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Revolutionize your understanding of modern data management with Apache Polaris (incubating), the open source catalog designed for data lakehouse industry standard Apache Iceberg. This comprehensive guide takes you on a journey through the intricacies of Apache Iceberg data lakehouses, highlighting the pivotal role of Iceberg catalogs. Authors Alex Merced, Andrew Madson, and Tomer Shiran explore Apache Polaris's architecture and features in detail, equipping you with the knowledge needed to leverage its full potential. Data engineers, data architects, data scientists, and data analysts will learn how to seamlessly integrate Apache Polaris with popular data tools like Apache Spark, Snowflake, and Dremio to enhance data management capabilities, optimize workflows, and secure datasets. Get a comprehensive introduction to Iceberg data lakehouses Understand how catalogs facilitate efficient data management and querying in Iceberg Explore Apache Polaris's unique architecture and its powerful features Deploy Apache Polaris locally, and deploy managed Apache Polaris from Snowflake and Dremio Perform basic table operations on Apache Spark, Snowflake, and Dremio

Thinking about transitioning into analytics but worried about starting over? Andrew Madson has been in your shoes. Once a compliance executive, Andrew successfully pivoted into analytics and now is a Professor of analytics at five universities. In this episode, we dive deep into what it really takes to make a career shift when you're already successful. Don't miss this conversation packed with real insights for professionals considering a move into analytics! What You'll Learn: How to handle the fear of leaving a high-paying career for something new Why transitioning is different from starting fresh—and how to use your experience as a superpower Bootcamp vs. Master's—what's worth your time and money? The must-have skills and topics when evaluating an analytics education   To hear even more from Andrew, you can check out his YouTube channel Follow Andrew on LinkedIn!   Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b   Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn YouTube Instagram (Mavens of Data) Instagram (Maven Analytics) TikTok Facebook Medium X/Twitter

Presentation Title: Data-Centric AI: Accelerate Success with Apache Iceberg Data Products - Andrew Madson

Description Data-Centric AI: Accelerating Success Through Modern Data Products Target Audience - Data Leaders & Architects - Data Engineers & Platform Engineers - ML/AI Engineers & Data Scientists - Analytics Engineers & Practitioners Abstract While organizations rush to advance their AI models, research shows that "reducing the technological gap alone is not enough to ensure success in AI projects" [The Data Death Cycle, 2024]. The key to accelerating AI success lies not in model optimization, but in data excellence. This session reveals how a data-centric approach, powered by Apache Iceberg and modern data architectures, dramatically improves AI systems by ensuring complete, consistent, and curated datasets from the start. Overview AI and analytics initiatives demand high-quality data, yet traditional model-centric approaches often overlook this fundamental requirement. We'll explore how data products, implemented through a combination of data mesh and data fabric patterns, provide the systematic data excellence that AI requires. Learn how Apache Iceberg's lakehouse architecture eliminates costly ETL while enabling "git-like" version control through metadata catalogs like Polaris and Nessie, providing comprehensive write-audit-publish capabilities for data changes. Through real-world examples and architectural patterns, we'll demonstrate how organizations can: - Accelerate AI success through systematic data excellence rather than just model optimization - Create trusted data products that ensure quality\, completeness\, and consistency - Implement efficient data integration without expensive ETL processes - Enable version control and auditability for data changes - Balance centralized governance with domain agility Key Takeaways 1. Data-Centric Advantage - Why focusing on data quality accelerates AI success more effectively than model optimization - How systematic data excellence reduces the 80% of time data scientists spend on data preparation - The critical role of complete\, consistent\, and curated datasets in AI/ML success 2. Modern Data Products - How data products enable systematic management of data quality - Why combining data mesh and data fabric creates the ideal architecture for AI-ready data - Patterns for implementing data products that ensure quality\, governance\, and reliability 3. Technical Foundation - How Apache Iceberg enables efficient data integration without costly ETL - The role of metadata catalogs in providing git-like version control for data - Practical patterns for implementing write-audit-publish workflows for data changes 4. Implementation Path - Steps for transitioning to a data-centric approach - How to begin implementing data products in your organization - Methods for measuring and demonstrating success Whether you're struggling with AI initiatives or looking to accelerate existing programs, this session provides practical insights into building the data foundation that modern AI demands. You'll learn why data-centric approaches succeed where model-centric efforts fail, and how to implement the technical architecture that makes it possible. Join us to discover how combining data-centric thinking with modern technologies like Apache Iceberg can transform your organization's ability to deliver successful AI initiatives. Leave with concrete steps for implementing data products that provide the complete, consistent, and curated data that AI systems require.

