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This is my top-ranked Data Engineering Blog, a Second Brain with 1,000+ notes, and an online book on Patterns of Data Engineering, all connected with interactive graphs—drag a node, or follow a thread and find what interests you.
My name is Simon Späti, a data engineer, author & educator.
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The Data Engineering Blog
100+ deep dives on the open-source data ecosystem and others — Python, ETL, orchestration, data architecture, data modeling, and many more.
read latest →Second Brain
650+ additional interlinked notes on PKM, deep life, writing, Neovim, and digital gardening — crafted, curated, connected, compounded.
enter brain →Data Engineering Vault
The connected glossary: DuckDB, Iceberg, lakehouse, dbt, Dagster, semantic layers, and many 100s more data engineering concepts and notes.
open vault →The Book
Patterns of Data Engineering — timeless practices from convergent evolution, written online as I go, free to read the first chapters.
open book →Latest from the Blog
- The Act and the Outcome of Creation
- The Grammar of Data
- Where AI Agents Belong in Data Engineering
- The Process of Smart Note-Taking
- Operationalizing Data Orchestration
- Vibe Coding Is Dangerous, Agentic Engineering Isn't
- Beyond the Semantic Layer
- Interview with Chris Riccomini
- The Dagster Almanack
- Limits of External Tables
- AI Reveals Why BI Still Matters
- Specs Over Vibes
- Agent-Friendly, Local-First Analytics Stack
- Why I Still Blog
- Git for Data Applied
- RAG with Obsidian
- Arch Linux (Omarchy)
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Patterns of Data Engineering
Timeless Practices from Convergent Evolution
I'm writing a book that explores the evolution of data engineering through practical, time-tested patterns that remain relevant despite changing technologies.
- Evolving Content: Updated regularly with new insights
- Convergent Evolution: How old ideas are reborn in new technologies
- Historical Context: Understanding how patterns emerged
Simon Späti
Data Engineer, Technical Author & Educator
I'm a proud dad, family person, and technical writer with over 20 years of experience in data engineering. My articles have been featured in top publications, and I've been recognized as a leading voice in my field. To learn more about my journey, accomplishments, and projects, visit my about page or connect with me on social media.
