Culture

Rolling for Initiative: How Dungeons & Dragons Taught Me Everything About Team Leadership

The Unexpected Training Ground I never thought a game about pretending to be elves and wizards would teach me more about leadership than any management training I’ve ever attended. But here we are. Growing up, Dungeons & Dragons was this weird thing you did if you had friends—which, honestly, I didn’t have a lot of. My best friend and I played these sort of solo-person adventures, just the two of us hunched over character sheets and dice on pumped up inflatable air beds in the living room. It wasn’t exactly the epic party campaigns you see on Critical Role, but it was still magic. Years passed. We got older. Eventually, we managed to rope in some other friends, and now? Now we’ve got a whole group that gets together yearly, and those weekends have become something we all look forward to more than just about anything else.

Sunday, October 26, 2025 Read

Mastering Data Engineering: Insights and Best Practices

Introduction I have been working with Data for a bit over 17 years now, I have seen it evolve from its nascent stages to a cornerstone of the tech industry. The journey has been nothing short of revolutionary, impacting businesses and society at large. The evolution and the role of a data engineer have expanded, requiring not just technical skills, but a deep understanding of business, security, and the human element within technology.

Saturday, March 30, 2024 Read

How to Find and Attract Top Data Engineers

Introduction In my journey of filling open positions, I tend to get inundated with a multitude of resumes. Sifting through applications, your reaction varies from “this might work,” to a straightforward “no”. Rarely do I encounter a resume that makes me exclaim, “This person is exceptional! We need them on our team.” Despite reviewing thousands of job applications, the quest to find a standout Data Engineer often feels challenging. I believe there’s a reason for this rarity. The truth is, that the most talented Data Engineers, along with top professionals in any field, are seldom actively seeking employment.

Thursday, March 14, 2024 Read

Onboarding a data team

Introduction Onboarding is so important to give a great impression, but also setting up the scaffolding of what a new employee would expect the culture to be like at a company. Needless to say, it’s not normally a great experience, it normally starts with spending the first two weeks getting access to systems and tools. Then once you have access, especially in the remote working environment - sometimes you get only a brief introduction with your manager, and get a small glimpse as to what you are to be working on. This common scenario, makes people feel less connected to the team, and no excitement or passion for the work - they feel undervalued, which isn’t a great start from day one or two.

Sunday, January 29, 2023 Read