January dbt Community update

Welcome to the January edition of the dbt Community Update, your monthly roundup of all things happening in the dbt Community. Highlights included an insightful AMA with Paige Berry and Lauren Benezra, in-person dbt Meetups, and a ton of great discussions across Slack. Are you ready for the recap? Let’s get started.

Community Slack AMA

Each month, we host a live Ask Me Anything (AMA) event in the #dbt-community-ama channel on Slack, bringing together analytics engineers, data enthusiasts, and industry experts for open and honest conversations. This month, we featured Paige Berry, Lead Data Analyst at dbt Labs, and Lauren Benezra, Lead Analytics Engineer at dbt Labs. They shared their journeys, experiences, and advice on navigating the world of data. Here are some of the key takeaways:

1. Diversity in data careers: Both speakers debunked the myth that a specialized degree is required to break into data. Drawing from her own journey, Lauren highlighted how her background in applied math took her from biotech to building impactful data systems. Paige emphasized leveraging individual passions, encouraging aspiring data professionals to view their unique experiences as an advantage. Their advice? Start where you are, and let curiosity guide you.
2. The critical need for backups: Sharing lessons from past data challenges, the duo underscored the importance of disaster management. Paige illustrated this with a candid anecdote: “I once deleted ZIP codes from a database—something you only let happen once before you prioritize backups.”
3. Teamwork drives data excellence: Effective collaboration was a recurring theme. Lauren shared her role in empowering analysts by creating clean, reusable data models, while Paige underscored how this partnership accelerates insights: “Clear roles and strong teamwork enable us to transform complex SQL into actionable stories.”
4. The value of continuous learning: Both speakers championed mastering foundational tools like SQL and Python, but they didn’t stop there. They encouraged practicing with real-world datasets and refining the skill of storytelling with data to stand out in the field.
5. Facing impostor syndrome head-on: Acknowledging the common struggle, Paige and Lauren shared their strategies for building confidence. From documenting achievements to mentoring others, they offered practical ways to overcome the doubt that can creep into even the most seasoned professionals.

Catch the full conversation

If you missed the live AMA, don’t worry—you can catch the full recording here.

Get ready for another AMA in February

Our next AMA is just around the corner. Register now to join the conversation live, and don’t forget to join the #dbt-community-ama Slack channel to stay in the loop.

What’s something you wish you’d known when starting out?

The Community team recently launched a new weekly program called Local Data Exchange, where they post a question prompt in all 70+ #local channels. This month, our Community Engagement Manager, Bolaji, asked “What’s something you wish you’d known when starting out?”. Here are some of our favorite responses.

Slack channel spotlight: #memes-and-off-topic-chatter

If you haven’t joined the dbt Community Slack yet, you’re missing out. It’s where analytics engineers, data enthusiasts, and practitioners at all experience levels connect in real time. With channels ranging from beginner-friendly discussions to deep dives into niche technical topics, there’s a space for everyone.

Sometimes we all need a break from debugging SQL or perfecting our dbt models. Enter #memes-and-off-topic-chatter, the channel that reminds us that data professionals have a great sense of humor too. Whether you’re looking for a quick laugh, a clever take on the latest data trend, or just some light-hearted banter to break up your day, this channel delivers. It’s also a great way to discover that analytics engineers share more than just a love for clean data—we share a love for good laughs too.

So, what are you waiting for? Join the dbt Community Slack, hop into #memes-and-off-topic-chatter, and start sharing your favorites. Who knows? Your meme might just be the one that goes viral (at least in our Slack).

Community announcements

We’ll wrap up this month's update with some of the exciting announcements that are regularly posted in our #announcements channel on Slack.

Upcoming events

• In case you missed the news, we recently acquired SDF Labs. Tune into the Accelerating dbt with SDF webinar to learn more about the acquisition
• Register for our next Community AMA in February
• Ongoing Cloud Demo with Experts in North America, EMEA, and APAC-friendly times
• Add dbt Events to your calendar

Upcoming dbt Meetups

We’ve got a busy month coming up with five in-person dbt Meetups scheduled. If you’re looking for opportunities to learn with fellow members of the dbt Community, and have fun while doing so, join us at one of the sessions listed below:

• 🇪🇸 Barcelona | Thursday, February 13th, organized by Spaulding Ridge
• 🇹🇼 Taipei | Wednesday, February 19th, organized by community members Karen Hsieh, Laurence Chen, Allen Wang, and LI KUAN LIAO
• 🇧🇪 Belgium | Thursday, February 20th, organized by community members Sam Debruyn and Lise Kerckhove
• 🇺🇸 Chicago | Thursday, February 20th, organized by Analytics8 | Data & Analytics Consultancy
• 🇯🇵 Tokyo | Friday, February 21st, organized by community member Shinya Takimoto

There are so many exciting things going on in the dbt Community, and we can’t wait to see you all there. If you haven’t yet, join the community today.