Data Engineer vs Software Engineer: One Post Maps the Real Difference

goyalshaliniuk · x · 2026-09-28

• Different problems: Software engineers build apps, services, APIs, and product experiences; data engineers build systems that move, transform, store, and serve data for analytics, reporting, ML, and BI.
• Different stacks: SWEs lean on Java, Python, JS/TS, Go, transactional databases, and event-driven systems; DEs work with SQL, Spark, Kafka, Airflow, dbt, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, and lakehouse platforms.
• Workflow view: SWEs consume and process application events; DEs build the pipelines that clean, model, and deliver those events downstream.
• Shared foundation: Git, Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud fundamentals apply to both roles.

Original post →

More from Fun

• Dad builds a Street Fighter-style game with Claude Opus so his kids can settle chores — JordanMorgan10 · 2026-09-28
• In the Bay Area, the ultimate status signal is stressing about lack of compute — matt_slotnick · 2026-09-28
• Claude Code Turns Rental Floor Plans into CAD, Blender Renders and Web Pages — yangyi · 2026-09-28
• Astra's 3D Understanding: Could Remake Ratatoing but Not Ratatouille — jongranskog · 2026-09-28
• A billion-dollar CEO doesn't wake up thinking his team should vibe code an app to save $100/mo — kylegawley · 2026-09-28
• Asked Claude in Cursor to make a video on the history of space exploration — prasenx · 2026-09-28

Fun channel →