From Zero to 100M Users: Inside Notion’s Data Stack and AI Strategy with Sumit Gupta

The Data Engineering Show

AI's transformative impact on data engineering and analytics is reshaping how professionals create value, shifting focus from technical skills to strategic thinking and communication.

In this episode of The Data Engineering Show, the bros talk with Sumit Gupta, Lead BI Engineer at Notion, about his journey through prominent tech companies, modern data stacks, and how AI is revolutionizing data workflows and professional development.

What You'll Learn:

• How modern data stacks are evolving with tools like Snowflake, dbt, Iceberg, and Hex
• Why transferable skills are becoming more crucial than technical expertise in the AI era
• How to leverage AI tools strategically
• The framework for automating content creation workflows using AI tools and APIs
• Why this is "the worst AI will ever be" and how to prepare for accelerating change
• How to balance AI automation with authentic human connection in content creation
• Why modern data professionals must embrace AI while maintaining ethical considerations
• How companies like Notion are implementing AI for improved customer insights and engagement

This episode offers valuable insights into the practical application of AI in data workflows, content creation, and professional development, while addressing both the opportunities and challenges in the evolving tech landscape.

Highlights:
[03:19] - Modern Data Stack Evolution for Scale
[10:05] - AI-Powered Customer Intelligence Platform
[15:17] - Future of Data Careers in the AI Era
[18:49] - Automated Content Creation Workflow
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About the Guest

Sumit Gupta is a Lead BI Engineer at Notion, where he spearheads reporting and dashboarding initiatives for marketing and sales teams. With over a decade of experience in data and analytics, including notable roles at industry leaders like Snowflake and Dropbox, he brings deep expertise in modern data stack implementation and AI integration. In this episode, Sumit shares valuable insights on the evolution of data engineering, the impact of AI on analytics workflows, and how he leverages various AI tools to enhance productivity both professionally and as a content creator with 21,000+ Instagram followers. His unique perspective on balancing technical expertise with transferable skills in the age of AI, combined with his experience at "Bay Area Darlings" like Notion, Snowflake, and Dropbox, makes this conversation particularly relevant for data professionals navigating the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Quotes

"The scariest part about the whole AI boom is this is the worst AI will ever be." - Sumit

"If you are someone who's starting new in data field, the value of your technical skills that used to be very valuable until 2021 is not as much - your transferable skills or soft skills comes into picture." - Sumit

"Every bit is expensive - all the servers are cheap, but when you're dealing with hundred million users and trillions of rows of data a day, you have to find that one percent saving." - Sumit

"AI has made me a lot more productive, but at the same time, it has also made me dumber." - Sumit

"If you are someone new, especially in data, scared of AI or skeptic of AI, I would say jump in - if you don't jump onto the bandwagon right now, you might be left out in a year or so." - Sumit

Resources

• Sumit Gupta LinkedIn
• Notion Website
• Sumit Gupta Instagram
• Firebolt Website

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The Data Engineering Show is brought to you by firebolt.io and handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Joseph Machado of Linkedin, Metthew Weingarten of Disney, Joe Reis and Matt Housely, authors of The Fundamentals of Data Engineering, Zach Wilson of Eczachly Inc, Megan Lieu of Deepnote, Erik Heintare of Bolt, Lior Solomon of Vimeo, Krishna Naidu of Canva, Mike Cohen of Substack, Jens Larsson of Ark, Gunnar Tangring of Klarna, Yoav Shmaria of Similarweb and Xiaoxu Gao of Adyen.
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

• Zach Wilson on What Makes a Great Data Engineer
• Joe Reis and Matt Housley on The Fundamentals of Data Engineering
• Bill Inmon, The Godfather of Data Warehousing