You now understand data architecture:
- Medallion architecture: bronze (raw), silver (cleaned), gold (curated)
- Data mesh decentralizes ownership to domain teams (for large orgs)
- Lambda and Kappa are conceptual; real systems are pragmatic hybrids
- Scale across volume, concurrency, throughput, and team size
- Cost optimization is a first-class concern in cloud
In design interviews, show structured thinking. Ask clarifying questions. Discuss trade-offs. No perfect answer exists. Your reasoning matters more than the solution.