Daily data contracts tips

Let’s say 20 years ago you ran your code in an environment you configured simply as python.

How do you like your data?

It’s that time of year again where teams everywhere are considering a code freeze for the holiday season.

Data governance is changing.

While yesterday I wrote about prioritising data quality projects, I think it’s important to note that while for many of us the quality does need to be improved, we don’t need to be aiming for perfect.

It’s likely going to be difficult to get a project prioritised if the goal is defined only as “improving data quality”.

After mentioning the title of my talk for apidays in Paris was “Data Contracts: The API for Data”, I had a couple of responses saying that data contracts are not APIs, and that they’re for communication and facilitating an agreement between the generators and consumers of data (or something along those lines).

If you’re building key product features on top of your data, shouldn’t it be as dependable as your software-backed features?

I’m writing this on the train back from Paris, having spent the last few days at the apidays conference, where I gave a talk titled “Data contracts: The API for Data”.

Interfaces are powerful.