Learn how to achieve sub-second response times for operational workloads using Databricks' Real-Time Mode in Apache Spark Structured Streaming in this 35-minute conference talk. Explore the evolution of Project Lightspeed, introduced in 2022, which enables consistent p99 latencies under 300ms for both stateless and stateful streaming queries. Discover what defines operational use cases in enterprise streaming environments and understand the typical latency requirements that modern real-time processing systems must meet. Gain practical insights into implementing Real-Time Mode to satisfy demanding service level agreements (SLAs) for operational workloads. The presentation covers the technical foundations of achieving ultra-low latency streaming, the challenges of real-time data processing at scale, and best practices for deploying sub-second response systems in production environments.