Snowflake or Databricks? The Real Question Is Somewhere Else.

Snowflake or Databricks?

The debate comes back again and again.

And it is usually framed as a technology question.

I think that is the wrong framing.

Both platforms can be highly relevant depending on the organisation’s context.

The real question is:

“Which platform fits our strategy, maturity and ability to execute?”

Start with the problem

Before comparing features, understand the use cases.

Do we mainly need an analytics platform?

Do we have significant machine learning requirements?

How mature is our Data organisation?

What is our cloud strategy?

What skills do we already have internally?

And most importantly: what business problems are we trying to solve?

The invisible cost

The cost of a platform is not limited to the cloud bill.

It also includes:

• training;
• hiring;
• migration;
• maintenance;
• operational complexity;
• switching costs;
• dependency on specific experts.

A technically excellent platform can become economically inefficient if the organisation cannot operate it effectively.

Move beyond technology tribalism

The role of a Data leader is not to defend a technology.

It is to create the conditions for a sound decision.

The logo on the invoice creates no value.

Value comes from the organisation’s ability to use the platform, drive adoption and connect technology to business priorities.

The real question is not “Snowflake or Databricks?” It is “What does our organisation actually need?”