Finding the Right Data Types Kevin Wilkie

Think INT is always enough? Still storing dates as VARCHAR? Let’s fix that. Join us for a deep dive into the wild world of data types—where performance, precision, and portability all hang in the balance. We’ll explore how different databases (including SQL Server and Snowflake) implement data types, what actually happens under the hood, and why that seemingly small choice you made in table design might be silently wrecking your indexes, your storage, or your sanity. You’ll walk away with practical guidance, battle stories, and a fresh look at what “right” really means when it comes to typing your data. Whether you’re a schema sculptor or a query whisperer, this is for you. Speaker: Kevin has been wrangling data and dodging dirty reads for over 15 years — back when SQL Server 6.5 was considered “modern” and query tuning meant praying to the optimizer gods. His journey began as an “Accidental DBA” — one misfired report and suddenly he was deep in sys.objects, pretending sp_who2 was an actual plan. Since then, he’s played nearly every role in the SQL Server ecosystem: SQL Developer, BI Associate, Production DBA, and now a Data Architect with a mission. These days, Kevin spends his time normalizing chaos, denormalizing silos, and preaching the gospel of clean, well-modeled data. He’s been known to pivot on the fly, avoid Cartesian relationships, and bring deadlocks back to life — all while gently reminding teams that SELECT is a cry for help. If it involves data, Kevin’s in — tuning queries, architecting solutions, or just nerding out about why surrogate keys are misunderstood. He’s not just passionate about data — he’s got a clustered index on it.