Data Entrepreneurship Journey with Andreas Kretz & Kate Strachnyi

Listen to this episode on Anchor FM

Are you interested in starting your journey in data science? In this episode of the DATAcated on Air podcast, host Kate Strachnyi talks with Andreas Kretz, Founder of Learn Data Engineering. They discuss their experiences moving into the data science world and how they became experts in their field. Near the end, Andreas and Kate share what tools and programs they use to help their businesses. Listen to learn from their journeys and how they built their brands.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • Andreas and Kate’s path to data science [01:50]
  • The importance of an online presence [06:42]
  • Branding yourself as an expert [13:03]
  • Knowing when to start your own business [19:21]
  • Challenges in working for yourself [30:11]
  • Keeping yourself accountable [36:43]
  • Tools Andreas and Kate use for their businesses [40:35]
  • Tips for getting started [59:15]
  • Charging the right amount [01:03:38]

Knowing when to start

Andreas always felt like he wanted to do something independently but hadn’t planned for it. He was working with data just for fun. When COVID happened, he had extra time to think of what to do with all of his experience and interest. People were reaching out to him and asking more and more detailed questions. So, he decided to create a place to coach people by basically building an academy. He’d always had a bit of a problem with his health at his old job, so he decided to take a year off to do something he was interested in, which was teaching.

There are less dramatic ways to start a business than quitting a full-time job. As long as it’s appropriate for the job, someone can begin building their business and the brand. That’s what happened to Kate. She started building her brand years before officially launching the company in March 2020. For years before that, she continuously shared content, which is how she earned the award from LinkedIn. She established herself as the go-to person for all things data.

Sharing your perspective and ideas

The content someone puts out doesn’t have to be about new topics. Everyone has a different perspective, and there are so many people in the world to reach. Beginners can talk about being beginners without pretending to be an expert. People can talk about how they messed up their code and can’t fix it and then how they figured it out. That content is more relatable to others at that same level of their journey.

In addition to following experts, Kate found that the beginners she followed helped her because they were on the same page and going through some of the same obstacles. That’s why she enjoys talking to Andreas so much. They’re building different but similar businesses that have quite a bit in common regarding what they’re trying to accomplish. That experience would’ve been entirely different if Andreas were retired with a lot of money in the bank while Kate was on the level where saving $10 was a big deal. The conversations would’ve been a lot less interesting. Finding people at the same level and relating to them is imperative to someone’s career.

Creating your brand

A great motivation to do anything is that it’s fun. Start by sharing ideas and knowledge, and don’t be too serious. Andreas started in data science by building an online profile and community. His efforts positioned him as an expert just because he was having fun. Similarly, Kate began her journey by sharing content. She didn’t realize it at the time, but she was building her personal brand. The two of them had so much fun sharing content that they were each awarded the LinkedIn Top Voice in Data Science and Analytics in 2018 and 2019.

Social media is a great way to create an online presence, and LinkedIn is the best platform to start a professional profile. People on the social media site are there for professional reasons. Kate’s first post was when she was studying for the Tableau Certification and asked for advice. She wasn’t expecting much of a response, but she received so many resources, sample questions, and good wishes that her perspective of the social media platform changed forever.

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Andreas Kretz

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