Celebrating Insights Tomorrow: Looking Back and Moving Forward

Speaker A: Foreign. Hello everyone, my name is Patrick LeBlanc, your host and welcome to Insights Tomorrow, brought to you by Microsoft. Let's deep dive with leaders and innovators in the data space. We're going to explore the challenges, the um, opportunities that organizations face in their data journeys. In each episode we will invite some data leaders, experts and some practitioners who share their unique perspectives on how data transformation is changing their business. Let's explore this data journey together and what it means to you. Hello everyone and welcome to this special finale of Insights Tomorrow. I'm, um, your host, Patrick LeBlanc and it's hard to believe that we're already at the end of this incredible journey. Over the past few episodes we've had the privilege of discussing cutting edge technology, diving into data transformations, AI and so much more. And it's been an absolute joy sharing these insights with each and every one of you.

Speaker B: That's right, Patrick. Hey everybody, I'm Sweta Mannipalli. It feels like just yesterday we kicked off this podcast and it's been what, two years, Patrick. And we have had a, uh, series full of rich conversations. So much thought provoking perspectives we've heard from some of the brightest minds in the industry and also really, truly learned so much from our guests, both from their personal journeys to where they are in the, you know, group, from being where they were, to data leaders dictating how the future and the roadmap of data and AI sort of looks like. And um, if I look back at some of my favorite moments, Patrick, like when we discuss the future of AI, who would have thought we are going to talk about AI in much more sense today? It reinforces exactly what we interpreted and what we talked about and the space is truly evolving super fast. What do you think, Patrick?

Speaker A: Absolutely. And one thing I think that really stood out in this series was the emphasis on meeting customers where they're at in their data journeys. It's a crucial concept and I think it resonated with a lot of our listeners, if not everyone. Whether you were just starting out with your data or you're already deep in the AI game, Insights Tomorrow aim to provide value at every single step of your journey. Kind of like us, we started long time ago and now we're just knee deep in data. So we try to meet you where you're at.

Speaker B: I want to share a personal trait, Patrick, just because you said we started way back. So when I started my journey as an ETL developer, not in 1900s like you, Patrick, it's fairly more recently in the 2000s. So I remember all I ever did was just create mappings and bringing data from point A, dropping it to point B, doing a ton of transformations, cleaning up the data. That's pretty much what I thought the data job is going to look like. But look how much fancier it got over the period of time, um, that I was involved in the data space. It's truly rewarding when you really put data in a perspective where it really makes sense. It's like storytelling, but with metrics and data points. It's amazing.

Speaker A: Um, the 1900s, honestly, when I first started data, I started Data working on SQL Server 7.0. I think we are about to go into 2025, SQL Server 2025 or something like that. So it's been a really long journey. But let's take a trip down memory lane and look back at some of the episodes that seem to make a huge impact. Swetha, the one about AI, ethics. Ethics, right. Was particularly popular, don't you think so?

Speaker B: Uh, I definitely think so, Patrick. That episode truly sparks so many interesting conversations and discussions, both when we were talking to our guests on the show as well as the listeners. The idea of being responsible with AI and how do we balance innovation along with ethics. It's a tough balance to strike, but it is absolutely necessary. And that conversation really made everybody think differently about how we integrate these technologies into our lives, but also make it super responsible.

Speaker A: Yeah, and another one of my, um, just favorite episodes was a conversation we had with the team behind some of the groundbreaking data engineering solutions within Microsoft, like Microsoft Fabric, um, their take on scaling data solutions to meet the demands of today's world. It was so insightful and intriguing. It just made me think of they created this amazing thing and we get to use it to develop our, all these solutions all in a single place. When we're talking about Microsoft Fabric, it made me realize how much more complex and interconnected the world of data is coming. Think about the volume of data that we're collecting every day from all the devices that we have. The smartphones, the watches, the, uh, iPads, the computers. It's just flowing everywhere. Think about how it's all interconnected. It's amazing.

Speaker B: No, it is absolutely delightful to hear how these technologies are being applied in our real world scenarios. Patrick. It's not just, if you think about it, like you said, it's not just stuck in their devices, it's actually bringing it into our lives, making it part of our lives. And from healthcare to finance, the way data is being used today is Transforming. And really it's mind blowing to see how industries are shifted from how we were thinking about data and how we are. And really we are just scratching the surface now and think that's what makes this space so exciting because it's fast paced, really changing things pretty much on a daily basis.

Speaker A: Yeah. Think about how exciting it is. I'm actually getting chills just hearing you talk about it. It's funny. Uh, but now as we wrap up Insights tomorrow, we're not going anywhere. We are excited to introduce something new, something that takes all of our insights that we've shared over the last few months and amplifies them into a new, more interactive format. Everybody's probably like, what are they talking about? We're talking about our new series, Fabric TechTalk Fridays. Or like we like to call it, F squared. T squared.

