Transitioning from dbt to SQLMesh at Harness marked a significant shift in data transformation processes, emphasizing enhanced state management, streamlined workflows, and sophisticated templating through SQLMesh's deterministic approach. While dbt had gained popularity for its cohesive framework and community, its reliance on Jinja for templating introduced complexities that could be cumbersome at scale. SQLMesh, by contrast, focuses on managing data transformations with an infrastructure-like plan/apply paradigm, akin to Terraform, allowing for more efficient state and dependency management. The migration process at Harness, conducted in phases to ensure continuity and minimize disruptions, highlighted SQLMesh's capability to handle complex SQL patterns without the pitfalls of non-deterministic templating. The transition was facilitated by SQLMesh's advanced features like SQLGlot for parsing SQL and eliminating the need for YAML configurations, thus simplifying project structures. This migration not only addressed the limitations experienced with dbt but also aligned with Harness's commitment to innovation by embracing SQLMesh's vision for a more efficient, flexible, and developer-friendly data transformation paradigm. Despite challenges typical of adopting new technology, the collaboration with SQLMesh's responsive open-source team reinforced confidence in SQLMesh as a sustainable long-term solution for data engineering needs.