Overview
Welcome back to the sql_squared podcast! I was delighted to welcome Lee Brownhill to the fourth episode of the SQL Squared podcast. We had a fantastic and wide-ranging conversation, touching on his extensive career, his experiences with the data community, and his insights into the future of data. For those who want a high-level overview of our chat, here are the key talking points from the episode.
Finding Data Friends and Community Engagement 💜
To kick things off, Lee and I shared our recent experiences of being guests on the "Finding Data Friends" podcast. We both found it to be a welcoming and enjoyable experience, particularly for those new to podcasting due to its short format. Lee spoke about his admiration for the hosts, Ben and Jess, and their deep-seated knowledge. This led to a broader discussion about the importance of community and our shared desire to give back. Lee is particularly excited to be a helper at the upcoming SQLBits conference, seeing it as another avenue to support the data community that has given him so much.
A Rich and Varied Career in Data 🎓
Lee was kind enough to walk me through his impressive career journey, which spans nearly two decades. He started in a general IT support role and was drawn to the "scary magic box" that was SQL Server during an ERP system migration. This sparked a passion that led him to a production DBA role and later to a hybrid developer/DBA position at a rapidly scaling SaaS company. In this role, he became the crucial link between developers and infrastructure DBAs, a challenging yet highly rewarding experience where he learned the most. Now, as a consultant and DBA, he helps clients optimize their workloads in Azure and AWS, a role that keeps him constantly learning.
The Ins and Outs of T-SQL-T 🧪
A significant portion of our conversation was dedicated to T-SQL-T, an open-source framework for unit testing in T-SQL. Lee is a strong advocate for the tool, having seen it save the day by highlighting edge cases that would have otherwise been missed. We discussed the initial investment required to get started and the challenge of getting busy development teams on board. However, Lee firmly believes the long-term benefits of having a "security blanket" around your code are well worth the effort. He also touched on how tools like Redgate's SQL Test can enhance the experience with features like code coverage.
A Passion for Redgate and Community Ambassadorship 💬
I congratulated Lee on recently becoming a Redgate Community Ambassador. He sees this as another fantastic platform to interact with and share ideas with the community. Lee has long been a vocal supporter of Redgate's tools, such as SQL Prompt and SQL Monitor, which have been significant time-savers throughout his career. He plans to use this new role to create blog content that provides concrete examples of how these tools have helped him over the years.
The Future of Data: Trends and Transformations ⚙️
Looking ahead, we explored some of the exciting trends shaping the future of data. Lee is particularly fascinated by the astronomical rise in the popularity of Postgres and is keen to see how far it will go. I shared my observations on the increasing adoption of the Google Cloud Platform, especially among smaller companies and start-ups. We also touched on the ever-present topic of AI. While acknowledging the scepticism and concern that some developers feel, we both agreed on the importance of embracing it. Lee believes that the role of data professionals will evolve to focus more on interpreting business requirements and translating them into technical solutions, leaving the "bare bones" coding to AI.
Where to watch?
You can watch or listen to the sql_squared podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts. Connect with us on socials to see more, engage with us directly, and maybe even get sneak peaks on future content.
Check out the show notes and more information on Tonie, including his LinkedIn and GitHub, in the blog post right here on the SQL Squared website: sqlsquared.co.uk.
If you would like to see us on any other platforms or have any content ideas, we would love to hear your thoughts. Please email mailbag@sqlsquared.co.uk to get in touch 💬
Get Involved!
I am looking for the community to get heavily involved! Whether that is raising discussion points for the podcast or becoming a guest yourself.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU‼️‼️‼️
Please email mailbag@sqlsquared.co.uk to get in touch, introduce yourself, and share your interest in being a guest on the show. It can take part in person or remotely 😁