During the 10+ years of my professional career I’ve always worked in the field of Data. I’ve deep-dived into Data Architecture, Engineering, Warehousing, Science, Analytics and Visualization topics, all linked together by Data Governance frameworks. I’ve mentored multiple people during my career, both colleagues and externals, also as a volunteer. Data is my job, which I like. Mentoring is my vocation, which adds value to my life.

My Mentoring Topics

  • Data Strategy and Governance
  • Data Engineering / ETL
  • Data Warehousing and Data Modeling
  • Data Analytics (Business and Product metrics, Marketing analytics, etc)
  • Data Visualization
  • SQL
  • Career path in the Data world (e.g. CV, interviews, etc)
A.
17.January 2024

La sessione con Giacomo è stata grandiosa, mi ha dato preziosi consigli con tanti esempi. In 45 minuti con lui ho avuto una grande mole di informazioni, e risposte che cercavo. Super consigliato!! Credo che prenoterò probabilmente un altra sessione con lui!

M.
5.January 2024

Il mentoring con Giacomo è stato molto proficuo. Giacomo ha ascoltato la mia storia professionale e le domande che gli ho posto riguardo le scelte di carriera da compiere. Grazie alla sua esperienza ho fatto luce sui miei dubbi e ora ho un'idea più chiara su quali strategie adottare. Lo ringrazio e consiglio a tutti di prenotare una sessione con lui.

Data Science for Business - What You Need to Know about Data Mining and Data-Analytic Thinking
Foster Provost, Tom Fawcett

Key Facts and Insights: The book highlights the importance of data science in the business world by explaining how data-driven decisions can significantly improve business performance. Concepts such as data mining and data-analytic thinking are thoroughly discussed, providing readers with an understanding of how to apply these techniques in a business context. The authors emphasize the need for a clear understanding of the business problem at hand before diving into data analysis. Several key data science principles are presented, like the Principle of Overfitting, the Principle of Uncertainty, and the Principle of Comparative Analysis. The book includes in-depth explanations of machine learning and predictive modeling, elucidating how these methods can be used to make accurate business predictions. The authors provide a comprehensive discussion on model evaluation and selection, stressing how critical these steps are in the data science process. Readers are introduced to concepts like data visualization and decision tree algorithms, and how to use them effectively in the data mining process. The book also provides a practical guide on how to handle the challenges associated with big data. Case studies in the book illustrate the application of data science techniques in real-world business scenarios. A thorough understanding of technical aspects is not mandatory for grasping the concepts explained in the book. The authors shed light on ethical issues related to data science, an often neglected but highly important aspect of the field. Detailed Analysis and Conclusions Data Science for Business by Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the role of data in business decision-making. The book does an excellent job of simplifying complex data science concepts and presenting them in a manner that is accessible to readers without a technical background. One of the key takeaways from the book is the importance of understanding the business problem before jumping into data analysis. This is a critical step in the data science process as it ensures that the analysis is aligned with the business objectives. The authors argue that without a clear understanding of the problem, even the most sophisticated data analysis can be rendered useless. The book delves deep into the principles of data science. The Principle of Overfitting, for example, is a common pitfall in data analysis. Overfitting occurs when a model is excessively complex, such as having too many parameters relative to the number of observations. The authors use this principle to highlight the importance of balancing the complexity of the model with the size of the data. Another key principle discussed in the book is the Principle of Uncertainty. This principle acknowledges that there will always be a certain degree of uncertainty in predictions. The authors emphasize the importance of recognizing and quantifying this uncertainty to make more informed business decisions. The book provides thorough explanations of machine learning and predictive modeling. These techniques are becoming increasingly important in the business world as they allow businesses to make accurate predictions based on their data. The authors explain these concepts in a straightforward manner, making them easy to understand for readers without a background in data science. Model evaluation and selection is another critical topic covered in the book. The authors stress the importance of these steps in the data science process and provide practical guidance on how to carry them out effectively. Data visualization and decision tree algorithms are also thoroughly discussed. These are powerful tools in the data mining process, and the authors provide practical tips on how to use them effectively. The book also provides a practical guide on how to handle the challenges associated with big data. The authors offer practical solutions to problems such as handling large datasets and dealing with missing or inaccurate data. Case studies included in the book illustrate the application of data science techniques in real-world business scenarios. These examples provide readers with a practical understanding of how the concepts discussed in the book can be applied in a real business context. Finally, the authors shed light on ethical issues related to data science. This is an often neglected but highly important aspect of the field. The authors argue that ethical considerations should be a key part of the data science process, from data collection to analysis and reporting. In conclusion, Data Science for Business by Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett is a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying data science principles in a business context. The book does an excellent job of breaking down complex concepts and presenting them in a manner that is accessible to non-technical readers. This makes it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in leveraging data for business success.

