Insights for the Rest of Us
Analytics and AI without the intimidation. Plain-language guides to SQL, data work, and practical AI. Examples you can use at work, a little humor, no PhD required.
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How to work out what an AI task really costs, and when a cheaper model is good enough
AI prices are quoted per million tokens, which makes it hard to see what one task costs. Here is the formula, what the October 2026 Claude and GPT-6 prices mean for a real job, and why the cheapest model can cost the most once people fix its mistakes.
- SQL · November 10, 2024 · 14 min read
SQL Tutorial 13: Strategies for Maintenance and Optimization
Keep databases healthy over time with backups you can restore, slow query awareness, stats and vacuum concepts, access grants, and on-call hygiene. Close the SQL series with a full path recap and next learning links.
- Analytics · September 6, 2026 · 12 min read
A/B tests intuition for analysts
A/B tests need a clear unit, a primary metric, and honest peeking rules. A green checkmark with +3.2% lift can still be calendar-driven science if you stop early.
- Models · October 12, 2026 · 10 min read
How good is Qwen at languages other than English?
Use Qwen for multilingual drafts with a four-step protocol: bound the text, name the register, attach glossary terms, and human-verify legal lines. Skip English-bridge round trips for warranty language.
- Data work · September 11, 2026 · 13 min read
When to stop prompting an AI chatbot and do the task yourself
Prompting has a clock. When facts, feeling, or your signature matter, close the chat and do the task yourself.
