The Simple Talk Podcast

In a recent article, The Register suggested that SQL Server is "too lucrative to ditch, but too legacy to love" - but is that  actually  true?     With many years' SQL Server, PostgreSQL and Oracle experience between them,  Steve Jones ,  Kellyn Gorman ,  Grant Fritchey , and  Pat Wright  offer their th oughts on the article, and the current state of SQL Server as a whole  - including   how it far...

In this episode of the Redgate Simple Talk podcast, Kellyn Gorman is joined by veteran Data Platform Architect, David Klee, to talk all things SQL Server performance tuning. Learn why "it's slow" is the least useful thing anyone can tell a DBA, why you need a real baseline before diagnosing anything, and why a database is never 'just' a database - plus much more. Thanks to David for his time. You...

Two major PostgreSQL community events took place recently: PostgreSQL Development Conference 2026 (Vancouver, BC, Canada), and PG DATA 2026 (Chicago, IL). Pat Wright and Kellyn Gorman attended bot h and, in this quick-fire episode, offer their thoughts and key takeaways from the events.   Recorded on-site at PASS Summit Europe in Frankfurt, Germany (June 11 th , 2026).   PG Dev Conf 2026:  https:/...

Kristyna Ferris turned down grad school, learned Power BI, moved into the data world - and never looked back. In this chat with Steve Jones , Kristyna explains why she did it, what she's learned, and even why her first DBA changed her password! Plus: being a Microsoft MVP, the importance of self-learning, being inspired to get involved with the community, and Kristyna's passion for Lego, movies, a...

Taking the initiative. Prioritizing relationships. Doing the work nobody else wants to do. These are just some of the elements that contributed to Chris Yates' rise  from a developer  to a DBA and, eventually, a Senior Vice President. As he explains to Steve Jones, "you are the CEO of your own brand."    Also in the episode: discover Chris' thoughts on AI, the importance of community, and the one...

Are engineering teams quietly accepting more risk? Redgate's 2026 State of the Database Landscape report reveals that people are increasingly willing to accept more risk to be more productive and take full advantage of AI's capabilities. Steve Jones, Kellyn Gorman, Grant Fritchey and Pat Wright share their thoughts on that in today's episode. They share stories from their own careers, debate on wh...

How do organizations protect sensitive data in test and development environments without slowing delivery? That's the question Kellyn Gorman   and  Microsoft MVP  Hamish  Watson   discuss in this epis o de  –  explor ing  test data management (TDM), data masking, and governance in 2026. T opics  include:  why  non ‑ production  systems are a major security risk, the limitations of DIY and  AI ‑ ge...

Steve visits  Microsoft Data Platform MVP  and  data consu ltant  Matt Gordon near his home in Lexington,  KY. They discuss his love of making databases go faster, AI, the pros and cons of MS Fabric,  data quality, community involvement, and much more. Plus, learn all about Matt's  passion   for motorsport  and what he currently races on the track.   Want to see Matt's car and learn more about his...

Steve is joined by business intelligence architect and author Tim Mitchell . They discuss why SSIS will never die, the general pros of cons of integration services, the evolution from XML to JSON , how AI can help with coding, and taekwondo – among other topics! Recorded on-site at PASS Data Community Summit 2025. Visit Tim's website PASS Data Community Summit – join us in 2026! Watch or listen to...

Steve is joined by Cindy Gross to discuss leadership coaching in the technology industry – what it is, how it works, and the many benefits it brings. Recorded on-site at PASS Data Community Summit 2025 in Seattle. Cindy is an executive coach and Adaptive Leadership Expert with 25 years in the US tech industry. As a former SQL Server Master (MCM) and expert in cross-organizational navigation at Mic...

Rollbacks  act as an 'undo' for databases, but why  are they important , what happens if you  can't  roll back, and  how do you prevent even  needing to in the first place? Steve, Kellyn, Grant & Pat try to answer these questions – and more.   Recorded on-site at Redgate HQ in Cambridge, UK.   Watch or listen to every episode of the Simple Talk podcast at:   www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts  

Steve, Kellyn & Grant are joined by new Redgate Advocate, Pat Wright, for a wide-ranging discussion about what to expect in the database world in 2026 – from AI and when the bubble may burst, to community events (including the upcoming rebrand of SQL Saturday), the importance of connection, and much more… Recorded on-site at Redgate HQ in Cambridge, UK.   Watch or listen to every episode of the Si...

