Summary
Forget the dry, old, textbook approach to learning code. Forget endlessly drilling syntax.
This course puts SQL in context and gets you solving real-world business problems from Day 1.
You’ll play the role of a data analyst at Australia’s largest fictional consumer bank, with a uniquely rich relational database at your fingertips. This context brings SQL to life and makes it easier for you to understand deeply and quickly.
With this new approach, you’ll be surprised to see that SQL is fun and simple to learn. My course guarantee is that you’ll go from zero to functional SQL coder within the weekend.
Best features in a nutshell
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In plain English, with business context and fun analogies to explain the otherwise dry syntax.
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Unique database, using a fictional bank relational database with incredibly rich transaction data to keep the course interesting and relevant.
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Focuses deep on the absolute basics, to get you the strong foundations required for a data career.
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Doesn’t cost money! If you sign up now while it’s free, you have lifetime free access, even as the course grows and becomes paid.
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———————Need more detail? Read on!———————-
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My story and building the course
My SQL learning experience was not ideal. When I started work I hadn’t the slightest idea what data was, let alone the power it brings to those who wield it skillfully. I took probably a year longer than necessary to master the SQL for data analytics. Even though I was practicing everyday on the job, I was slow to understand new concepts and struggled to remember new syntax.
Now as a full-time data analytics and insights manager, I have the hindsight to know it should have been much easier.
The main ingredients missing for me were:
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Structure
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What is important, what isn’t, and why.
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Context
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Analogies, interesting examples, and plain English explanations. Bringing it to life!
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So I’ve taken what was lacking in my learning experience and build a course around it. Specifically, here’s why my course stands out:
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Structured
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We learn what you need for on the job data analysis using SQL, no more less.
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The topics are covered in an order that makes sense and helps you build on past learning.
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You understand why each lesson is important, where it sits in the grand scheme of SQL.
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In context
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SQL shouldn’t have to be dry or boring, so I have used realistic business problems and analogies.
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You’ll be playing the role of a data analyst at the largest fictional company in Australia, the Royal Bank of Australia, solving problems to drive sales, improve marketing reach, and manage customers.
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Knowing why you’re learning the syntax, you’ll learn faster.
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Hands on/practical
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You’ll practice writing SQL in every single lesson.
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We are going to have fun too, investigating cryptocurrency trading among customers, and even learning about Australian animals!
Why learn SQL?
Most successful companies today are data-driven.
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They record every bit of information about their business (e.g. customers, sales).
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They store that information (called data) in complex databases.
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And they draw insights from the data to improve their business.
That’s where SQL comes in.
The only way to gather data and transform it into valuable business insights is to combine SQL and a smart analyst like you.
It’s with SQL that companies know answers all sorts of where do my customers prefer to shop? Who was incorrectly charged fees? Why are sales going down?)
And as you may have noticed in the Promo, SQL is a great skill to build your career
Data careers, in data analysis (business analysis), data science, & data visualisation (business intelligence).
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SQL is needed to actually find and handle data in most organisations.
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The data handling and management skills learned via SQL are fundamental to understanding data in general, and are useful even if you don’t use the SQL language (rare).
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Access to data can make you powerful in organisations. It’s hard to argue with an analyst armed with well-prepped data and a solid numbers-based argument.
Marketing, product management, and tech sales:
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SQL (and the accompanying data skills) are a great way to stand out in marketing and product.
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Marketers and product managers propose changes to improve the business.
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Nowadays, any proposed change needs a strong case to support it.
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Data is the foundation of any strong business case.
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Therefore marketers and product managers with data skills can put together stronger cases, get more initiatives approved, and grow their career faster.
Why start with mySQL? mySQL is:
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Very common, used by major companies and organisations across the world, such as Uber, Netflix, Spotify, and JPMorgan.
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Free and easy to set up.
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Similar to other forms of SQL like Microsoft SQL Server, PostGre SQL, Oracle SQL, Teradata SQL.
