Episode Details

On this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop is joined by Yury Selivanov, the CEO and co-founder of EdgeDB, for a fascinating discussion about the reinvention of relational databases. Yury explains how EdgeDB addresses modern application development challenges by improving developer experience and rethinking decades-old database paradigms. They explore how foundational technologies evolve, the parallels between software and real-world systems like the electrical grid, and the emerging role of AI in coding and system design. You can connect with Yury through his personal Twitter account @1st1 (https://twitter.com/1st1) and EdgeDB’s official Twitter @EdgeDatabase (https://twitter.com/edgedatabase).

Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation!

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Crazy Wisdom Podcast

00:27 What is EdgeDB?

00:58 The Evolution of Databases

04:36 Understanding SQL and Relational Databases

07:48 The Importance of Database Relationships

09:27 Schema vs. No-Schema Databases

14:14 EdgeDB: SQL 2.0 and Developer Experience

23:09 The Future of Databases and AI Integration

26:43 AI's Role in Software Development

27:20 Challenges with AI-Generated Code

29:56 Human-AI Collaboration in Coding

34:00 Future of Programming Languages

44:28 Junior Developers and AI Tools

50:02 EdgeDB's Vision and Future Plans

Key Insights

1. Reimagining Relational Databases: Yury Selivanov explains how EdgeDB represents a modern rethinking of relational databases. Unlike traditional databases designed with 1970s paradigms, EdgeDB focuses on improving developer experience by introducing object-oriented schemas and hierarchical query capabilities, bridging the gap between modern programming needs and legacy systems.
2. Bridging Data Models and Code: A key challenge in software development is the object-relational impedance mismatch, where relational database tables do not naturally map to object-based data models in programming languages. EdgeDB addresses this by providing a high-level data model and query language that aligns with how developers think and work, eliminating the need for complex ORMs.
3. Advancing Query Language Design: Traditional SQL, while powerful, can be cumbersome for application development. EdgeDB introduces EdgeQL, a modern query language designed for readability, hierarchical data handling, and developer productivity. This new language reduces the friction of working with relational data in real-world software projects.
4. AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: While AI has transformed coding productivity, Yury emphasizes that it is a tool to assist, not replace, developers. LLMs like GPT can generate code, but the resulting systems still require human oversight for debugging, optimization, and long-term maintenance, highlighting the enduring importance of experienced engineers.
5. The Role of Schema in Data Integrity: Schema-defined databases like EdgeDB allow developers to codify business logic and enforce data integrity directly within the database. This reduces the need for application-level checks, simplifying the codebase while ensuring robust data consistency—a feature that remains critical even in the era of AI.
6. Integrating AI into Databases: EdgeDB is exploring innovative integrations of AI, such as automatic embedding generation and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) endpoints, to enhance data usability and simplify complex workflows. These capabilities position EdgeDB as a forward-thinking tool in the rapidly evolvi