Talking Postgres with Claire Giordano

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Jun 2026

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Talking Postgres is a podcast for developers who love Postgres. Guests join Claire Giordano each month to discuss the human side of PostgreSQL, databases, and open source. With amazing guests such as Boriss Mejías, Melanie Plageman, Tom Lane, Simon Willison, Robert Haas, and Andres Freund, Talking Postgres is guaranteed to get you thinking. Recorded live on Discord by the Postgres team at Microsoft, you can subscribe to our calendar to join us live on the parallel text chat (which is quite fun!): https://aka.ms/TalkingPostgres-cal

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41 recent

June 12, 2026Episode 401 hr 21 min

How I got started running a Postgres user group with Jeremy Schneider

Intensely local user groups have been part of Jeremy Schneider's story from the start—from Linux meetups at a Michigan coffee shop to a closet server running an Oracle database nobody knew anything about. In Episode 40 of Talking Postgres, Postgres engineer and Seattle Postgres User Group co-organizer Jeremy Schneider joins Claire to share how community led him to Postgres after 15 years with Oracle—and why "it's like I was born to be here." Plus: the newly-updated Postgres Happiness Hints poster, advice for starting your own user group, and his POSETTE 2026 talk on CloudNativePG.Previously on Talking Postgres:Talking Postgres Ep 38: How I went from Oracle to Postgres (with a big NoSQL detour) with Gwen ShapiraLinks mentioned in this episode:Seattle Postgres User Group: Meetup pageSeattle Postgres User Group: YouTube channelUser Group Map from PGConfEU 2025 talk: 48 Postgres User Groups during PG18 timeframePostgreSQL.org: Listing of local Postgres User GroupsPostgres Meetup For All (a virtual meetup): Meetup pageJeremy Schneider’s Blog: Ardent Performance ComputingPoster: Postgres Happiness HintsPGConf.dev 2026: Posters from Poster SessionPGConf.dev 2026 Poster Session: Talking Postgres posterPOSETTE: An Event for Postgres 2026: Jeremy’s POSETTE 2026 talk with Leonardo CecchiPOSETTE 2026: Livestream 3 schedule & talksOracle docs: Oracle Database Concepts PDFBook: Oracle Insights: Tales of the Oak Table

May 8, 2026Episode 391 hr 29 min

From MemSQL to HorizonDB, an engineer's journey with Adam Prout

What does it take to make Postgres and Azure fit together cleanly, like puzzle pieces? In Episode 39 of Talking Postgres, Adam Prout—distinguished engineer at Microsoft and a founding architect of Azure HorizonDB—joins Claire to trace his engineering journey from MemSQL to Postgres. We dig into shared-storage architecture and how HorizonDB pushes more work into the storage layer; why the team chose Rust; and what “good systems programming” looks like when being paranoid is a feature, not a bug. Along the way: startup vs big company tradeoffs, and how working on databases exposes you to so many interesting parts of computer science. Previously on Talking Postgres:Talking Postgres Ep29: How I got started leading database teams with Shireesh ThotaLinks mentioned in this episode:Blog post: Announcing Azure HorizonDB, by Charles Feddersen & Affan DarCMUDB talk: HorizonDB: Co-Designing Postgres and Azure for Cloud-Native OLTP, by Adam ProutResearch paper: Socrates: The New SQL Server in the CloudProduct page: Azure HorizonDBVideo of POSETTE 2025 talk: Scaling Postgres to the next level at OpenAIBlog post: Scaling PostgreSQL to power 800 million ChatGPT users, by Bohan ZhangBlog post: Supporting ChatGPT on PostgreSQL in Azure, by Affan Dar, Adam Prout, & Panagiotis Antonopoulos Docs: Azure Database for PostgreSQLGitHub repo: pgrxDiscord: PostgreSQL Hacking serverConference: PGConf.dev 2026Conference Schedule: PGConf.dev 2026 Schedule

