Turn Raw Data into Action: Master Data Storytelling for Better Communication
Raw data alone doesn’t drive action—stories do. Learn how to use the “What, So What, Now What” framework to turn complex data into compelling narratives that influence decisions.
Greetings, Data Engineer,
As a data engineer, your job is to move data, transform it, and make sure it shows up clean and fast. Dashboards are usually someone else’s problem.
But here’s the thing—if you want to grow, you need to communicate.
Senior engineers don’t just build. They influence. They shape decisions. And to do that, you need more than clean data. You need a clear story.
In this mini-course I’ll teach you how.
In four weeks, you’ll go from raw data to actionable insight using a real Kickstarter dataset. You’ll learn to structure your findings using the “What, So What, Now What” framework—and share it in a way that drives action.
I promise you, no matter how far you are from the business, this skill will set you far ahead from other data engineers.
📖 How to Work With This Mini-Course
Just reading the article alone would take you over 20 minutes. So:
Bookmark this guide and set a reminder to revisit it weekly.
Skim the entire article once to understand the big picture.
Each week, complete the exercises before applying them to your own projects.
Share your progress on LinkedIn to reinforce learning and expand your network.
Take your time. Don’t rush to implement everything at once. Master each step before moving to the next.
Also, you will need about a hour to read the whole thing and write the code at once. It’s much easier to spend 30 minutes per week!
But wait, there’s more!
Together with this article, I have included 2 exclusive bonuses:
An example data storytelling dashboard for everybody (click here).
My data storytelling playbook for paid subscribers (at the end of the article).
A data storytelling demo for paid subscribers (again at the end of the article.
🤔 Understanding the Problem
Data engineers spend years mastering tools and pipelines.
You build scalable systems. You optimise jobs. You think in DAGs.
But here’s the catch—your impact isn’t always seen. Not because the work isn’t valuable, but because it’s invisible.
You can build the best data platform on the planet. If nobody knows how to act on the insights it powers, what changes?
That’s where storytelling comes in.
It connects your work to business outcomes. It turns raw metrics into meaning. It helps stakeholders understand why it matters—and what to do next.
A few years ago, I built a dashboard that broke down our Snowflake costs. Storage. Compute. Pipeline stages. Even cost per stakeholder.
Suddenly, people saw where money went. That single dashboard gave me leverage to improve our models, streamline processing, and rethink how we delivered data.
That’s the power of storytelling. Not just to show—but to change.
Most dashboards only dump data. They show every metric. But they don’t answer the big question: So what?
A strong data story changes that. It guides the viewer through context, relevance, and recommended actions. It doesn’t just describe what’s happening. It explains why it matters—and what to do about it.
And that’s a skill few engineers focus on.
If you master this, you stand out. That’s what separates senior engineers from the rest.
In this course, you’ll practise that skill. You’ll use real data. You’ll build a narrative. You’ll share it with others.
Let’s break down the key concepts.
🧠 Key Concepts
Let’s get on the same page before we dive in.
You’re not here to become a dashboard wizard. You’re here because you want to get better at communicating what your data actually means and grow your career.
This is the foundation of the whole course.
📚 What is Data Storytelling?
It’s not just charts. It’s not just numbers. And no—it doesn’t mean dumbing things down.
Data storytelling is the ability to say:
Here’s what we’re seeing, here’s why it matters, and here’s what we might want to do next.
It means combining three things:
🧩 Data: Clean, trustworthy, and relevant
🖼️ Visuals: Intuitive and purpose-driven
🗣️ Narrative: A clear message that ties it all together
It’s like giving your data a voice. You connect the dots for someone who wasn’t there when you wrote the query or built the model.
Good storytelling takes raw information and wraps it in context and purpose. That’s what moves people to action.
Don’t miss out. By becoming a paid member, you get access to a massive library of premium content that will help you close the gap between tech and business and grow your career.