect from <strong>LLMs</strong> in the data stack (spoiler: they're not replacing data modeling any time soon)</li>
</ul>
<p>Whether you're a data engineer, architect, analyst, or tech leader, this conversation goes far beyond buzzwords. You’ll hear practical lessons, hard-earned insights, and a few uncomfortable truths about how companies actually manage data today—and how they should rethink it for tomorrow.</p>