Thoughts

Our shared perspectives on the data space.

Development

The Read Gap

The models got good at writing SQL before most analysts got good at reading it. That gap is the actual problem.

Jobs

The Jobs AI Created

AI was supposed to shrink demand for data workers. Instead, data roles are multiplying. Here's why that's not a paradox.

AI

The Multiplier Has a Floor

AI tools are genuinely impressive. They're also multipliers — and multipliers have a floor. That floor is your actual competency.

AI

The Shift Change

The fear that AI replaces analysts is understandable. It's also mostly wrong. The real displacement risk isn't from the tools — it's from the people learning to use them.

Economy

The Cost of Entry Has Never Been Lower

The data skills gap has persisted for years. The tools to close it cost less than a streaming subscription — and most people still haven't started.

Jobs

Go Where the Work Actually Is

The January jobs report landed without drama. The more interesting number was buried in the revision — and it changes the calculus on where data skills actually pay off.

Development

The Portfolio Problem

Most early-career analysts have been told the same thing: build a portfolio. The advice is right. The execution is almost universally bad.

Economy

Data Fluency Is the New Baseline

A few years ago, knowing how to write a query and build a pivot table made you stand out. That window is closing.