Steve Jones, Kellyn Gorman and Grant Fritchey discuss what surprised them most in the database/tech world in 2025, ruminate on the good, bad and ugly of AI, and ponder where it goes next. Recorded on-site at PASS Summit 2025 in Seattle. Watch or listen to every episode of the Simple Talk podcast at: www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/podcasts Simple Talk is a free learning resource brought to you by Red...

Ed Pollack (Microsoft Data Platform MVP and community champion) sat down with Steve Jones at PASS Summit 2025 to discuss many topics including: Why change is good - but keeping on top of the fundamentals is still important Data modeling Recommended software/products to use SQL Server 2025, which was just launched into General Availability at the time of recording The process of testing & best prac...

Steve Jones is joined by SQLBits founder Simon Sabin at Redgate's Cambridge HQ  to discuss  Simon's early days in the data world  (and  how the industry has evolved ),  the importance of context when working with AI, and  what's  ahead for SQLBits in 2026. They also dive into the nuances of conference  speaking  and,  for a change of pace,  Simon  talks about his foray into  UK motor racing.   SQL...

Steve chats with John Sterrett, CEO of  ProcureSQL , about his true love for data from a young age, how SQL Saturday and community events inspired him to start his own company,  ProcureSQL's  use of AI to provide more value, and the impacts of work on relationships - plus much more! ProcureSQL :  https://procuresql.com/   John's website:  https://johnsterrett.com/   Marriage  Masterpeace :  https:...

Steve sits down with Lee Brownhill, who by day helps clients optimize their SQL workloads in Azure and AWS at Cloud Rede, but is also a Redgate Ambassador, blogger and aspiring speaker. Lee talks about his interest in giving back to the SQL Server community through writing and speaking, having taken inspiration from others online and in-person at events, and naturally the conversation also touches...

Join Redgate Advocates Steve, Kellyn & Grant as they seek to answer the question: who owns the database? Hear everything from stories of being on-call 24/7 as a DBA and why it's not sustainable, to how the cloud is changing things today.   Ultimately, the answer looks different everywhere. Tell us how it plays out in your world by joining the 2026  State of the Database Landscape Survey and be in...

Steve Jones is at Redgate's Cambridge, UK headquarters once again, this time joined by Tom Hodgson , Innovation Lead on Redgate's Foundry team. Tom giv es an overview of The Foundry , which is  Redgate's innovation hub, offering some insight on what they do and what they're working on (spoiler: it involves AI)! Also, hear Tom's thoughts on AI & LLMs in general – including why sometimes just the ba...

Steve Jones sits down for a chat with Jeff Foster, Redgate's Director of Technology & Innovation, at the company 's Cambridge, UK headquarters. The main subject covered is hugely topical – AI – with Jeff explaining how he feels about AI today and how it might impact us, and o ur jobs, in the future. You'll also learn a bit more about Jeff's background and Redgate's ways of working.   Jeff's recomm...

To kick off Season 3, host Steve Jones is joined by Mike Bowers , Chief Architect at data technology company F airCom . The conversation includes an overview of Mike 's background, the work he does at FairCom , plenty of SQL talk, and advice on getting into the industry.   FairCom : https://www.faircom.com/   Check out more Simple Talks podcast episodes at https://rd.gt/3TJocZ9

Steve, Kellyn and Ryan sit down to discuss searching for a job in 2025. It was Ryan's last show that he recorded with the advocates before changing jobs which , interestingly enough, was not why the subject was chosen. Ryan Booz: https://www.softwareandbooz.com/ Steve Jones: https://voiceofthedba.com/ Kellyn Gorman: https://dbakevlar.com/ Check out more Simple Talks podcast episodes at https://rd....

Carlos Chacon of Marathon Consulting joins Louis for a lively chat about topics far and wide , from the community and podcasts to security and laundromats. Carlos has his own longstanding podcast and , as they came to the end of the interview, he turned the tables on Louis and made him answer some of his own questions too! SQL Data Partners: https://marathonus.com/about/podcast/   Follow Carlos on...

Steve Jones, Grant Fritchey and Ryan Booz discuss moving your code from one database platform to another, highlighting some of the real benefits and concerns that you need to be aware of.   Download Redgate's 2025 State of the Database Landscape report at www.red-gate.com/solutions/state-of-database-landscape/2025/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mc-202501-t1-navigating-the-datab...

In this special solo episode, host Louis Davidson stays 'full screen' for the entire show and ans w ers the very ques tions he asks of others! Where it all started, what tech he loves, the one obvious thing he loves to do outside of working with databases (which has been mentioned before) ... it's all covered here! Check out other Simple Talks episodes at https://rd.gt/3TJocZ9   Download Redgate's...