The conventional wisdom for data platform modernization goes like this: pick a target system, build ETL pipelines for every source, migrate everything, validate the data, retrain your users, and then start getting value. That process takes six to eighteen months. During that time, analysts are waiting and leadership is asking why the investment has not produced results yet. There is a better sequence. Instead of making everyone wait for a full migration, you start producing value on day one and migrate to Apache Iceberg at your own pace. The key is treating federation, the semantic layer, AI access, and Iceberg migration as four independent phases, each delivering value on its own, rather than a single all-or-nothing project. Phase 1: Connect Your Data Where It Lives Sign up for Dremio Cloud and you get a lakehouse project with a pre-configured Open Catalog right away.…