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Build data and AI skills – one newsletter at a time

Our Summer Flash Sale is on. Get 57% off Lifetime and unlock every current and future path, course, and project for life. Start here

Here’s what’s inside:

• Top Read: 100+ Python project ideas, from first builds to advanced portfolio pieces. Read the guide

• Upcoming Webinar: Join us live to deploy a containerized AI service. Register now

• From the Community: A Kickstarter product feasibility SQL report, an OOP garden-simulator game, and a Matplotlib titling tip. Join the discussion

• Data & Resources: Gemini file search, Microsoft's GenAI course, DuckDB, Our World in Data, and the World Bank catalog. Explore

• What We're Reading: Why smaller tasks beat better prompts, and MIT on what "agentic AI" really means. Read now

Top Read

Stuck on what to build next? We rounded up 100+ Python project ideas and sequenced them from absolute-beginner warm-ups to advanced, portfolio-worthy builds so there's a clear next step, whatever your level.

Each idea comes with the skills it builds and where it fits in your learning path, so you can pick a project that stretches you without stalling you. Browse the full list of 100+ ideas.

Upcoming Webinar

Date: July 23, 2026

Project: Deploy a Containerized AI Service

Join us live to package and deploy an AI service in a container. You'll build the app, containerize it, and ship it as a running, callable endpoint you can add to your portfolio.

Note: This Premium project will be unlocked for all webinar attendees from July 23–30, giving you one week of free access to complete the project.

From the Community

• Kickstarter Project Feasibility Analysis with SQL: @linxiaoxi's project stands out for its well-organized structure, rigorous analysis of historical data to assess the feasibility of a new product, detailed discussion of key findings, and a concise summary, all clearly communicated and accessible to a broad audience.

• Garden Simulator Text-Based Game with Python: Garret's project features a clear structure with well-commented, easily digestible code blocks that work together to create a fun gameplay experience, making it an excellent role model for anyone starting out with OOP in Python.

• Adding Titles and Subtitles to Matplotlib Axes: @linxiaoxi explains an easy way to add a title and a subtitle to an axes object in Matplotlib, rather than guessing suitable coordinates for the ax.text() method.

Data & Resources [New]

• Gemini API File Search: Build a small RAG project by indexing notes or docs, then compare answers with and without retrieved context.

• Generative AI for Beginners: Use the refreshed Python and TypeScript lessons to prototype prompt, RAG, and agent workflows with current APIs.

• DuckDB documentation: Practice local analytics by querying CSV, JSON, and Parquet files with SQL from Python or notebooks, no server required.

• Data Catalog API: Discover development datasets programmatically and build API-driven analysis projects across countries, sectors, and indicators.

• Grapher Chart API: Pull CSV plus metadata from global indicators, then reproduce charts or build time-series dashboards.

  
  

What We're Reading

• Why smaller tasks beat better prompts: Most of us spend plenty of time refining prompts, but the biggest gains may come from the workflow instead. This piece argues that breaking work into smaller, well-defined tasks helps LLMs produce better results than asking them to solve everything at once.

• Agentic AI, and what we want it to be: A clear Q&A with MIT's Phillip Isola about how generative AI produces content, agentic AI takes actions, and most of what companies call agents are the same foundation models with different tools bolted on. A grounded read for cutting through the agent hype.

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