SQL is still the core skill
Most analytics work, however modern the tooling, comes back to a good query. A small set of patterns covers the vast majority of real-world questions.
The patterns worth knowing
- Window functions for running totals and rankings.
- CTEs to break complex logic into readable steps.
- Conditional aggregation for pivot-style summaries.
- Date handling for cohorts and retention.
Write it to be read
Clear, tested SQL is an asset the whole team can build on. We favour readable CTEs over clever one-liners every time.
