Why Data Modeling Matters MORE in the Age of AI. Mixed Model Arts w/ Ramona Truta

I usually run the show, but for this episode, we flipped the script. Ramona Truta took over the host chair and put me on the hot seat to talk about my upcoming book, Mixed Model Arts. Writing a book in public on Substack over the last few years (completely outside traditional publishing) has been quite the ride. Between navigating industry pushback, breaking down the tribal dogma that still haunts data teams, and watching generative AI reshape how data is produced and consumed, the journey forced me to strip data modeling back to its bare immutables. In this conversation, Ramona and I dive into: - Why I chose to write and iterate on this book out in the open. -The five distinct camps of data modeling and why the modern world demands a multi-disciplinary approach. - How AI agents are becoming primary data consumers and producers, and what that means for architectures. - Using frontier models to automate formatting and review workflows. -- The broken state of tech hiring, gatekeeping, and why "years of experience" in a specific tool is increasingly meaningless. - Why you can never just play your "greatest hits" if you want to stay relevant. Huge thanks to Ramona for keeping me on my toes throughout this entire writing journey and for stepping up to lead this discussion. Timestamps: 00:00 – Reversing roles: Ramona hosts, Joe is in the hot seat 01:27 – Writing a book in public on Substack & starting a publishing imprint 05:22 – Stripping back to immutables: Entities, grain, and William Kent 08:35 – Why data modeling matters more than ever for AI agents 09:53 – The 5 camps of data modeling: Relational, analytics, apps, ML/AI, & knowledge 11:35 – Mixed Model Arts: Lessons from MMA, Bruce Lee, and overcoming dogma 19:22 – Dealing with hate mail, tribalism, and industry pushback 22:45 – Agents as data producers and managing output exhaust 24:32 – Using Codex and Astra to format manuscripts and fix layouts 26:43 – Building an AI-native publishing house 30:18 – Rapid AI evolution, rogue agents, and real-world security concerns 36:41 – The 1873 rail bubble parallels to modern data center buildouts 40:37 – Global reception and dealing with "second book syndrome" 45:46 – DJ Hell's career advice: Never just play your greatest hits 48:45 – The broken state of tech hiring, tool gatekeeping, and transferable skills 54:50 – Consulting, agency, and communication skills in the modern economy 59:42 – The final mile: Book proofs, formatting details, and what's next