The Evolution of Tracardi: From UQL to Independent Customer Data Platform
Hey there, fellow data enthusiasts! Grab a coffee and let me take you on a wild ride through the evolution of Tracardi. It's been quite a journey, and I'm excited to share it with you.
The Spark: Unomi Query Language (UQL)
Picture this: It's a few years back, and I'm exploring Apache Unomi CDP, seeing its potential as a powerhouse for a new CDP project. Unomi was great, but interacting with it? That was a challenge, especially without a GUI. I thought, "There's gotta be a way to make this more accessible!"
That's when the idea for UQL was born. I wanted to create a way to interact with Unomi that was as simple and familiar as using SQL. The goal was to harness Unomi's power while making it more user-friendly, especially for those who weren't deep into its technical intricacies.
UQL was our first step towards simplification. We aimed to make data querying in Unomi as straightforward as possible. Imagine being able to pull valuable insights from customer data with the ease of writing a simple query - that was the dream.
Tracardi: Bridging the Gap to Apache Unomi CDP
With UQL in mind, we realized there was still a missing piece - a proper interface for Unomi. That's when Tracardi, version 0.1, came into the picture. The idea was to create a GUI that would act as a bridge between users and Unomi's robust backend.
We were excited! This was our chance to make Unomi's capabilities accessible to a broader audience. Tracardi's GUI was designed to be that friendly interface, allowing businesses to tap into Unomi's power without needing to dive deep into its complex configurations.
The Pivot: Charting Our Own Course
As we developed Tracardi as a GUI for Unomi, we began to see new possibilities. We had ideas for features and optimizations that were challenging to implement within Unomi's framework. It wasn't that Unomi was lacking - it just had a different focus than what we were envisioning for Tracardi Customer Data Platform.
After much consideration and probably too much caffeine, we made a pivotal decision. It was time to develop our own backend. This wasn't about breaking up with Unomi, but rather about creating something that could fully realize our vision for Tracardi.
The Rebirth: Tracardi as a Full-Fledged CDP
Building our own backend was a monumental task, but it opened up a world of possibilities. We could now implement real-time processing, create advanced user segmentation, and automate workflows in ways we had only dreamed of before.
Our community grew, and so did Tracardi. It was like watching a project take on a life of its own. We optimized, we scaled, we innovated - all with the goal of creating a Customer Data Platform that could meet the evolving needs of businesses in a data-driven world.
Where We Are Now
Fast forward to today, and Tracardi has evolved into a robust, independent CDP. We've come a long way from those early days of UQL and our initial GUI for Unomi. The journey has been incredible, filled with learning, growth, and constant innovation.
Every time I look at our GitHub repo (github.com/tracardi/tracardi), I can't help but feel a sense of pride. Those early commits tell a story of vision, perseverance, and a community that believed in pushing the boundaries of what a CDP could be.
So, what's next for Tracardi? Well, that's the beauty of open-source, isn't it? The sky's the limit. We're constantly evolving, driven by our amazing community and the ever-changing landscape of customer data.
To everyone who's been part of this journey - thank you. And to those just discovering Tracardi - welcome aboard! Trust me, you're in for one heck of a ride.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some code to write. The next chapter of Tracardi isn't going to build itself!
Cheers,
Your friendly neighborhood Tracardi founder
