An 8-week course teaching you to answer real business questions using spreadsheets and SQL. No fluff, no dashboards, no machine learning. Just the foundations that actually matter.
Who This Is For
You've finished your degree but never touched data tools professionally. This gives you practical skills employers actually want.
Moving from marketing, operations, or another field? Learn the fundamentals without drowning in jargon or theory.
You have data in spreadsheets but don't know what questions to ask. Learn to extract answers that actually help you make decisions.
Never written a formula or queried a database? Good. This course assumes nothing and builds from zero.
What This Course Is Not
Most beginner courses try to cover everything and end up teaching nothing well. This course has a clear ceiling — and that's the point.
Those come later. Get the foundations right first.
You'll never touch a neural network here.
Charts support analysis — they don't replace it.
We test correctness, not polish.
The Curriculum
Each week answers one core question. No fluff, no filler. You'll learn spreadsheets and SQL as tools for structured thinking — not as ends in themselves.
Week 1
What kinds of questions can data actually answer? Tables, rows, columns. Metrics vs dimensions. Good vs bad analytical questions. No tools yet — just thinking discipline.
Week 2
How do we reliably get numbers from a table? Spreadsheets as visual databases. Sorting, filtering, counting correctly. Your first formulas and charts.
Week 3
Why do "correct" methods still produce wrong answers? Duplicates, missing values, inconsistent text. Cleaning rules as decisions, not guesses.
Week 4
How do we ask precise questions of a database? SELECT, FROM, WHERE. SQL as spreadsheet logic written down.
Week 5
How do we move from rows to summaries? COUNT, SUM, AVG, GROUP BY. What summaries actually mean — not just how to compute them.
Week 6
Why is related data stored in multiple tables? Primary keys, foreign keys, INNER JOIN vs LEFT JOIN. The hardest conceptual leap — we take it slowly.
Week 7
How do we express conditions and logic in queries? CASE statements, DISTINCT, subqueries. Step-by-step query building for real questions.
Week 8
Can you independently answer real business questions? 10 structured questions, each answered with SQL. We test execution and correctness, not polish.
What You Get
Short, focused videos you can watch at your own pace.
Supporting materials and exercises to reinforce each concept.
SQLite database built specifically for learning, with realistic business data.
Weekly MCQs and numeric exercises with instant feedback.
Hands-on query exercises, auto-graded so you know immediately if you're right.
Live Q&A sessions to get your questions answered directly.
10 real business questions answered with SQL. 70% to pass.
Proof of completion to share with employers.
Your Instructor
Fractional CTO & Data Analytics Consultant
I spent 20+ years building data and analytics systems at Barclays, CITI, Deutsche Bank, and BNP Paribas — environments where understanding both technical constraints and business requirements wasn't optional. Now I bring that same rigour to startups, scaleups and medium sized businesses.
I wrote "No One Cares About Dashboards" (Selar - Click to Buy · Amazon UK - Click to Buy) because I got tired of seeing analysts focus on pretty charts instead of insights that drive decisions. This course is the practical foundation I wish I'd had when starting out.
Complete 8-week programme
Enrolment closes 10th January 2026
Questions
No. This course is designed for absolute beginners. If you can use a computer and follow instructions, you're ready.
Microsoft Excel (or Google Sheets for most lessons) and a web browser. We'll provide access to a SQLite database for the SQL modules — no installation required.
Plan for 4-6 hours per week. This includes watching lessons, completing quizzes and SQL labs, and attending the optional office hours. The course is designed for people with jobs — you won't be overwhelmed.
We'll confirm the schedule once enrolment closes, taking into account student availability. Sessions will be recorded if you can't attend live.
The learning portal opens on 11th January 2026 — the day before the course starts. You'll receive an email with your login details that morning.
You need to score at least 70% on the Week 8 capstone assessment — 10 business questions answered with SQL. The quizzes throughout the course are for your learning; only the capstone is graded for certification.