The Dataquest Download

Level up your data and AI skills, one newsletter at a time.

Each week, the Dataquest Download brings the latest behind-the-scenes developments at Dataquest directly to your inbox. Discover our top tutorial of the week to boost your data skills, get the scoop on any course changes, and pick up a useful tip to apply in your projects. We also spotlight standout projects from our students and share their personal learning journeys.

Hello, Dataquesters!

Here’s what we have in store for you in this edition:

Top Read: You chose the right chart but the message didn’t land? Learn how to make your visuals clear, powerful, and impactful. Learn now

Learner Spotlight: Meet four inspiring learners who started from scratch, overcame self-doubt, and built careers in data without any traditional background in data science. Read stories

From the Community: Explore polished projects, productivity hacks, and tips for learning through community engagement. Join the discussion

New Resource: Networking tips for aspiring data professionals to build connections and grow your career, even if you’re just starting out. Learn more

Why Your Charts Aren’t Speaking Loud Enough

Ever chose the right chart, but your message still didn’t land? This tutorial shows how to transform forgettable visuals into clear, compelling stories. Learn a simple 3-level design framework to reduce clutter, highlight what matters, and make your charts readable and impactful for any audience.

Learner Spotlight

This edition, we’re highlighting four incredible learners who started with doubts, diverse experiences, and non-linear paths and still made amazing progress:

  • Linky came from procurement and supply chain, chasing career stability in tech. With no prior coding experience, he leaned on Dataquest’s step-by-step structure and found success by taking it slow and building from the ground up. Read more
  • April used her teaching background to pivot into a data-adjacent role, creating tools and reports that drive real impact—no Python required. Her story shows how your past skills can power your future. Read more
  • Israel emphasizes the importance of starting with the basics, especially statistics. For him, it’s not about being a genius; it’s about consistency and curiosity. Read more
  • Hamza, an engineer, felt like a beginner again when starting data science. What changed everything? A mindset shift and hands-on learning with Dataquest. He reminds us that steady progress and a great community can take you far. Read more

From the Community

Northwind Traders Analysis: Fakhriddin’s project evaluates employee performance and product sales using advanced SQL and Python visualizations—a polished, professional piece worth exploring.

Tools for Productivity & Learning: Anna shares tips to speed up your learning and stay focused. Got your own hacks?

Learning Through the Community: Linky offers practical tips on how engaging with the Community helped him level up faster and build stronger projects.

Probability of Independent Events: Raisa breaks down the inclusion-exclusion principle to calculate the chance of at least one independent event happening.

DQ Resources

Networking Tips for Aspiring Data Professionals: Learn actionable strategies on how to build meaningful connections and grow your network as a data professional, even if you’re just starting out. Learn more

Analyzing Helicopter Prison Escapes Using Python: This beginner-friendly project walks you through a complete data analysis workflow. You’ll learn how to collect data from Wikipedia, clean it, perform basic analysis, and visualize your findings. Learn more

Data Science Interview Prep Guide: Get expert tips for succeeding in data science interviews covering preparation, performance, and follow-up strategies. Learn more

Introduction to Cloud Deployment Models: Learn how public, private, and hybrid cloud models work, and how to choose the right one for your business based on security, cost, and scalability needs. Learn more

What We're Reading

Making Graphs More Accessible: MIT CSAIL’s Tactile Vega-Lite tool helps streamline the creation of tactile charts for blind and low-vision readers, improving accessibility in data visualization.

7 Concepts That Show You’re Solid at Python: A fast-paced quiz-style read that challenges your understanding of seven key Python concepts every serious developer should know.

Give 20%, Get $20: Time to Refer a Friend!

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High-fives from Vik, Celeste, Anna P, Anna S, Anishta, Bruno, Elena, Mike, Daniel, and Brayan.

2025-05-14

How Data Analysts Write Prompts That Actually Work

Explore GitHub tools, build ML models predicting heart disease risk, and craft precise prompts to boost clarity and results from AI. Read More
2025-05-07

Struggling to Pick a Cloud Platform? Start Here

Build a Wordle-style game, track Hacker News trends, and optimize your Python workflow with top Dataquest projects. Plus, compare AWS, Azure, and GCP by services and use cases. Read More
2025-04-30

Build Your First Computer Vision Model in PyTorch

Explore learner-led Python and SQL projects, a faster way to calculate sample variances in R, and a new Kaggle survey analysis to sharpen your data skills. Read More

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