Grant Fritchey

About the Speaker

• Tell us about yourself: career, family, passions

  I've been working in IT for over 30 years as a developer and database specialist. I've been working with PostgreSQL for over two years. My family and I live in the woods in Oklahoma where we like to go on hikes and, as necessary, dodge tornadoes.

• How do you prepare for an online presentation?

  Online presentations are a little tougher to prepare for than in-person. The main thing is that you have to have a full set of material to cover the entire time frame because you will get very few questions from the audience and generally less interaction. So, on the one hand, it's better because it means that you can really focus on the material. On the other, you might not be providing what the people attending want and you won't be able to adjust because you don't have that interaction. So, focus on the material.

• Which book are you reading right now?

  Sharpe's Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell

• What is your favorite hobby?

  Without a doubt, amateur radio. I volunteer with the local emergency services, which usually means helping out with bike rides, but when bad weather hits, and it hits frequently in Oklahoma, we get on the air and help coordinate storm spotters throughout the state for the National Weather Service. I also volunteer with the medical services in the state as a radio operator. Around all that, I run some on-air nets and practice with all the different modes of radio.

About the Talk

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

  It's all about the Query Store in PostgreSQL on Azure. Query tuning is frequently a challenge, and the very first challenge is identifying which query you should be focused on. Secondly, you need metrics, but not simply aggregated. You need metrics that show what happened yesterday that's different than today. Finally, you need to manage all this information. Or, you can take advantage of Query Store that does all this, and more.

• What is the audience for your talk?

  Anyone who cares about performance of their PostgreSQL databases. Developers, DBAs, others, all care about this.

• What existing knowledge should the attendee have?

  Just the basics of PostgreSQL.

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

  "6 things you can do with azure_ai" looks really cool.

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

  For a twenty minute talk, focus on a single idea. Just one thing you want to communicate to the audience. In my case, I want to show how Query Store can help with query tuning. That's it. So, I can tell the story and show the technical side, all within that single idea.

About PostgreSQL

• What inspired you to work with PostgreSQL?

  The community. Sure, cool technology, without a doubt. However, it's the community, the people, that attracted me to PostgreSQL. It's so much more vibrant and engaged than many other data systems.

• What is your favorite PostgreSQL feature?

  Currently, spatial data. All the things you can do with it, it's so much more powerful than any other database system that offers these types of functions.

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

  Extensions. The ability to simply add a new feature when you need it is amazing.

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

  My favorite tool right now is DBeaver. I love it because it works similarly to how my head works, so I can get on to PostgreSQL databases and get going.

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

  Spend time exploring the online sources for information in addition to the PostgreSQL documentation. The documentation is incredible for its depth. However, it doesn't always tell you what you shold be doing and how. So find those secondary sources to get that information.

• What are your favorite resources for learning about PostgreSQL?

  Number one is the PostgreSQL documentation. It's as thorough a set of documents you'll ever see. I always start there. I may go to secondary sources, but my starting point is always the PostgreSQL documentation.

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

  I think the issue is the same as with any other database system. People build what they want to build, rather than building something that will work well. They don't learn enough of the PostgreSQL technical stack and then implement what they're building poorly. It's one thing to compromise to create some technical debt. It's something else entirely to architect poorly from the beginning and have even more massive technical debt.

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

  Biggest one, the ability to learn. This is a huge, expanding, data management system. There's always more to learn.

About POSETTE & Events

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

  Nope, first one.

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

  Most important for me was the fact that I was going to get the chance to talk about PostgreSQL at all.

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

  PGConf NYC and PGConf EU. Fingers crossed, I've submitted and I'll get in.

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

  Have fun. That's it. Enjoy the moment.

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

  Remember to breath. Pause every so often and breath.

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

  It was at the after party of the event in Malta where I got to talk to several community leaders. They're amazing. Getting to meet them, see that they're just as human as the rest of us, but still filled with knowledge and willing to help out. Not exactly earth shattering, but it made a big impact on me.