The Dataquest Download
Level up your data and AI skills, one newsletter at a time.
Hello, Dataquesters!
Here’s what we have for you in this edition:
Top Read: Take your Airflow project closer to production by adding a load step, connecting to MySQL, managing credentials, and syncing DAGs with Git so your pipeline looks and feels like a real data engineering workflow. Read now
From the Community: Explore polished salary dashboards, tips for choosing great datasets, daily learning habits that actually stick, using SQL inside Jupyter, interactive dashboards with Plotly or Dash, and best practices for presenting projects on GitHub. Join the discussion
What We’re Reading: A reality check on AI “vibe coding,” an approachable walkthrough of deep reinforcement learning, and a hands-on guide to using LangChain agents for automatic CSV sanity checks. Learn more
In Part I, we built a real Airflow DAG in Docker and simulated an ETL pipeline with extract and transform steps. Now it’s time to take that workflow closer to production. In this follow-up tutorial, you will complete the ETL lifecycle by adding a load stage, connect Airflow to a local MySQL database, and manage credentials with Airflow Connections and environment variables.
You will also integrate Git and Git Sync into your Airflow setup so your DAGs are version controlled, easy to collaborate on, and deployable in a more realistic way. By the end, your project will look much less like a sandbox and much more like a production-aligned data pipeline that mirrors how real data engineering teams run Airflow in practice.
From the Community
US Salary Analysis: In his individual project, Israel used advanced Excel functions to build an interactive dashboard analyzing the salaries of industry professionals across various U.S. cities. The dashboard features a polished interface, visually engaging charts, and flexible filtering options.
Choosing Datasets for Your Projects: Check out suggestions from your peers on where and how to find meaningful datasets for mastering your data skills and building personal projects, then share your own approaches.
Staying Consistent with Daily Learning: Join the discussion on effective strategies for maintaining a daily learning habit and avoiding procrastination or overwhelm. Your virtual classmates have already shared many valuable recommendations—jump in!
Using SQL in Jupyter Notebook: Alla shared three beginner-friendly tutorials on connecting to an SQL/SQLite database and working with it directly in Jupyter Notebook.
Your Biggest Takeaway from Your Latest Dataquest Course: Join your peers in sharing the most valuable insights, experiences, and skills gained from Dataquest courses. We’d love to hear what you’ve discovered!
Creating an Interactive Dashboard with Plotly or Dash: Shane provides a step-by-step explanation of how to build an interactive dashboard where users can explore data visually using Plotly or Dash.
Presenting Dataquest Projects on GitHub: Check out great tips from your peers on how to showcase your projects on GitHub or other Git platforms. Explore helpful approaches, best practices, tools, resources, and tricks, then contribute your own!
What We're Reading
The AI Vibe Coding Paradox: AI can crank out code at lightning speed, yet the best results still come from developers who know how to guide it. This piece unpacks the “vibe coding” trend and shows why human intuition remains the secret ingredient in modern software development.
Deep Reinforcement Learning For Dummies: This piece offers an approachable overview of deep reinforcement learning, illustrated with code showing a robot learning to pilot a drone. Perfect for readers who want to see complex ideas made simple and practical.
LangChain for EDA—Build a CSV Sanity-Check Agent in Python: The rise of large-language models (LLMs) goes hand in hand with the growing use of agents. In this article, Sarah Schürch shows how LangChain plays a powerful role in enabling agents to automate key exploratory data analysis (EDA) tasks.
Give 20%, Get $20: Time to Refer a Friend!
Give 20% Get $20
Now is the perfect time to share Dataquest with a friend. Gift a 20% discount, and for every friend who subscribes, earn a $20 bonus. Use your bonuses for digital gift cards, prepaid cards, or donate to charity. Your choice! Click here
High-fives from Vik, Celeste, Anna P, Anna S, Anishta, Bruno, Elena, Mike, Daniel, and Brayan.