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Python for Data Analysis - Data Wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and IPython
Wes McKinney

Key Facts and Insights from the Book Python as an Ideal Tool for Data Analysis: The book emphasizes the versatility and strength of Python in handling and analyzing complex data. Introduction to Pandas: McKinney, the creator of Pandas, provides a comprehensive overview of the library, showcasing its capabilities in data handling and manipulation. NumPy and Its Importance in Numerical Computations: The book covers the significance of NumPy in performing efficient numerical operations. Role of IPython in Interactive Computing: The book details how IPython enhances the interactive Python experience, making data analysis more intuitive and convenient. Data Wrangling Techniques: McKinney discusses various techniques to clean, transform, and merge data, which forms the crux of data analysis. Data Visualization with matplotlib: The book provides insights into data visualization using matplotlib, enabling readers to create a variety of plots and charts. Time Series Analysis: The book covers time series data analysis in Python, a critical aspect for many real-world applications. Advanced Pandas: The book provides a deep dive into more complex functions and operations in Pandas, such as group operations, categorical data, and more. Data Loading, Storage, and File Formats: The book discusses how to work with various types of data sources and file formats. Applications to Real-World Datasets: McKinney applies the techniques discussed in the book on actual datasets, giving a practical understanding of its application. High-Performance Pandas: The book covers how to optimize the performance of Pandas for handling large datasets. In-Depth Summary and Analysis Python as an Ideal Tool for Data Analysis - The book begins by highlighting Python's capabilities as a data analysis tool. As someone who has been utilizing Python for data analysis over the years, I can affirm the author's assertion. Python's simplicity, readability, and vast array of libraries make it an excellent choice for data analysis. Introduction to Pandas - McKinney introduces the reader to Pandas, a library he created to enhance Python's data handling capabilities. Pandas introduces two powerful data structures - DataFrame and Series, which are fundamental for data manipulation and analysis. NumPy and Its Importance in Numerical Computations - The book also covers NumPy, another essential library for handling numerical data. NumPy arrays, a core feature of the library, allow efficient storage and manipulation of numerical arrays, a common data type in data analysis. Role of IPython in Interactive Computing - The author introduces IPython, an interactive shell for Python. IPython enhances the Python experience by providing a robust platform for executing, testing, and debugging code, which is critical in data analysis. Data Wrangling Techniques - McKinney provides a broad overview of various data wrangling techniques. These include data cleaning, transformation, and merging. These techniques are essential in preparing data for analysis, and the author provides practical examples to illustrate these concepts. Data Visualization with matplotlib - The book covers data visualization using matplotlib, a powerful library for creating static, animated, and interactive visualizations in Python. Data visualization is a crucial aspect of data analysis as it allows for better understanding and interpretation of data. Time Series Analysis - McKinney dives into time series analysis, a critical aspect of many real-world applications such as finance, economics, and signal processing. The author discusses Pandas' capabilities in handling time-series data, providing practical examples for clarity. Advanced Pandas - The book delves into more complex Pandas operations. These include grouping operations, handling categorical data, and more. These advanced features allow for more sophisticated data manipulation and analysis. Data Loading, Storage, and File Formats - McKinney discusses how to work with various types of data sources and file formats. This is crucial as data can come from a variety of sources and in different formats. Applications to Real-World Datasets - The author applies the techniques discussed throughout the book on actual datasets. This practical approach enhances understanding and shows how these techniques can be applied in real-world scenarios. High-Performance Pandas - Lastly, the book covers how to optimize the performance of Pandas for handling large datasets, an increasingly common scenario in today's data-rich world. Overall, the book provides a comprehensive overview of Python's capabilities in data analysis. By covering the essential libraries and techniques, McKinney provides a solid foundation for anyone interested in learning data analysis with Python.

