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About This Podcast
Saturdata is the community-driven podcast humanizing the data world for the next generation of analysts, scientists, and engineers. Join hosts Shifra Williams and Sam LaFell every weekend as they break down both the career journey and the technical foundations that matter.
From navigating interviews to mastering SQL, Python, terminal basics, and understanding AI safety, Saturdata covers the full stack of becoming a successful data professional.
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Recent Episodes
S2 AI regulation isn't just a tech problem, it's a people problem
It's not all firewalls and technical fixes. Here's why shaping the future of AI comes down to soft skills, cultural awareness, and actually showing up for the conversation. Call your rep, use your…
S2E6 We're making up AI as we go | Saturdata with Joey Yudelson
What happens when you train an evil AI and it just lies really confidently? Joey Yudelson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-yudelson/), AI safety researcher at Redwood Research, joins Sam and…
S2 Stop coding, start directing: the AI shift you can't ignore
Claude Opus is probably a better coder than you, and Joey isn't sugarcoating it. Instead of writing code line by line, the real move could be writing design docs and letting a fleet of AI agents do…
S2 Your AI chatbot is basically a very well-trained dog named Jeeves 🐾
Ever wondered how ChatGPT actually works? Joey breaks it down in the most hilarious way possible, and honestly, we'll never think about reinforcement learning the same way again. Train it right and…
S2 How ChatGPT actually works: a dog explains | Saturdata with Joey Yudelson
What if you could explain ChatGPT using only a dog, some audiobooks, and a stick? Joey Yudelson joins Sam and Shifra to break down how large language models actually work, no PhD required. From…
S2 Only 300 people stand between AI and catastrophe?
"The entire field of AI safety is run by roughly 300 to 400 people worldwide, and that number is wild when you think about how fast AI capabilities are moving. Joey thinks YOU could be one of the…
S2 States vs. feds: who's really calling the shots on AI?
AI regulation is a tug-of-war right now, with states like California and New York pushing for transparency, deepfake protections, and actual liability for AI companies causing massive harm.…
S2 Spaghetti code hits different in the data world
Not all spaghetti code is created equal! Sam and Shifra break down how data spaghetti goes beyond bad practices into pipelines that only work once, for one dataset, on one very specific Tuesday. From…
S2E5 From spaghetti to clean code: pandas, Polars and DuckDB explained | Saturdata
Is your Python code held together with duct tape and prayers? Sam and Shifra untangle the spaghetti and walk you through what it actually means to write clean, maintainable data code, and which tools…
S2 GPU out of memory? Not anymore.
Most data pipelines just crash when they run out of GPU memory, and that's where the work stops. Shifra breaks down how RAPIDS cuDF handles overflow by spilling excess data from the GPU to the CPU…
S2 Polars lazy execution hits different
Sam breaks down one of Polars' most powerful features: lazy execution. Write your query, get instant feedback that your code works, but nothing actually runs until you call collect or show. It's…
S2 Stop buying tools and start building strategy
Throwing the latest shiny tools at your team is not a data strategy. Shifra breaks down why the best tool is the one that actually fits your team's profile and use case, and sometimes that's a free…
S2 Pandas changed everything for data science
Before pandas, Python was just another programming language. Sam breaks down how one library shifted the entire data world, bringing together analysts, engineers, and data scientists under one common…
S2 Your AI comments are a dead giveaway
If your code comments say things like "filters data" next to df.filter, congratulations, everyone knows you copy-pasted from a chat window. Shifra makes the case for writing comments that actually…
S2E4 Data storytelling: the good, the bad, and the pie chart | Saturdata
Your chart is full of information. So why does no one know what it means? Sam and Shifra break down everything you need to know about data visualization and storytelling, from picking the right…
S2 Stop assuming and start asking: the one rule every data person needs
Think you know what your stakeholder wants? Think again. Shifra breaks down the golden rule of data: minimize assumptions. Don't just label a chart "sales" and call it a day. Ask the real questions,…
S2 Matplotlib was exciting, but let's be honest… the syntax was painful
We've all been there: you finally start plotting in Python and it feels like magic… until the syntax hits. Sam talks about his journey from R's tidyverse to Matplotlib and that mix of excitement and…
S2 "Click a button, turn it red… but are you doing it the smart way? "
Shifra breaks down the difference between imperative and declarative code with the simplest example ever: an on/off button. Instead of telling your code exactly what to do step by step, think like an…
S2 "The trifecta your dashboards are missing "
Sam's formula is simple but powerful: the right people, the right information, the right chart. If you don't deeply understand your audience and what they actually need to see, even the prettiest…
S2 Inconsistent colors are sabotaging your charts
You know what's worse than color-coding your data groups? Switching the colors between charts. Shifra breaks down how inconsistent color use creates a false "design language" that misleads your…
Frequently Asked Questions
Saturdata has published 46 episodes since August 2025, covering topics in Business, Careers.
Saturdata is currently highly active with new episodes daily. Average episode length is 38m.
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