Real-time data is becoming increasingly important in today's digital landscape, with applications ranging from location-based services to banking and retail. Open source projects like Apache Cassandra and Apache Pulsar are leading the delivery of real-time data at cloud scale for developers. These technologies have addressed difficulties faced by developers in adopting real-time data, such as cache invalidation and naming things. However, shifting from a traditional "app-to-database-first" mindset to an "app-to-stream-first" approach requires significant collaboration between architects and developers, addressing technical, cultural, and organizational issues. Despite these challenges, leading digital services are built on open source technologies like Apache Cassandra, Stargate, and Apache Pulsar, with companies around the globe partnering with DataStax to accelerate their real-time data capabilities.