November dbt Community update

Welcome to the November edition of the dbt Community Update, your monthly roundup of all things happening in the dbt Community. This month was packed with events, achievements, and incredible stories. Highlights included an insightful AMA with Erica Louie, the announcement of our dbt Community Award recipients, five in-person dbt Meetups, and a ton of great discussions across Slack. Are you ready for the recap? Let’s get started.

Community Slack AMA

Each month, we host a live Ask Me Anything (AMA) event in the #dbt-community-merge channel on Slack, bringing together analytics engineers, data enthusiasts, and industry experts for open and honest conversations. This month, we featured Erica Louie, Senior Analytics Manager, EPD at dbt Labs. As one of dbt Labs' earliest employees (back when we were Fishtown Analytics), Erica has witnessed firsthand the evolution of dbt, and she brought her rich experience to a discussion on data careers, team-building, the dbt Semantic Layer, and scaling analytics projects.

Here are five takeaways from Erica’s AMA:

1. Pathways into data careers

Erica shared her unconventional journey from art to analytics, highlighting how data appealed to her as a flexible, creative career. She emphasized that anyone can succeed in data with curiosity, a knack for storytelling, and the ability to interpret patterns. Key advice: cultivate empathy, stay transparent, and invest in relationships.

2. The power of hard and soft skills

While technical expertise is a must, Erica stressed the equal importance of soft skills in data roles. She discussed how effective communication and empathy can transform data teams from “order-takers” into trusted consultants who drive impactful business decisions.

3. Navigating leadership and burnout

Erica opened up about stepping back from her role as head of data and hiring her own manager—a bold move that underscored the value of self-awareness and prioritizing well-being. Her message? Leadership requires empathy for both your team and yourself. Check in regularly to stay aligned with your values and find joy in your work.

4. Scaling data teams and tools

From the dbt Semantic Layer to the Cloud CLI, Erica highlighted strategies for building scalable data ecosystems. She underscored the importance of measuring data team success through metrics like uptime, cost efficiency, and dashboard impact, while staying grounded in your role’s purpose.

5. Finding balance between service and strategy

Data teams often juggle executive requests with long-term projects. Erica’s advice? Build trust by delivering on immediate needs while carving out time for innovative, strategic work. And in a lighter moment, Erica shared her adventures with her converted van, Bessie—a reminder to embrace passions outside of work.

Catch the full conversation

Missed the AMA? No problem. Watch the full recording here:

Get ready for another AMA in January

Join us for the next AMA in January. Register now to get the link to watch live and join the #dbt-community-ama channel in Slack to participate in the conversation.

dbt Community award recipients

We are excited to share more about the dbt Community Award recipients announced at Coalesce in this quarter's dbt Community Spotlight. The Community Spotlight is where we highlight folks from around the world who have gone above and beyond to contribute for the benefit of others.

dbt Community Award recipients embody what it means to be an advocate within the dbt community, exemplifying collaboration, expertise, creativity and leadership. This round, we are featuring Christophe Oudar, Ruth Onyekwe, the original dbt-athena maintainers (Jérémy Guiselin, Mattia, Jesse Dobbelaere, Serhii Dimchenko, and Nicola Corda), Mike Stanley, Meagan Palmer, Bruno de Lima, Opeyemi Fabiyi, and Jenna Jordan. Visit the Community Spotlight page to learn about their backgrounds, their plans to grow as leaders, and their experiences—both learning from others and sharing their own knowledge.

If you’re interested in being selected for future rounds of the Community Spotlight, learn more about becoming a contributor.

November dbt Meetups

In November we had 10 dbt Meetups: Taipei, Seattle, China (online), Halifax, Bratislava, Boston, New York, Taipei again, Brisbane, and Hasselt. These events continue to be a cornerstone of the dbt Community, bringing members together to share knowledge, network, and collaborate. Stay tuned for even more Meetup opportunities in December by checking out our Meetup page.

How has dbt transformed your career and your life?

One of the highlights of Coalesce this year was the “How has dbt transformed your career and your life?” wall. Attendees filled it with stories of growth, opportunity, and life-changing moments—so many that we had to clear the wall several times to make room for more.

These reflections showed that dbt is more than a tool; it’s a catalyst for transformation. From landing dream jobs to feeling empowered in their roles, the wall was a powerful reminder of the impact our community has on real lives. Seeing these stories reinforced what makes the dbt community so special—empowering each other to do meaningful work and grow together.

Community announcements

We’ll wrap up this month's update with some of the exciting announcements that are regularly posted in our #announcements channel on Slack.

2025 State of Analytics Engineering survey

The 2025 State of Analytics Engineering survey is live. As the data landscape shifts, we're at a pivotal moment of introspection. How do we ensure our work stays compelling, aligned, and impactful? How do we keep data products at the forefront of driving value for our organizations?

That’s exactly what the 2025 State of Analytics Engineering Survey is here to uncover. This is your opportunity to share your team's pains, gains, and strategic investments—and help us capture the pulse of data teams worldwide. Take the survey.

Upcoming events

• Register for our next Community AMA in January
• Register for our upcoming webinar: ​​One dbt: Accelerate data work with hybrid deployments and cross-platform dbt Mesh
• Ongoing Cloud Demo with Experts in North America, EMEA, and APAC-friendly times
• Add dbt Events to your calendar

Upcoming dbt Meetups

We’ve got a busy month coming up with six in-person dbt Meetups scheduled. If you’re looking for opportunities to learn with fellow members of the dbt Community, and have fun while doing so, join us at one of the sessions listed below:

• 🇧🇷 São Paulo | Tuesday, December 3rd, organized by Bruno Souza de Lima and Thales Donizeti
• 🇳🇴 Oslo | Wednesday, December 4th, organized by Glitni
• 🇩🇪 Berlin | Thursday, December 5, organized by Eva Schreyer and Victoria Perez Mola (dbt Labs)
• 🇩🇪 Cologne | Thursday, December 5, organized by Hicham Babahmed and Stephan Durry (dbt Labs)
• 🇨🇭 Zurich | Thursday, December 5, organized Astrafy
• 🇹🇼 Taipei | Friday, December 13th, organized by Karen Hsieh, Laurence Chen, Allen Wang, and Damon Liao

There are so many exciting things going on in the dbt Community, and we can’t wait to see you all there. If you haven’t yet, join the community today.