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Practical Python Data Wrangling and Data Quality
Susan E. McGregor

Key Insights from the Book: Python is a powerful tool for data wrangling and management. Data quality is crucial for the accuracy of analysis and predictions. Data wrangling involves data cleaning, transformation, and mapping from one raw form into a structured one. The book provides practical applications of Python for data wrangling tasks. The importance of dealing with missing, inconsistent, and duplicate data in datasets. Concepts of data validation and verification are discussed and how they contribute to data quality. The book promotes the use of automated scripts for data wrangling tasks. Practical Python libraries for data wrangling and analysis are discussed, such as Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib. Real-world applications and exercises for readers to apply their learning. The book emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adapting to new data wrangling techniques. In-depth Analysis and Summary: "Practical Python Data Wrangling and Data Quality" by Susan E. McGregor is an invaluable resource for anyone dealing with data, whether they are students, professionals, or enthusiasts in the field of data science. The book provides a comprehensive and practical approach to data wrangling and data quality using Python, one of the most popular languages for data science. The book starts by highlighting the importance of Python as a tool for data wrangling and management. Python's simplicity and versatility, coupled with its rich ecosystem of libraries and frameworks, make it an ideal language for data wrangling tasks. It's particularly favored for its readability and ease of learning, making it a popular choice among beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Data quality is another major theme in the book. The author emphasizes that the quality of data is paramount for achieving accurate analysis and predictions. Poor data quality can lead to inaccurate insights and poor decision-making. This is a concept I have always emphasized in my teachings as well - garbage in, garbage out. If the quality of your input data is poor, your analysis and predictions will be flawed. The author discusses the concept of data wrangling in detail, encompassing data cleaning, transformation, and mapping from one raw form into another more structured one. I can attest to the fact that data scientists spend a significant amount of their time wrangling data, preparing it for analysis. The book provides practical examples and guidelines on how to perform these tasks using Python. Dealing with missing, inconsistent, and duplicate data is a common challenge in data analysis. The author provides strategies and Python techniques for handling such issues, enhancing the data quality and ensuring more accurate analysis. Data validation and verification are also vital in maintaining data quality, and the author delves into these concepts. Proper validation and verification processes ensure that the data used is accurate, consistent, and usable for analysis. The book also promotes the use of automated scripts for data wrangling tasks. Automation not only saves time but also reduces the chances of human error, leading to improved data quality. McGregor discusses several Python libraries that are valuable for data wrangling and analysis, such as Pandas for data manipulation, NumPy for numerical computation, and Matplotlib for data visualization. Understanding these libraries and their functionalities is crucial for any data professional using Python. The book includes real-world applications and exercises, which enable readers to apply their learning in practical scenarios. This hands-on approach enhances understanding and equips readers with the skills they need to handle real-world data challenges. Lastly, the author emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adapting to new data wrangling techniques. The field of data science is ever-evolving, and staying updated is key to being effective in this field. In conclusion, "Practical Python Data Wrangling and Data Quality" is a comprehensive guide that provides practical Python applications for data wrangling and emphasizes the importance of data quality. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to improve their data handling and analysis skills.

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