April 10, 2026Episode 381 hr 6 min

How I went from Oracle to Postgres (with a big NoSQL detour) with Gwen Shapira

It’s rare for developers to genuinely love their database, so why does Postgres earn that kind of loyalty? In Episode 38 of Talking Postgres, Gwen Shapira, co‑founder of Nile, joins Claire to trace her path from operating Oracle at scale, through a long NoSQL chapter, to co‑founding a Postgres company that wasn’t originally meant to be one—after discovering how much Postgres quietly gets right. Gwen shares how she spun up on Postgres after years with other databases (shout-out to the Happiness Hints and a strong sense of curiosity), and why Postgres has made her appreciate Codd. We also touch on blogging as a career catalyst, the upcoming PGConf.dev conference (where a lot of PG20 work gets discussed, and where we’ll celebrate 30 years of Postgres)—and the #1 rule of consulting: it’s always the consultant’s fault. Previously on Talking Postgres:Talking Postgres Ep15: My Journey to Explaining Explain with Michael ChristofidesTalking Postgres Ep24: Why mentor Postgres developers with Robert HaasTalking Postgres Ep30: AI for data engineers with Simon WillisonLinks mentioned in this episode:Gwen’s company: NileArdent Performance Computing blog: PostgreSQL Happiness HintsBook: Just Use Postgres! by Denis MagdaGitHub repo: HypoPGWikipedia page: Codd’s 12 rulesBlog post: Transaction Isolation in Postgres, by Gwen ShapiraPodcast: Postgres.FMDiscord server: PostgreSQL Hacking Upcoming conferences & talks mentioned:Conference: PGConf.dev 2026 on May 19-22 in Vancouver CanadaConference Schedule: PGConf.dev 2026 scheduleCFP deadline: PGConf.dev Community Discussion Sessions deadline on 14 Apr 2026Conference: PGConf EU 2026 in Valencia SpainLinkedIn post: PGConf.dev 2026 conference t-shirt, celebrating 30 years of PostgresPOSETTE 2026 talk: The Rise of PostgreSQL as the Everything Database, by Varun DhawanPGConf.dev 2026 Panel: Real-Time Patch Idea EvaluationPGConf.dev 2026 Roundtable: Unexpected Successes & Epic Failures by PostgreSQL committersCalendar invite: LIVE recording of Ep39 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed May 06, 2026

March 20, 2026Episode 371 hr 9 min

Building Postgres services on Azure with Charles Feddersen

Why does SQL feel so approachable to some developers, and why do some of them end up spending their careers in the data layer? In Episode 37 of Talking Postgres, Charles Feddersen, who leads product for Postgres at Microsoft, joins Claire to talk about building Postgres services on Azure. We explore his path from classic ASP apps on Microsoft Access to distributed Postgres with Citus, the moment he installed pgAdmin and got pulled deeper into Postgres, and what it takes to build for the many different ways people rely on Postgres today—from Flexible Server and Azure HorizonDB to developer tooling—and why it’s important to support the upstream Postgres open source project.Previously on Talking Postgres:Ep 22: Leading engineering for Postgres on Azure with Affan Dar: https://talkingpostgres.com/episodes/leading-engineering-for-postgres-on-azure-with-affan-darEp29: How I got started leading database teams with Shireesh Thota https://talkingpostgres.com/episodes/how-i-got-started-leading-database-teams-with-shireesh-thotaLinks mentioned in this episode:Video of CMUDB talk: HorizonDB: Co‑Designing PostgreSQL and Azure for Cloud‑Native OLTP, by Adam ProutVideo of talk: Azure HorizonDB: Deep Dive into a New Enterprise-Scale PostgreSQL, by Adam Prout & Denzil RibeiroTalk at SCALE 23x: Did VS Code Quietly Become a Go-To Postgres Tool?, by Phil Vacca Visual Studio Code Marketplace: VS Code extension for PostgreSQLDocs: Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible ServerGitHub repo: Citus open sourcePostgres extension: PostGISConference: PGConf India 2026Upcoming conferences & talks mentioned:Conference: PGConf.dev 2026 in Vancouver CanadaConference: Microsoft Build 2026Keynote at POSETTE: An Event for Postgres 2026: Driving Postgres forward at MicrosoftPOSETTE: An Event for Postgres 2026: ScheduleConference: Postgres Summit US 2026 (formerly PGConf NYC)Conference: PGConf EU 2026 in ValenciaCalendar invite: LIVE recording of Ep38 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Apr 08, 2026

