Bruce Momjian

About the Speaker

• Tell us about yourself: career, family, passions

  I have been working in open source since 1991, and Postgres since 1996.

  I enjoy traveling, which works well since I travel 90 days a year to attend conferences. I like odd things, like Japanese TV, trains, and studying often-overlooked historical events.

• What is your icebreaker for PostgreSQL events?

  Uh, my first challenge is figuring out if I have met the person before, and if so, where and what did we talk about. If they can speak for 1-2 minutes, I can usually figure it out.

• How do you prepare for an online presentation?

  I have a long checklist of items I need for an online presentation, like a headset, count-up clock, and presentation remote. My chair has to be adjusted and I have to be well rested.

• Which book are you reading right now?

  A book about William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, and an often-overlooked historical figure (see the pattern?).

• What is your favorite hobby?

  Probably sightseeing, and second is trains.

About the Talk

• What will your talk be about, exactly? Why this topic?

  I gave a talk about the basics of the optimizer in 2022 and this talk is the follow-up that covers the remaining, more complex, operations the optimizer can perform.

• What is the audience for your talk?

  Anyone interested in query performance, and people curious about how the

  Postgres optimizer works.

• What existing knowledge should the attendee have?

  Well, it would be nice if they would have seen my first talk, perhaps as a recorded video.

• Which other talk at this year’s conference would you like to watch?

  Uh, I haven't looked yet.

• How do you balance technical depth with engaging storytelling in your conference presentations?

  Uh, wow, I think it is exciting how much Postgres does for you automatically, and how much thought has gone into it, and I try to convey my excitement to the audience.

About PostgreSQL

• What inspired you to work with PostgreSQL?

  I was curious how relational databases worked internally, specifically the optimizer.

• What is your favorite PostgreSQL feature?

  Probably the optimizer, though I am not sure that is a single feature.

• What is the single thing that you think differentiates PostgreSQL most from other databases?

  Two things, the open source development process, which creates software of amazing quality with a high rate of innovation, and extensibility, which allows Postgres to handle modern data workloads.

• What is your favorite PostgreSQL extension or tool? And why?

  Not sure.

• What advice would you give to someone starting their journey with PostgreSQL?

  It requires a lot of dedication, and humility to learn from others without feeling inferior or overwhelmed.

• What are your favorite resources for learning about PostgreSQL?

  For me, it is the mailing lists, and IRC channel.

• Could you share a memorable experience or challenge you faced while working with PostgreSQL?

  There is always someone smarter than me, and someone is going to point out my mistakes, and I am going to feel stupid. I had to get used to that.

• In your opinion, what are the most common pitfalls or mistakes developers make when working with PostgreSQL?

  They treat Postgres like other relational databases, and miss out on its unique feature—they eventually figure it out.

• Which skills are a must have for a PostgreSQL user/developer?

  Perseverance.

• What is the most overlooked thing about PostgreSQL?

  Extensibility and its ability to handle non-traditional relational workloads.

• PostgreSQL is open-source, did that ever help you in anyway and how?

  It allows me to see how the software actually works, and to fix bugs and add features.

• If you had a magic wand, what single thing would you change in PostgreSQL as it is today?

  Well, the name could use some polish. ;-)

About POSETTE & Events

• Have you enjoyed previous POSETTE (formerly Citus Con) conferences, either as an attendee or as a speaker?

  Yes, as a speaker.

• What motivated you to speak at this year’s POSETTE: An Event for Postgres?

  It is a good way to reach a large audience.

• What other PostgreSQL events in 2024 are you excited about?

  Well Greece in October should be very nice, and I have never visited there.

• What advice would you give to fellow speakers preparing for a PostgreSQL conference?

  Think about your audience first, and what they need to know, rather than trying to get every piece of information into your talk. Also, prepare your slides weeks ahead of time so you have time to improve them.

• What would be helpful for a first-time speaker?

  You don't have to be great at the start, just improve every time to give a presentation.

• Could you share a memorable moment from a previous PostgreSQL conference you attended or spoke at?

  Wow, too many memories to summarize.