Shift Left with Apache Iceberg Data Products to Power AI | Andrew Madson | Shift Left Data Conference 2025

High-quality, governed, and performant data from the outset is vital for agile, trustworthy enterprise AI systems. Traditional approaches delay addressing data quality and governance, causing inefficiencies and rework. Apache Iceberg, a modern table format for data lakes, empowers organizations to "Shift Left" by integrating data management best practices earlier in the pipeline to enable successful AI systems.

This session covers how Iceberg's schema evolution, time travel, ACID transactions, and Git-like data branching allow teams to validate, version, and optimize data at its source. Attendees will learn to create resilient, reusable data assets, streamline engineering workflows, enforce governance efficiently, and reduce late-stage transformations—accelerating analytics, machine learning, and AI initiatives.

If you're early in your data career or still trying to break in, you've probably got questions about the path ahead and how you can advance to more senior roles.

In this episode, you'll hear from industry veteran Andrew Madson who will share his best advice to help you navigate your career path. 

You'll leave with a better understanding of the road that lies ahead, and some concrete and actionable tips you can use to help accelerate your career. What You'll Learn: What you can expect from a career in data How promotion decisions are made and how you can position yourself well Strategies for building your brand, network, and skills to accelerate your career   This session was part of our OPEN CAMPUS week in October, which included 6 days of live expert sessions.   Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b   About our guest: Andrew Madson is a Data Analytics, Data Science, and AI Evangelist at Dremio, with deep expertise in leveraging data to drive innovation. With a strong background in analytics, machine learning, and education, he empowers organizations and individuals to unlock the full potential of their data. Insights x Design Podcast Follow Andrew on LinkedIn

Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn YouTube Instagram (Mavens of Data) Instagram (Maven Analytics) TikTok Facebook Medium X/Twitter

Help us become the #1 Data Podcast by leaving a rating & review! We are 67 reviews away! It’s not just about skills; find out what makes hiring managers say, “You’re the one we’ve been looking for.” Featuring hiring managers like Alex The Analyst, Megan McGuire, Jesse Morris, and Andrew Madson, the episode provides actionable tips and behind-the-scenes looks at what it takes to stand out in the data job market. 💌 Join 30k+ aspiring data analysts & get my tips in your inbox weekly 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/newsletter 🆘 Feeling stuck in your data journey? Come to my next free "How to Land Your First Data Job" training 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/training 👩‍💻 Want to land a data job in less than 90 days? 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/daa 👔 Ace The Interview with Confidence 👉 https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com//interviewsimulator Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Join the Data Career Jumpstart Newsletter Prepare for Interviews: Try the Interview Simulator ⌚ TIMESTAMPS 00:25 Alex The Analyst: The Importance of Personality in Hiring 08:01 Megan McGuire: The Hiring Process from Start to Finish 17:06 Jesse Morris: Storytelling and Tenacity in Data Roles 23:21 Andrew Madson: The Value of Projects and Team Fit 26:27 Conclusion and Additional Resources 🔗 CONNECT WITH GUESTS Alex Freberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-freberg Megan McGuire: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-s-mcguire Jesse Morris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessemorris1 Andrew Madson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-madson 🔗 CONNECT WITH AVERY 🎥 YouTube Channel 🤝 LinkedIn 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💻 Website Mentioned in this episode: Join the last cohort of 2025! The LAST cohort of The Data Analytics Accelerator for 2025 kicks off on Monday, December 8th and enrollment is officially open!

To celebrate the end of the year, we’re running a special End-of-Year Sale, where you’ll get: ✅ A discount on your enrollment 🎁 6 bonus gifts, including job listings, interview prep, AI tools + more

If your goal is to land a data job in 2026, this is your chance to get ahead of the competition and start strong.

