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Newsletter SELECT Insights
# A Personal Newsletter from Simon Späti
Welcome to SELECT Insights. I’m Simon, a data engineer, author, and freelance technical writer. This newsletter is my way of sharing my ongoing journey in data engineering, writing, and Learning in Public.
Every now and then, no regular schedule, only if I believe I have something worth sharing, I’ll send you updates about:
- 💡 Current projects and learnings from my freelance technical writing
- 🔍 Deep dives into data engineering concepts I’m exploring
- 📘 Progress and insights from my book « Data Engineering Design Patterns»
- 📚 Interesting books I’m reading, thoughts they’ve sparked.
- 🎨 Insights from things I’ve created or come across.
📝 The new issues will only be sent via email, as the original intent of newsletters, and not uploaded here. So make sure to subscribe 😉
# What Makes This Newsletter Different?
Focusing on crafted quality over quantity, hopefully, evergreen insights instead of hyped trends:
- ✦ Personal Journey: I share authentic experiences from my work in data engineering and technical writing, embracing the joy of writing and continuous learning.
- ✦ Behind the Scenes: Get exclusive updates about my book writing process, freelance journey, and my craft in general.
- ✦ Real Insights: Learn from my successes, failures, and ongoing experiments in the data engineering world, all shared with a focus on developer-centric value.
# Past Editions: A Glimpse
Below are summaries of our previous adventures.
# November 2024: Two Months of Freelancing
Updates on client collaborations with OSS tools, deep dives into declarative data stacks, DuckDB, and semantic layers. Plus personal reflections on the freelancing journey.
# November 2024: New Book Chapter on Managing DB Changes
Deep dive into schema evolution, data contracts, and NoSQL approaches, exploring the convergent evolution of database change management.
# September 2024: Transitioning to Full-time Freelancing
Announcement of my journey into full-time freelance technical writing, focusing on data engineering content and book sponsorships.
# June 2024: New Book Chapter on Caching Pattern
Exploring the world of data caching, from Redis to Cube Store, and its impact on data engineering performance.
# April 2024: The History of ETL
Analysis of how data warehouses, MDM, data lakes, reverse ETL, and CDPs have shaped the data landscape.
# March 2024: Practical Data Engineering Guide
Update 2024-11-20: Newsletter Format Change
Previously, this newsletter followed a structured SQL-themed format (
SELECT
Topic,UPDATE
Engineering, etc.). While keeping the playful SQL name, I’ve evolved to a more personal, freeform style—sharing the same quality content about data engineering, writing, and building in public, but in a more natural, conversational way.
Latest update on my hands-on real-estate project and what has changed in the last three years since I posted it. I also changed the format to more prose-focused writing, instead of a collection of text.
# Previous Editions (Archive 2023)
# July 2023 - Open Data Stack Unveiled
Discover the Open Data Stack, a versatile framework surpassing the ‘Modern Data Stack.’ We delve into tools like Dremio, the benefits of open-source solutions, and the shift towards more agile, microservices-based approaches in data engineering.
# June 2023 - Orchestrating Data Harmony
Explore the evolving landscape of Data Orchestration. We discuss the fragmentation challenges, Dagster’s growth, and Microsoft Fabric’s potential in bridging gaps within the Open Data Stack.
# April 2023 - The Inaugural Voyage
Welcome to the first-ever newsletter – a uniquely curated blend of topics and updates.