Note on the Short Version of the Course
I have decided to launch the course in the first instance as a free, shortened version. It is an excellent introduction to the basics of handling data.
Meanwhile, the full paid version is on the way, including lessons on summarizing, joining, and end to end problem solving. Sign up now while it’s free and enjoy all the additional lessons for free when they arrive shortly.
Setup: Let's set up, so we can start coding!
(COMING SOON) Data Theory: What in the world is data?
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7Getting the Software: Downloading the mySQL relational database manager.
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8Using the Software: The 3 important parts of mySQL workbench for writing SQL
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9Let's code again! Is my name more suited to puppy dogs or humans?
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10Uploading the Data: The rich bank relational database unique to this course.
Handling Data: The foundation of all data analysis
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11Intro to Part 1 (And why I wish I heard this when I started learning SQL)
This lesson introduces and justifies the section on Data Theory.
Basically:
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12Why data and analysis are so powerful (Coming soon)
In this lesson we'll learn:
Fundamentally, what data is.
How data is typically used.
Why data is powerful
Why data analysis is a growing industry.
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13How data is stored and organised (Coming soon)
In this lesson we'll learn about:
Datasets
Columns and rows.
Databases
Relational databases
Primary Keys and Indexes
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14How analysts access, handle, and use data (Coming soon)
In this lesson we'll learn:
What SQL is
How analysts can transform endless columns and rows into charts and meaningful insights that can improve a business.
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15Practicing our understanding data theory on a variety of data sets.
(COMING SOON) Joining Data: Gathering data from different sources using JOINS
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16Introducing the section
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17SELECT & FROM: Seeing, inspecting, and displaying data.
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18FILTERING: Introducing filtering using a fun analogy.
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19WHERE: Filtering data in SQL.
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20(Cont) WHERE: Filtering Data in SQL
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21AND & OR Logic: Introducing a tricky topic using a fun analogy.
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22AND & OR: Specifying your filter
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23End of the short version of the course
A free course is limited to 2 hours of content.
Even while I have more than 2 hours of content, I'd like to leave the course free as a short version until I have finished the full course (with enough content to be worth charging for).
Thanks for understanding and I look forward to hearing from you.
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24(Cont) AND & OR: Specifying your filter (Coming Soon)
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25AND & OR COMBINED: More realistic and powerful filters.
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26IN, LIKE, ANY, NOT, BETWEEN, and IS NULL (Coming Soon)
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27ORDER BY: Sorting your data (Coming Soon)
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28ARITHMETIC FUNCTIONS: Modifying your numeric columns. (Coming Soon)
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29STRING FUNCTIONS: Modifying your string columns. (Coming Soon)
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30DATE FUNCTIONS: Modifying your date columns. (Coming Soon)
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31CREATE TABLE: Creating new columns and datasets. (Coming Soon)
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32CRYPTOCURRENCY CHALLENGE: Part 1
To end the lessons on Handling Data, I'm going to challenge you to apply what you've learned in a realistic business setting.
Given your promising start on the job, the CEO at the Royal Bank of Australia has tasked you to investigate cryptocurrency trading by the bank's customers.
To begin the analysis, we need to develop a way to identify reliably cryptocurrency transactions by our customers, and to get a sense of whether trading is large-scale enough to warrant further investigation.
The challenge contains 20 questions, that cover material you have learned across the section.
Download the questions and code file from the attachments below.
(COMING SOON) Problem Solving: Practice with multiple start to finish problems
Bonus material
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39Intro to Part 5
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40CRYPTOCURRENCY: Advising consumer bank CEO on their response to crypto-trading.
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41Sharks attack! Driving shark safety policy for the Australian government.
COMING SOON
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42"Po-po shut us down": Advising the NY Police on improving their public image.
COMING SOON
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43Salary and Employee Growth at Goggle Inc.
COMING SOON
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44Blockbuster video and the curious case of...
COMING SOON
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45Road deaths: How to reduce fatal road crashes in Australia.
COMING SOON