Weeks 1–3 · Foundations
Select, filter, group, and checking your row counts.
The programs, in detail
Four programs of 8 to 12 weeks, written on real queries and real questions.
Program 01 · From joins to windows
SQL that sticks
We build SQL from the inside: what a join actually does to row counts, when aggregation lies to you, readable CTEs instead of nested subqueries, and window functions — which unlock most of the analysis people think requires a scripting language.
Weeks 4–6 · Joins
Every type, and what each does to your data.
Weeks 7–8 · CTEs
Queries another person can read.
Weeks 9–10 · Windows
Running totals, ranks and period comparisons.
Weeks 1–3 · Framing
What decision does this number serve.
Weeks 4–6 · Cleaning
Nulls, duplicates and honest handling.
Weeks 7–8 · Metrics
Definitions people can agree on.
Weeks 9–10 · Caveats
Saying what the data can't tell you.
Program 02 · The question behind the question
Doing an analysis
An analysis starts with the decision someone needs to make. We work on getting to that, on cleaning data without quietly deleting the inconvenient rows, on choosing metrics that can't be gamed, and on stating limitations plainly — which builds far more trust than confident overreach.
Program 03 · Used, not built and forgotten
Dashboards & reports
Most dashboards are a wall of charts nobody opens twice. We work on choosing the right chart, on layout and hierarchy, on documenting metric definitions so numbers stop being argued about, and on keeping a dashboard maintainable after you've moved on.
Weeks 1–2 · Chart choice
Matching the shape of the question.
Weeks 3–4 · Layout
Hierarchy, and what goes above the fold.
Weeks 5–6 · Definitions
Documented, agreed, consistent.
Weeks 7–8 · Maintenance
Something that still works in six months.
Weeks 1–2 · Scoping
Questions to ask before you open the database.
Weeks 3–4 · Write-ups
Answer first, method underneath.
Weeks 5–6 · Presenting
Five minutes, one slide, one recommendation.
Weeks 7–8 · Pushback
When people dislike the number.
Program 04 · Findings people act on
Working with stakeholders
Good analysis dies in bad communication. We work on scoping requests before starting, writing a summary that leads with the answer, presenting to people who want a decision rather than a method, and handling the pushback that arrives when findings are inconvenient.
Stuck on a query or a question?
Twenty minutes on your work and where it gets difficult. Free.