February 20, 2026Episode 361 hr 25 min

Why it's fun to hack on Postgres performance with Tomas Vondra

Why would anyone willingly spend weeks chasing a slow query, knowing they might hit dead ends along the way? In Episode 36 of Talking Postgres, Tomas Vondra—Postgres committer and long‑time performance contributor—joins Claire to explain why hacking on Postgres performance is not just hard, but also fun. We dig into the process of investigating why queries are slow, how iteration and “wrong turns” are part of performance work, and why Tomas prefers meaningful performance puzzles over toy problems. Along the way, we talk about using benchmarks to build an understanding of a problem. Tomas also shares how even small changes in code can have outsized impact when that code is used a lot, and how the mathematics embedded in the Postgres query planner/executor makes the work especially rewarding.Previously on Talking Postgres:Talking Postgres Ep31: What went wrong (& what went right) with AIO with Andres FreundTalking Postgres Ep24: Why mentor Postgres developers with Robert HaasLinks mentioned in this episode:PGConf.dev 2026: ScheduleGitHub repo: PostgreSQL Monthly Hacking Workshop, organized by Robert Haas Nordic PGDay 2026: Tomas talk on approximating percentilesVideo of POSETTE 2025 talk: Performance Archaeology – 20 years of improvementsVideo of PGConf EU 2025 talk: Fast-path locking improvements in PG18Conference: Prague PostgreSQL Developer DayDiscord: PostgreSQL Hacking DiscordGitHub repo: tvondra/tdigestBrendan Gregg’s site: perf Linux profiler examplesDocs: pgbench for running benchmarks on PostgreSQLBlog: Tomas Vondra blogPostgres Patch Ideas: List on Tomas Vondra blogCalendar invite: LIVE recording of Ep37 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Mar 18, 2026

January 16, 2026Episode 351 hr 10 min

How I got started with DBtune (& why we chose Postgres) with Luigi Nardi

Are self-driving databases the Waymos of the future? In Episode 35 of Talking Postgres, Luigi Nardi—founder and CEO of DBtune and Stanford researcher—joins Claire Giordano to explore his journey from academic research to Level 5 autonomous database tuning. We dig into Luigi’s early days with a Commodore 64, how he began his PhD in Paris before he had learned to speak French, and how "professor privilege" in Sweden helped him bootstrap his startup. You’ll learn why the DBtune team chose database tuning and Postgres as their focus, what the Jevons paradox means for the future of developers, and how the “Level 5” vision fuels the DBtune team’s work toward a truly self-driving system. Previously on Talking Postgres:Talking Postgres Ep30: AI for data engineers with Simon WillisonTalking Postgres Ep23: How I got started as a developer & in Postgres with Daniel GustafssonLinks mentioned in this episode:CFP: POSETTE: An Event for Postgres 2026’s CFP closes on Sun Feb 1, 2026 @ 11:59pm PSTVideo of POSETTE 2024 talk: Autotuning PostgreSQL on Azure Flexible Server, by Luigi NardiVideo of PGConf India 2025 talk: ML for Systems and Systems for ML, by Luigi NardiPGConf India 2025: Round Table Discussion about AIOxide and Friends podcast: Engineering Rigor in the LLM AgeWikipedia: Jevons paradoxWikipedia: Neuro-symbolic AIConference: PGDay Lowlands (Boriss Mejías calls it the second-best Postgres conference in Europe)Calendar invite: LIVE recording of Ep36 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Feb 18, 2026

