All Episodes

September 8, 2025 7 mins

Send us a text

Unlock the power of Databricks with this in-depth guide to Liquid Clustering! If your Databricks jobs are slow, expensive, or hard to explain, this video is for you. Learn how Liquid Clustering can transform your data pipelines, cut costs, and make you stand out in job interviews. We’ll break down the differences between partitioning, Z-ordering, and Liquid Clustering, show you how to implement it, and share expert tips for interview success. Plus, discover common pitfalls and how to avoid them!

What you’ll learn:

Why traditional partitioning and Z-ordering fall short
How Liquid Clustering works and why it’s a game-changer
Real-world performance and cost benefits
How to explain Liquid Clustering in interviews
Common mistakes and best practices

Interview Template: https://www.gambilldataengineering.com/gambill-data-business-templates#liquid-clustering

If you are looking for a book recommendation to learn more about Data Engineering on Databricks Check this out: https://amzn.to/4mCVdCD

Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction: The Databricks Performance Problem
0:24 – Why Liquid Clustering Matters
1:21 – What is Liquid Clustering?
2:09 – Key Benefits: Performance, Cost, Governance
3:14 – Comparing Partitioning, Z-ordering, and Liquid Clustering
4:27 – How to Implement Liquid Clustering
4:51 – The “Cluster by Auto” Secret
5:15 – Interview Tips: How to Stand Out
6:01 – Common Pitfalls to Avoid
6:41 – Key Takeaways
7:08 – Call to Action & Next Steps

Support the show

Chris Gambill is a data engineering consultant and educator with 25+ years of experience helping organizations modernize their data stacks. As founder of Gambill Data, he specializes in data strategy, cloud migration, and building resilient analytics platforms for mid-market and enterprise clients. He’s passionate about making real-world data engineering accessible.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn or learn more at gambilldata.com.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.

The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.