There’s no shortage of opinions about where the database industry is headed. Vendors, analysts, and bloggers are quick to describe an increasingly AI-driven future, but those views don’t always match what’s happening inside real teams.

You’re the one untangling strange permission errors, or firefighting a failed deployment, or nervously contemplating compliance issues, on systems that have grown far more complex than anyone ever planned.

That’s why your voice matters. You see the trade-offs that come with moving fast. You know where careful design often gives way to expediency, and how the ‘compliance rules’ might say one thing, but the system in front of you says another.

Those insights deserve to be heard because they reveal the true state of our profession. The State of the Database Landscape survey exists to capture exactly that: the reality of working with databases today. It builds a picture of the challenges teams really face, the practices that are proving most effective, and the trends that are shaping our profession.

It takes about 15-20 minutes to complete, but it’s time well spent to ensure the conversation about our industry reflects your real experiences rather than marketing headlines. And yes, there’s also a prize draw to win one of five $250 Amazon vouchers.

So, if you’ve ever read a shiny new whitepaper or analyst’s predictions and thought “that’s not how it works here”, now’s your chance to set the record straight. Take the survey.