Disclaimer: All characters and scenarios in this story are fictionalized with no connection to any person or data engineering scenarios, living or dead.
In today’s digital age, data engineering plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing decision-making processes. By collecting, processing, and analysing vast amounts of data, data engineers can uncover patterns and trends that provide valuable insights into human behaviour. These insights can be used to tailor marketing strategies, improve customer experiences, and even influence societal trends. For instance, data-driven recommendations on streaming platforms can shape our tastes in music and movies, while targeted advertisements can sway our purchasing decisions. The power of data lies not only in its ability to tell us stories but also in its potential to create new ones. This story illustrates how a seemingly simple data engineering project can have a profound impact on people’s perceptions and actions.
Once upon a time, in the bustling world of data engineering, there was a young and enthusiastic data engineer named Alex. Fresh out of college, Alex was eager to dive into the world of data, not yet realizing the profound impact it would have on his life and the lives of others.
Alex’s journey began in 2010, a time when Big Data was still widely known as Business Intelligence (BI) Engineering. He landed his first job at a tech company that specialized in BI projects. One of his initial assignments was to work on a song charting project. At first glance, the project seemed straightforward: create a chart that ranked songs based on their download numbers. However, Alex soon discovered that the project was far more complex than it appeared.
As Alex delved into the data, he noticed something peculiar. The song at the top of the chart had an astonishing number of downloads, which made sense. But there was a catch—the revenue for this song was listed as $0. Intrigued, Alex dug deeper and found that this particular song was being given away for free with the purchase of every other album. This anomaly struck him as odd. How could a song with no revenue be at the top of the chart?
Being a diligent and curious data engineer, Alex raised this issue as a defect in the requirement. He suggested that songs with $0 revenue should not be shown at the top of the chart. In other words, charting songs solely based on their download numbers seemed misleading. He reported this to the management, who responded with a nonchalant, “We will look into it.” But as weeks passed, Alex heard nothing more about it.
A month later, a new requirement came in to add an additional field in the reporting object. The BI team, including Alex, implemented the change and, as was customary, compared the new report with the old one to ensure everything was accurate. It was during this comparison that Alex witnessed something magical.
The song that had topped the chart with $0 revenue the previous month was still at the top. However, this time, its revenue had skyrocketed, surpassing even the song in the second position. Not only had the download numbers improved, but the song was now being sold at a premium price, higher than its original marked price. Alex was astounded. How could this be?
Alex couldn’t help but wonder if the perceived bug in the requirement was there by design. Did the fact that people saw the song at the top of the chart day in and day out influence their decision to download it? Did a simple charting report have the power to shape people’s minds and tastes in music?
This experience was a turning point for Alex. He realized that data not only tells us stories but can also shape and create new ones. The song charting project was a perfect example of how data could influence behaviour and drive decisions. It was like living in the world of “The Matrix,” where everything is not what it seems.
From that day forward, Alex fell in love with the data engineering space. He saw the potential of data to make a real impact on everyday life. Whether it was optimizing business processes, improving customer experiences, or even influencing music charts, data had the power to change the world.
Alex’s journey continued, and he became a seasoned data engineer, always remembering the lesson he learned from the song charting project. He knew that behind every dataset, there was a story waiting to be told, and sometimes, those stories had the power to create new realities.
And so, Alex’s love for data engineering grew, fuelled by the magic, mystery, and endless possibilities that data held. He dedicated his career to uncovering the hidden stories within data and using them to shape a better future.
In the end, Alex’s story reminds us that data is not just about numbers and charts. It’s about the stories those numbers tell and the new stories they can create. Data is funny that way—like “The Matrix,” everything is not always what it seems.
With over 15 years of experience across various domains in the Big Data space, Kumar Saurabh is a seasoned Data Engineering Lead with a strong foundation in solution architecture, data modelling, and programming. His expertise includes extensive development experience, complemented by multiple professional certifications.
Kumar excels in data modelling and architectural designing of on-premise and cloud databases solutions. His hands-on experience with various data frameworks and enterprise tools positions him as a versatile and effective leader in data engineering space.
As a visionary leader in Big Data, Kumar has successfully led cross-functional teams to deliver innovative data solutions that drive business growth and efficiency. He has a proven track record of implementing best practices in data governance, ensuring data quality, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Kumar is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in Big Data, continuously exploring new tools and methodologies to enhance data-driven decision-making.
Data, Mystery, Magic, and Metrix: A Tale of a Green Data Engineer
