The happy path to composable data systems builds on top of standards. But not all standards are created equal. Half the battle is knowing what types of standards are needed, and how to choose good ones. We highlight strong composable standards like Substrait, Arrow, and ADBC (Arrow Database Connectivity) as examples.

The second half of the battle is learning how to use standards to build towards a composable data system. Developing with standards is a lot like using anchors while rock climbing: they help you chart a course to your final destination, and offer protection when changes need to happen in the future.