December 12, 2025Episode 341 hr 16 min

What Postgres developers can expect from PGConf.dev with Melanie Plageman

What do conference planning, hacking weddings, and cat-free coding sessions have to do with Postgres? In Episode 34 of Talking Postgres, Melanie Plageman—Postgres committer and major contributor from Microsoft—joins Claire for a lively deep dive into what developers can expect at PGConf.dev 2026 as Postgres turns 30. We explore new content formats, the role of travel grants, why Tuesday becomes a full conference day, and how the hallway track often shapes the next Postgres release. Plus: creating space for new contributors to get inspired and get involved. And yes—the CFP is open until Jan 16, 2026.Links mentioned in this episode:Podcast: Becoming a Postgres committer with Melanie PlagemanPodcast: How I got started as a dev and in Postgres with Melanie Plageman & Thomas MunroConference: PGConf.dev 2026CFP for PGConf.dev: CFP will close on Jan 16, 2026PGConf.dev 2026: AboutPGConf.dev 2026: Sponsorship levelsPGConf.dev 2026: Travel grant programSocial: LinkedIn account for PGConf.devPOSETTE: An Event for Postgres: POSETTE CFP is open until Feb 1, 2026Meetup: Post about inaugural PostgreSQL Nairobi Meetup in Dec 2025 PGDay Lowlands 2025: Debate on Kubernetes, session detailsPGDay Lowlands 2025: Debate about autotuning, session detailsConference talk at PGCon 2019: Intro to Postgres Planner Hacking, by Melanie PlagemanBlog post: The Pac-Man Rule at Conferences, by Eric HolsherDiscord invite for PostgreSQL Hacking Mentoring server: https://discord.gg/bx2G9KWyrYCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep35 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Jan 14, 2026

November 7, 2025Episode 331 hr 18 min

Building a dev experience for Postgres in VS Code with Rob Emanuele

What do guitar busking, geospatial queries, and agentic coding have to do with Postgres? In Episode 33 of Talking Postgres, principal engineer Rob Emanuele at Microsoft shares his winding path from Venice Beach to building a new VS Code extension for PostgreSQL—that works with any Postgres, anywhere. We dig into GitHub Copilot, ask vs. agent mode, and how Rob now codes in English—and then spends even more time in code review to decide what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s dangerous. Also: how PyCon changed his life; his work on the Microsoft Planetary Computer with spatio-temporal queries and PostGIS; and how music, improv, and failure shape his approach to developer experience. Links mentioned in this episode:Visual Studio Marketplace: VS Code extension for PostgreSQL with ~261K downloads to dateGitHub repo: VS Code extension for PostgreSQL (for issues/discussions)Docs: GitHub Copilot agent modePOSETTE 2025 Talk: Introducing Microsoft’s VS Code Extension for PostgreSQL, by Matt McFarlandVS Code Live: Working with PostgreSQL databases with the Microsoft PostgreSQL VS Code extension, with Olivia Guzzardo & Rob EmanueleTalking Postgres Ep30: AI for data engineers with Simon WillisonPostgres Meetup for All: VS Code Tools for Postgres, happening on Thu Dec 11, 2025 Wikipedia: DogfoodingTalking Postgres Ep07: Why people care about PostGIS and Postgres with Paul Ramsey & Regina ObePOSETTE 2024 keynote: The Open Source Geospatial Community, PostGIS, & Postgres, by Regina ObeWebsite: Microsoft Planetary ComputerGitHub repo: PgSTACCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep34 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Dec 10, 2025

