Getting Started with dbt

Core Argument

Teaching analysts to level up and use the [[dbt]] stack. Lots of tools to configure, so let's show them how to do it.

The Modern Analytics Stack

What do you need for a modern analytics stack?

• A data store -- likely a MPP DB (Snowflake)
• A loading tool -- how to get data into your data store (Fivetran)
• A transformation tool -- how to blend and prep your data ([[dbt]])
• A visualization tool -- the last mile (Power BI)
• An orchestration tool -- how do we keep it all up to date (dbt Cloud)
• A version control tool -- keeping up with your changes (Git and GitHub)

Structure

The article follows a three-act teaching pattern:

1. Show them what you'll do
2. Show them
3. Show them what you did

Why It Matters

This is a practical onboarding guide to the modern data stack as the founder saw it in early 2021. The tool choices reflect the Ray Data Co perspective at the time -- notably Power BI over Looker/Mode, which reflects the founder's enterprise consulting background. The "show, do, review" teaching pattern is a hallmark of the founder's approach to [[analytics-engineering]] education.