The Modern Data Stack’s Final Act: Consolidation Masquerading as Unification

OverviewThe Illusion of UnificationEvidence of Illusion: Consolidations by Layer of the Data StackAnalysis of the Evidence of ConsolidationHow Users Avoid the Trap of False UnificationUnderstand Who is Truly Delivering Unified PlatformsImplications for Enterprises / Data LeadersThe Illusion of UnificationThe Modern Data Stack is ending, but not because technology failed. It’s ending because vendors realised they can sell the illusion of unification while locking you in.The ecosystem that birthed the Modern Data Stack has matured and vendors have begun to see the endgame. The promise of modularity, flexibility, and best-of-breed choices is giving way to a new narrative: unification, at any cost. The latest whispers of a $5–10 billion Fivetran-dbt merger make this reality undeniable.