Recap, February 2026
Here's what you may have missed in February
Hi all,
The first 2 months of 2026 just passed and it’s obvious the job market keeps being tough.
Everybody, and I really mean everybody, is looking a new job, a promotion, or at least better goals that define their long-term career game.
This is what 2026 looks like so far and what, wrote mostly about it and what this email is about.
Quick Announcement
First thing first. I had a birthday on Friday, and I want to do something special to celebrate it.
Here’s the thing: My publication helped dozens of data professionals increase their compensation with tens of thousands of dollars.
So, even a tiny investment of $120/year is worth it if you can apply all the playbooks and secure $10,000+ every year.
Yet, I know times are hard for many of you and I want to give my premium content in the hands of as many of you as possible. So, I decided give you a massive discount.
Only now, the first 10 of you can get an annual subscription for $48 a year. Then everybody else can subscribe for $66 a year.
The best part is that you keep that price forever. Even if you decide to unsubscribe and return later, you keep your incredibly low price.
Do it before Tuesday or you you are miss it out.
What You May Missed In February
Although February is a short one, the last month was packed with value. Here’s what happened on Data Gibberish:
The Missing Map to AI-Powered Apps for Data Engineers
First, I found out that loads of data engineers feel intimidated by AI. Most of of you use AI as users, and are concerned because AI engineers (is that how we call them?) take all the highlights. But the thing is, AI engineering maps easily to data engineering.
Passing The Senior Data Engineer Interview: Build This Pipeline
Head of Data Engineering and hiring manager, I see the same mistake over and over again. People with excellent CVs and a great initial rounds totally flop the practical round. And that’s not because you lack the knowledge, but because you lack the strategy.
Early in February, inspired by a coaching call, I decided to share the strategy that can (almost) guarantee you success on the whiteboard interview stage.
Deployment Frequency as a Business Metric
Another problem technical people, like you, face is that they don’t know how to work on projects they actually want to. The business constantly pushes for more value, while you only accumulate technical debt.
In this short piece, you tell you how sell a project like building a new CI/CD process by wrapping it into business metrics nobody can say No to.
Data Engineers Are Becoming MetadataOps Engineers (And You Don’t Even Know It Yet)
This one is a guest post by Alejandro Aboy, who’s probably the biggest AI expert in data engineering. In this piece, Ale shares how important data engineering work is for higher quality AI.
Data Engineers who get MetadataOps own AI product features, get hired for high-visibility roles, and build skills that can’t be automated.
The Customer Service Mindset Is The Fastest Way To Destroy Your Data Team
Just like most of you, I felt the pain of knowing I can do more, but still be treated as a service team instead of a parter.. And it may hurt you, but I will still tell you:
If your team is being treated as a bunch of ticket takers, and nobody asks for your opinion, it’s your fault.
But the good news is that it’s not that hard to fix. You can start on Monday.
Two Ways to Disagree With Your Lead But Only One Is Right
You know that feeling, when you manager comes to you and asks you to do something. You have a different opinion about the approach, but you got to do it the way they want.
It’s even worse if you lead a team and need to ask them to follow without telling them you don’t want to.
How to Own Risks and Boost Your Data Career
If you fail to explain the business risk of your architectural choice, you are a junior with a high salary. Real seniority is the transition from a technical expert to a dependable operator who manages seven-figure liabilities.
Data professionals who take responsibility and ownership get trusted with bigger roles and higher paying contracts.
The Art of the Data Funeral
If the statistic is correct, over 80% of high stakes data project fail. I recently exited the most expensive failure in my life.
The truth is most data engineers avoid doing that. You try every workaround just to make sure they are not being seen as incompetent and don’t want to loose their jobs
So, earlier this week, I ran a live Show & Tell session where I explained how to kill a project and get praised for that.
The Data Engineer’s GitHub Portfolio (2026 Edition)
My buddy, Erfan Hesami asked me what makes a GitHub profile more interesting from my point of view of a hiring manager. I have a strong opinion on that and immediately said Yes to his invite.
And yes, we, heads of data, are extremely annoyed from seeing the same project over and over again. So, every time we see something different, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
Social Media
I shared 37 lessons for my 37th birthday on LinkedIn. Check the post, give it a like and share what’s your lesson. Then, connect with me!
What Else
Personal Website
I rebuilt my personal website. This one is way older than Data Gibberish, but haven’t gotten a lot of attention in a while. Here I also restarted my personal blog where I have planned a lot of blog posts that don’t necessarily gravitate around data leadership.
My first blog post is a write-up about how I vibe coded my website and how you can do it, too.
Coaching
Last, but not least, loads of you come to me with various questions and started asking for formal coaching. I started doing it silently even built a proper coaching program. The best part is that I have a few free spots at the minute.
Please do reach out or even, book a free discovery session if you are serious in becoming a trusted operator and get paid properly for your work.
What’s Next
2026 is just starting and I have big plans for the rest of the year.
I am currently rebuilding my Premium Content Library where paying Data Gibberish subscribers can easily find all articles, manuals, prompts and templates in one place. This is coming in just a few days.
Also, I found I really enjoy bringing guests to Data Gibberish. Not only because I love talking to friendly data professionals and showcase their work, but also because these give us to opportunity to get live questions from you, the Data Gibberish community.
The next live is on the 4th of March and you can flag your interest today.
Closing Words
Here I just want to remind you that you have just a couple of days to get a bit discount on Dat Gibberish and keep the low price for your investment. Only the first 10 get it for less of the price for 2 months.
Until next time,
Yordan from Data Gibberish