Data Insights #302
I've been meaning to send this for a while...
Hi there,
First up, it’s confession time: I’ve had a newsletter in my drafts since mid-February but have been trapped in a loop of perfectionism.
This not only goes against my goal for the year of taking imperfect action, but also means that you’ve all missed out on potentially more newsletters whilst I’ve been getting stuck on a draft!
Today I threw away my original draft and took to my keyboard with the mission of sending something to you all this evening, so hello again! How are you all doing?
🌷 News & Updates
One way I have been embracing imperfect action this year is in the garden. I’ve been experimenting with growing fruit and veg from seed and I’m very much learning as I go! I love seeing my little seedlings growing and trying to work out what exactly they need. It’s definitely a lesson in patience and I’m excited for my first year of fresh home-grown food!
Those regular substack visitors among you may have noticed a brief change in publication name. The challenge I’ve been facing that I was trying to articulate in my previous draft(s) was that there is an overwhelming volume of posts, articles and news related to data out there recently, but it can be hard to find the valuable resources amidst a lot of noise. For a while, I’ve been wanting to create more useful content but I also don’t want to be adding to the sea of articles if someone else has already said it better.
I am full of ideas to try to break through the noise and share valuable insights with you and I wanted to create some new features in this newsletter with a bit of a rebrand. After several conversations and a serious think, I realise that some of the ideas require significant time and energy - more than I have available - so will have to go back to the backlog. But I do have some news and projects in the pipeline that I’m excited to share with you!
👀 Where did all the good content go?
I’m trying to find out where the good data content lives! Which other substacks do you recommend? What news sites do you regularly visit? What platforms do you use for learning and tutorials?
I used to rely on Twitter and Medium for the latest news and trends, and now I tend to use LinkedIn, however this is hugely influenced by the algorithm resulting in a lot of content shared purely for engagement, and maybe 1/20 posts (on a good day) are actually of interest. I’ve recently been signing up to more and more data-focused substacks which has been great! But I’m sure that there’s some essential sources I’m missing!
Any recommendations you have would be hugely appreciated! I’ll be sharing a few of my latest finds with you later.
📖 Data Dictionary
Something I’ve wanted to put together for a while is a shared knowledge hub. I’ve had several iterations of systems in notion to save resources, learning materials and inspiration and would love to make it available to you.
It will be an ongoing process to consolidate this in an accessible way and I’m excited to share today the launch of the Data Dictionary, featuring:
Check back for new definitions being added and let me know if there’s terms you’d like to see!
⭐️ Mentoring Opportunities
I am also excited to announce that I’m opening up a few slots for 1-1 mentoring.
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to meet and work with amazing people and have had mentors and mentored others along the way.
One particular mentor I worked with really helped me by offering a different perspective and sharing their own experiences. I really valued the conversations we had and the insights they shared with me, resulting in my confidence growing and timeless advice that I’ve taken with me.
Have you considered mentoring?
If you’re looking for support and guidance in your career, this opportunity is for you. Register your interest to find out more!
Alternatively, have your questions answered
If you aren’t looking for ongoing mentoring but have a data or career related question that you’re looking for help with, submit your question below!
🚀 Coming soon
Subscribe to be the first to hear about the new project: Working with Data.
✨ Recommendations
Thank you for getting this far, that was a lot of updates and links today!
Here’s a few articles worth a read!
The History of Data Engineering by Vu Trinh
Have you ever wondered about the history of our field? Read more
Change Data Capture by luminousmen
For most companies, the journey to analytics starts with a crime. Read more
⭐️ I highly recommend checking out other posts by luminousmen too!
Thank you for reading today’s mega update! I hope you found something of value here and I’m looking forward to hearing your resource recommendations, questions and data dictionary requests!
Speak soon,
Kerry