Speaker B: That's right, Patrick. Every Friday we'll be doing something a little bit different. We want to focus on the powerful ways that Microsoft Fabric is helping organizations streamline and scale their data operations. So we will share with you some of the tips and tricks to deep dives into all the new features that are coming into the fabric world through this series called Fabric TechTalk Fridays. And this will be a chance for you to get your hands dirty with the tools that are shaping the future of data. It's just not talk. It's just, uh, more than the tech talk, Patrick. We will be sharing demos. We will do deep dives. It's just not walk the talk, but it is really showing demos to get deep.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's not just talk. Right? It's tech talk. Uh, exactly. And we're not just talking theory. We're going to showcase real world use cases. We're going to hear from experts in the field and provide some actionable insights that will help you implement these technologies. Right away you can go take what we're going to talk about and use this at your job and your consultancy today. It's going to be more hands on and accessible. So we're not just, like I said, we're not just going to talk the tech, we're going to tech the tech.

Speaker B: That is right, Patrick. That's the right way to put it. One of the things that I'm particularly excited about this is how we are exploring the full spectrum of Microsoft fabric, Patrick. Really, if you think about it, from data integration, data engineering, to data science, machine learning models and even governance to top it all. And plus how do we secure our data? So we're going to cover it all in this series and it's perfect companion to what we have discussed on Insights tomorrow. Because in Insights Tomorrow, we really touched on all these topics, uh, from a business decision maker level on how do you start thinking about these things and how do you implement that in your organization. But now we will be showing you practical solutions like Patrick, you mentioned. It's just not talking about this feature. It's not theory. Whatever we show is something that you can take and implement as early as the same day. Those are the features that you can implement and see how it works for your organizational data needs.

Speaker A: One of the things that I just truly love about what we're doing with this fabric TechTalk Fridays is we're going to have a lot of interaction with the community. We want to hear from you, our listeners, about what you're working on, the challenges you're facing, and what you'd like us to dive deeper into. We really want to get our hands dirty. We're going to bring in people from every aspect of Microsoft Fabric. We'll also be bringing in guest experts from around the industry to share their knowledge and insights. This is something, you know me sweat. I love the tech, so this is something I'm really looking forward to.

Speaker B: No, I know another thing about you, Patrick. Knowing tech is your strong suit, but connecting with community is your stronger suit. So that's what you're going to do. So like Patrick mentioned, this is all about the community. We want you to be the guests on the show. Patrick and me will be hosting, co hosting, but truly the star of the show is going to be the community. So whoever is using Fabric today, whether in your organization or just playing with fabric, this show is for you. You can be a guest on the show. Show us what you got. So definitely. And you know something that makes this transition from this audio series so exciting is the fact that we're in the age where technology and data, ah, are constantly evolving. Patrick. And every week there is something new to learn. And we know, we all know by now, in the fabric world, things change so rapidly. We are shipping features every week, every month, so you'll be able to reflect that in fabric TechTalk Fridays. So whether you are a seasoned pro or, uh, just getting started, there will be something for everyone.

Speaker A: I bet you if we just wait a few minutes, something new in fabric will come out. I can, I can. So as we wrap up today's episode, we just want to take a moment to say thank you so much to each and every one of you who's been part of this journey with Insights. Tomorrow, your support. Your feedback and your engagement have meant just the world to us.

Speaker B: Yes. Plus one to all of that, Patrick. And thank you all. Um, it has been such an honor to explore these incredible ideas and innovations with you. And though Insights Tomorrow is coming to a close, we are really just getting started. We are excited for what's to come with Fabric TechTalk Fridays. Like Patrick said, F square. T square. And we hope you'll continue this journey with us. So, Patrick, how do we let our listeners know where to check out this channel? Tell us more about that.

Speaker A: So, Swetha, you know how I like to do. Let's hit. Oh, I can't. We can't head over to my laptop, but you head over to the Microsoft Fabric YouTube channel and check out all the Fabric Tech Talk Friday episodes. There is a few that's probably already available.

Speaker B: That's amazing, Patrick. We'll all see you soon on Fabric TechTalk Fridays. Keep subscribing to the channel and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible with the tech and especially in the data and AI space.

Speaker A: So thanks everyone. Keep innovating, keep evolving, and we'll see each of you on Fabric Tech Talk Fridays. Uh, thanks for joining us for this episode of Insights Tomorrow. Be sure to catch us next time as we continue the journey to uncover the challenges and the possibilities that organizations face every day. You can find more about the show and catch Future episodes@insightstomorrow.com or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.