How companies are moving from Database to Event Stream and why Event Stream itself is not enough for your application

When we think about data, we often think that data give human the insight to make better decisions. Therefore, an application such as a database exists to interact with the UI application to know the current state.

However, data can help us make better decisions and help other software make better decisions, thus removing humans from the system’s critical path.

Think about Netflix — their business started as a rental DVD service, you go to Netflix to rent a DVD, and they will send the DVD via postal service. In 2021, Netflix has become a pure software platform that lets users watch any movies with a click of a button.

Airbnb initially started as a website like Craiglist without a payment provider — you connect with the host via the website, and you physically paid the host afterward. In 2021, Airbnb has become a pure software platform that lets users rent any house and experience with a click of a button.

Businesses are becoming more automated — the business process becomes more like an autopilot.

We also started to see many applications where the user-interface is the smaller part of the whole package. We see companies create software to serve our end-user, human, and develop systems to talk to another system.

When we think about data management systems, there are two things: stream processing and database. Understanding the difference between the two can help us know how we can create better and efficient systems for ourselves.

#software-development #programming #data #software-architecture #database #database vs stream processing — what it means for the future of data management