October 10, 2025Episode 321 hr 18 min

The Fundamental Interconnectedness of All Things with Boriss Mejías

What do chess clocks, jazz, and Postgres replication have in common? In Episode 32 of Talking Postgres, solution architect Boriss Mejías shares how the idea of “interconnectedness”—inspired by Douglas Adams—can help you untangle complex Postgres questions. We explore OpenAI’s approach to scaling Postgres, how Postgres active-active mirrors Sparta’s dual kingship, and how a holistic approach can reveal the behavior of synchronous replication. Also: Beethoven’s 17 drafts, and why chasing perfection can hold you back. Listen to learn more about Boriss, Postgres, and the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.Links mentioned in this episode:Podcast Ep32 of Talking Postgres: What went wrong (& what went right) with AIO with Andres FreundPodcast Ep03 of Talking Postgres: Why give talks at Postgres conferences with Álvaro Herrera & Boriss Mejías: Wikipedia: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas AdamsTalk at PGConf NYC 2025: Scaling Postgres to the Next Level at OpenAI, by Bohan ZhangVideo of PGConf.dev 2025 talk: Scaling Postgres to the Next Level at OpenAI, by Bohan ZhangTalk at PGConf NYC 2025: Improved Freezing in Postgres Vacuum: From Idea to Commit, by Melanie PlagemanTalk at PGConf NYC 2025: Database Modeling to Study the New York Jazz Scene, by Boriss MejíasJazz Club in NYC: Patrick’s Place in HarlemVideo of PGConf EU 2024 talk: Sparta’s Dual-Kingship and PostgreSQL Active-Active, by Boriss Mejías Video of POSETTE 2025 talk: Postgres Storytelling: Cunning Schema Design with Creative Data Modeling, by Boriss Mejías & Sarah Conway Talk at FOSDEM PGDay 2024: High Availability Configurations Are Very Common for PostgreSQL, But How Do You Investigate Performance Problems When the Standby Can’t Keep Up? by Boriss Mejías and Derk van VeenConference: PGDay Lowlands 2025, the second year of this “second-best Postgres conference in Europe” Conference Schedule: upcoming PGConf EU 2025 in LatviaWikipedia: Chess clockBook: Daily Rituals, by Mason CurreyArticle: It Takes Two to Think, by Itai Yanai & Martin J. LercherPoem: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel ColeridgeWikipedia: City of Bruges Belgium, a good place for beer and cheeseCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep33 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Nov 5, 2025

September 19, 2025Episode 311 hr 12 min

What went wrong (& what went right) with AIO with Andres Freund

Six years, a prototype, and a brief multi-layered descent into “wronger and wronger” design—what does it take to land a major architectural change in Postgres? In Episode 31 of Talking Postgres, Andres Freund—major contributor, Postgres committer, and lead of the Asynchronous I/O project—shares the wins, the missteps, and why he thinks AIO definitely took too long. We dig into io_uring in Linux, direct I/O, streaming reads, technical leadership, and exactly when is the right time to stop working on a prototype. If you’ve ever wondered how big architectural changes happen, or why they sometimes take years, this episode is for you. Links mentioned in this episode:Talking Postgres podcast: How I got started as a developer (& in Postgres) with Andres Freund & Heikki LinnakangasRelease Notes: PostgreSQL 18 release notes News: PostgreSQL RC 1 Released on Sep 04 2025Wikipedia page: io_uringPostgreSQL: Join the PostgreSQL Hacking DiscordVideo of talk: What went wrong with AIO by Andres Freund at PGConfdev 2025Commit: Add core asynchronous I/O infrastructure to PostgreSQLWiki page: AIO project in PostgreSQL with state, sub-projects, and work still to be doneUpcoming Talk: AIO in PG 18 and Beyond at PGConf NYC on 30 Sep 2025Upcoming Talk: AIO in PG 18 and Beyond at PGConf EU on 23 Oct 2025Wikipedia page: XZ Utils backdoor discovery by Andres FreundCal invite: LIVE recording of Ep32 of Talking Postgres to happen on Wed Oct 8, 2025