The Data Warrior

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Archive for the category “Training”

What is Modern Data Virtualization?

If you have been wondering about #DataVirtualization in this age of #cloud and AI, wonder no more!

Join my friends from Zetaris for a Virtualization 101 workshop – where knowledge meets excitement! Register here!

When you register, you will be entered to win one of three amazing prizes including the newly released Gen 3 Airpods as the main prize. The winners will be revealed during the event for everyone that enters.

Data Virtualization is the future of a multi-cloud and distributed data world. AI needs data from different sources, in real-time, to take it to the next level towards General AI. Join this webinar to get insights into what data virtualization can do for your organization today.

Date: March 15th, 2023

Time: 12pm-1pm PST

Cost: FREE

Topics: 

  • What is Data Virtualization?
  • What is the difference between Analytical Data Virtualization and Operational Data Virtualization?
  • How does the traditional approach to building data platforms (data layers that support the business) change to a modern
  • Decentralized data approach (a Networked Data Platform)?
  • What are the use cases?

Sign up now so you don’t miss out.

Ciao!

Kent

The Data Warrior

SqlDBM – Advisor and Speaker

Just a quick note – I just found out SqlDBM has featured me on their new advisors page. Check it out.

Also wanted to remind everyone that I will be giving a webinar next week, August 17th on Data Modeling for Snowflake, Sign up here for that. It will be fun for sure.

Ciao for now!

Kent

The Data Warrior

To Train or Not to Train – Is That Still a Question?

For years I have been an advocate for training, of all kinds. In my recent post for DataRebels, I dicuss the pros and cons of getting trained along with reasons peopleoften give for not investing in professional training.

Sadly, for decades now, I have seen way too many people and organizations give professional training, and certification, short shrift

.Much to their detriment in the end.

This has always baffled me because I have always found value in attending training classes, workshops, seminar, technical conferences, and the like. Even if the class was not great, the contacts I made were always invaluable.I find I learn best working directly with an experienced professional who has “been there and done that”. Or, putting it another way, I like to learn from other people’s mistakes! For me nothing replaces the ability to be interactive and ask questions of a qualified instructor.

The reasons people have given me for NOT taking a training class are basic (i.e., typical):

1. It costs too much (i.e., no budget)

2. I can’t take time away from the daily job (or I can’t afford to have my team out of the office that long)

3. “It’s really not that hard – we can figure it out ourselves reading books and blogs”

Check out how I combat these attitudes by reading the rest of the post at To Train or Not to Train.

Enjoy (and get thee trained!)

Kent

The Data Warrior

Data Heroes Assemble!

Snowflake Data Heroes

I have been an active part of many communities over my 30+ year career. I started out attending The Rocky Mountain Oracle Users Group meetings in the late 80’s (yes we had meetups way back then).

Over the years I went from an attendee asking lots of naive, newbie questions to presenting at events, then helping organize events, and then onto the board of directors and eventually becoming president of the group. And I did this with the Oracle Development Tools User Group (ODTUG) as well.

To say I benefited from participating in those, and other, database and data communities, is an understatement.

I benefited not only in my career but also personally.

Career

From a career perspective, I learned a massive amount that I could use in my job. Some very practical tips and tricks to build better systems for my employers and clients. The time spent at user group meetups and conferences more than paid for itself in the value returned. It allowed me to grow in my career to higher level jobs, and better pay.

I also built a HUGE network of contacts that were experts in their field. I was often able to email (or even now tweet) them questions and get immediate answers to solve problems I could not solve on my own, saving my time and therefore money.

Some of those experts were/are my mentors.

Some of those experts helped me find my next gig.

Some of those experts have now followed me to Snowflake and are helping our customers on a daily basis.

I can confidently say that my active participation in these communities led to my role as Chief Technical Evangelist at Snowflake. #LoveMyJob

Personal

I made friends all over the world! Not only did I gain a network of like minded professionals who worked in the same field as I did, many of them became friends. There are a fairly large number of folks that I have been friends with now for several decades (some of you no doubt reading this now!).

That has meant that as I have been traveling the world in my role here at Snowflake (and even before as an independent consultant), I find friendly faces in nearly every city, state, or country I visit. When you are traveling a lot for work, and away from your family, it is nice to be able to grab coffee, lunch, or dinner with someone who has known you for years just to chat about life. In our ever more digitally connected world, face to face is still the best. 🙂

That is the power of a good community!

Data Heroes

At Snowflake, we call our community advocates and leaders, Data Heroes.

Data Heroes are recognized as Snowflake experts. They get the opportunity to meet with Snowflake product and engineering teams, receive early invitations to Snowflake events, and are welcomed to speak about their experiences with Snowflake at user group meetups, conferences, and other online events. As a Data Hero, you’ll help and educate other users by sharing knowledge, tips, and best practices–online and in real life.

You even get your own custom, Data Hero trading card and other cool Snowflake swag!

You can become one of the leaders in the new world of The Data Cloud. You might even become a SuperHero! See how to get started today.

Join us for Group By Data Heroes

This coming week on July 15, 2020, we will have our very first Data Heroes learning event that we call Group By. It is a FREE event hosted by myself and our community team with sessions from our expert Data Heroes and Super Data Heroes.

With an opening session from the Co-Founder of Snowflake, Benoit Dageville, the original #DataHero!

This will be a LIVE, interactive event that you will not want to miss so sign up today to reserve your spot and join the Snowflake Community.

See you there!

Kent

The Data Warrior

Data Warrior #HappyDance! Guess who joined @Snowflakedb

Monday, April 16th, 2018 is going to be a BIG day.

As part of my personal campaign to #UniteTheDataNation, I am beyond happy to announce that two of my good friends from the Oracle community are joining my team at Snowflake Computing.

sno-cloud-analytics-tour-2018-email-signature

Drumroll please!

It is my honor and pleasure to announce that Laura K Ramsey and Danny Bryant have joined my team!

Laura will serve as the Director of Technical Education, Training, and Content.

Danny is joining as a Senior Solution Architect (and sometime Technical Trainer).

Please join me in congratulating them on launching their careers further into the #cloud.

Be sure to follow Danny on twitter and at his blog DBA on Tap. And check out all of Laura’s tweets too!

And keep your eyes on my handle, and theirs, to see what happens at Snowflake HQ this week.

Let it snow!

snowflakedifferencescreenshot

Kent

The Data Warrior

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