What does a good GitHub portfolio actually look like?
What kind of projects show real skills?
How do you go beyond tutorials?
And how should you explain what you’ve built? @ivanovyordan.com Answer these questions here.
#databs #datasky #dataengineering
Keeping a technical opinion to yourself isn't humility.
It's a habit that looks like disengagement from the outside.
When something is heading the wrong direction, say so.
Once, clearly, with a reason.
That's the whole move.
A non-technical manager isn't your problem.
One who stopped trusting your estimates is.
Scope creep doesn't come from stakeholders asking for too much.
It comes from you never writing down what the project doesn't include.
The highest-value thing you do as a senior stops being technical output.
It becomes the quality of decisions made around you.
Most engineers resist this.
And wonder why they keep getting passed over.
Most 1:1s are status updates in disguise.
Come in with one real problem.
One thing you need help with or a decision you need made.
That's what the time is for.
Explaining a pipeline in plain language is harder than building it.
Your team won't like hearing that.
But the VP who funded someone else's project because he didn't understand yours? He agrees.
Your work doesn't speak for itself.
It never did.
You were just hoping it would so you didn't have to.
Stakeholders don't want data.
They want to feel less wrong.
Your job isn't to find the truth and present it.
It's to help someone decide better than they would without you.
Those are different jobs.
Tool sprawl is costing you influence.
3 steps to connect your stack:
1. Map the handoffs (who/what breaks where).
2. Standardize contracts: schemas, IDs, naming, SLAs.
3. Automate the boring parts: triggers, alerts, lineage.
When tools talk, you ship faster
Avoid these mistakes as a beginner leader:
1. Writing too much code
2. Saying yes all the time
3. Not building a long-term vision
You’ll save yourself so many headaches.
The engineers who do well long term are not the ones who consume the most content.
They are the ones who:
- design better filters
- choose their sources carefully
- avoid the constant firehose of social feeds
They give themselves enough time to think about the ideas they encounter.
Read more:
People think data engineering is:
1. Learning every Python library
2. Memorizing SQL syntax
3. Buying expensive cloud certifications
What it is:
1. Moving data from point A to point B
2. Ensuring data arrives on time
3. Validating data accuracy
The best way to become a better programmer is to build more.
The best way to become a better analyst is to explore more.
The best way to become a better leader is to inspire more.
Stop overcomplicating it. Just do more.
Different problems require different kinds of help. Here’s how data teams can choose between employees, contractors, and consultants based on the work that needs to get done.
open.substack.com/pub/datagibb...
Stop hiring "data help."
Permanent hires own the vision.
Contractors scale your speed.
Consultants design the roadmap.
Don't buy a permanent solution for a temporary gap.
Pick the model that fits the problem.
The link to the complete piece is in the thread.
📌 Want to play with it? Check this link, but keep in mind the lanugage may look like Klingon to you.
frequencies.ivanovyordan.com/?utm_source=...
Stop buying software for simple problems.
AI makes the "build versus buy" decision easy by turning logic into tools.
I replaced years of messy spreadsheets with a custom app for Bulgarian ham radio frequencies in one afternoon.
Stop adapting your workflow to a rigid vendor UI.
By the way, I am running a promotion with a massive discount. Don't miss it.
www.datagibberish.com/subscribe?ut...
33. Learning to say "no" is a senior-level requirement.
34. Your career is a product you must manage.
35. "Joins" are not a business term.
36. A meeting about a meeting is a leadership failure.
37. A dashboard is useless without a triggered action.
Which number hits closest to your current reality?
27. Most people lack attention to detail.
29. Burnout happens when you stop seeing the impact of your work.
30. If the CEO's numbers do not match yours, yours are wrong.
31. Incentives drive behavior more than mission statements.
32. A "temp fix" usually lasts five years.
22. Hire for curiosity over syntax.
23. Ask "why" five times before starting any task.
24. There's no AI strategy without data strategy.
25. Validate your inputs at the source.
26. Remote work requires 2x communication.
27. The first 80% of the project take as long as the last 80%.
15. Business problems stay the same for decades.
16. Small teams move faster than large ones.
17. Data quality is a social problem.
18. Empathy makes you a better engineer.
19. The best code is the code you delete.
20. Under-promise to protect your reputation.
21. Do not build what you can buy.
6. Spend your brainpower on the hard stuff.
7. Hire people smarter than you.
8. Your hardest bug is a typo.
9. Share the credit for wins.
10. Hard skills get you the interview.
11. Soft skills get you the promotion.
12. No one reads the README.
13. A "quick question" from a VP takes four hours.
I turn 37 today.
Here are 37 lessons from 16 years in tech:
1. Tools change every three years.
2. Stakeholders do not care about your tech stack.
3. A simple SQL script beats a complex framework.
4. Excel is the most popular BI tool in the world.
5. Most requests need a conversation.
Tenure is not impact.
Sitting in a chair for years does not earn you a promotion.
Senior engineers hit a ceiling because they wait for permission.
Stop fixing pipelines.
Start fixing business risk.
Solve next-level problems today to get the title tomorrow.
www.datagibberish.com/p/how-to-dis...
Want to know how prioritization got me 40% salary increase (without changing my job)?
Check this story: open.substack.com/pub/datagibb...
"I am busy" is a weak defense.
It invites people to negotiate your time until you break.
Use a priority shield.
List your top 3 projects.
When a new request arrives, ask:
"Which of these should we stop to do this?"
Shifts the burden of choice.
You stay sane.
"Nobody will pay you to sit in front of a computer all day."
My dad said this when I told him I wanted to study Informatics.
We were broke. Exam fees felt impossible.
Today, I’m doing the work no one understands. But it matters.
Skill matters. Confidence sells.
Build both.