👉 Join the December Cohort & Claim Your Bonuses: https://DataCareerJumpstart.com/daa https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/daa

Great data presentations tell a story. Learn how to organize, visualize, and present data using Python, generative AI, and the cutting-edge Altair data visualization toolkit. Take the fast track to amazing data presentations! Data Storytelling with Altair and AI introduces a stack of useful tools and tried-and-tested methodologies that will rapidly increase your productivity, streamline the visualization process, and leave your audience inspired. In Data Storytelling with Altair and AI you’ll discover: Using Python Altair for data visualization Using Generative AI tools for data storytelling The main concepts of data storytelling Building data stories with the DIKW pyramid approach Transforming raw data into a data story Data Storytelling with Altair and AI teaches you how to turn raw data into effective, insightful data stories. You’ll learn exactly what goes into an effective data story, then combine your Python data skills with the Altair library and AI tools to rapidly create amazing visualizations. Your bosses and decision-makers will love your new presentations—and you’ll love how quick Generative AI makes the whole process! About the Technology Every dataset tells a story. After you’ve cleaned, crunched, and organized the raw data, it’s your job to share its story in a way that connects with your audience. Python’s Altair data visualization library, combined with generative AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT, provide an amazing toolbox for transforming numbers, code, text, and graphics into intuitive data presentations. About the Book Data Storytelling with Altair and AI teaches you how to build enhanced data visualizations using these tools. The book uses hands-on examples to build powerful narratives that can inform, inspire, and motivate. It covers the Altair data visualization library, along with AI techniques like generating text with ChatGPT, creating images with DALL-E, and Python coding with Copilot. You’ll learn by practicing with each interesting data story, from tourist arrivals in Portugal to population growth in the USA to fake news, salmon aquaculture, and more. What's Inside The Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom (DIKW) pyramid Publish data stories using Streamlit, Tableau, and Comet Vega and Vega-Lite visualization grammar About the Reader For data analysts and data scientists experienced with Python. No previous knowledge of Altair or Generative AI required. About the Author Angelica Lo Duca is a researcher at the Institute of Informatics and Telematics of the National Research Council, Italy. The technical editor on this book was Ninoslav Cerkez. Quotes This book’s step-by-step approach, illustrated through real-world examples, makes complex data accessible and actionable. - Alexey Grigorev, DataTalks.Club A clear and concise guide to data storytelling. Highly recommended. - Andrew Madson, Insights x Design Data storytelling in a way that anyone can do! This book feels ahead of its time. - Avery Smith, Data Career Jumpstart Excellent hands-on exercises that combine two of my favorite tools: AI and the Altair library. - Jose Berengueres, Author of DataViz and Storytelling

In this episode, Andrew Madson, an experienced data analytics professional & hiring manager, shares valuable insights and tips on transitioning into the field of data analytics. 💠

We discussed what ACTUALLY gets you hired, how to make good data projects, & how to pivot into the data field.

Whether you're just starting your data career journey or looking to make a pivot, this episode is a must-listen! 🎧

🤝 Connect with Andrew Madson

📩 Get my weekly email with helpful data career tips

📊 Come to my next free “How to Land Your First Data Job” training

🏫 Check out my 10-week data analytics bootcamp

Timestamps:

(03:46) - 📈 The Surprising Skill You Need

(13:20) - 🎙️ Make Your Data Projects Clear

(20:28) - 🔍 Data Skills You Should Know

(29:11) - 🌐 Networking: Your Gateway to Career Success!

Connect with Avery:

📺 Subscribe on YouTube

🎙Listen to My Podcast

👔 Connect with me on LinkedIn

📸 Instagram

🎵 TikTok

Mentioned in this episode: Join the last cohort of 2025! The LAST cohort of The Data Analytics Accelerator for 2025 kicks off on Monday, December 8th and enrollment is officially open!

To celebrate the end of the year, we’re running a special End-of-Year Sale, where you’ll get: ✅ A discount on your enrollment 🎁 6 bonus gifts, including job listings, interview prep, AI tools + more

If your goal is to land a data job in 2026, this is your chance to get ahead of the competition and start strong.

👉 Join the December Cohort & Claim Your Bonuses: https://DataCareerJumpstart.com/daa https://www.datacareerjumpstart.com/daa