This week, we're speaking with Khuyen Tran, a Python assessment developer and a technical writer at Towards Data Science. Khuyen is a Datapane super-user and uses Datapane to create data stories and interactive plots as embeds for her Medium articles.
Khuyen is currently working as a data scientist in a startup in Singapore. She has written over 80 data science articles, and has over 170k viewers on Datapane. She has also written over 100 daily data science tips at Data Science Simplified.
Let’s get to know more about Khuyen!
Q: How do you like to contribute to the data community?
Khuyen: I like to write blogs and tips related to data science and Python. My blogs and tips are easy to follow and reproduce. I consider my tips as a missing piece of a puzzle that is aimed to help practitioners solve their problems quickly. I also answer questions related to data science on LinkedIn.
Q: Why do you prefer to visualize data using Python instead of a proprietary tool, like Tableau?
Khuyen: Because it is more customizable compared to other proprietaries such as Tableau. I can choose which features I want to add to my plot. Many wonderful Python visualization libraries are available which are very easy to use, so I can choose different libraries for different plotting purposes.
Q: What tips and resources would you have for someone looking to learn about Python data storytelling?
Khuyen: Start with finding data that you care about and then analyze it. This will motivate you to find resources to create meaningful plots. Learning is easier when you can relate to the data you are working on and understand it deeply.
After creating beautiful plots for your analysis, write a small blog about your findings. You will understand the concepts better when you write them down. This is also a good way for you to share what you learn with potential employers as well!
Q: What do you think are the best ways to get noticed?
Khuyen: Share, share, and share. Develop a habit of sharing regularly. You don’t need a Ph.D. degree to share your knowledge. Everybody has a valuable piece of knowledge that others don’t know about. So share your knowledge no matter how simple it is. Somebody will appreciate it. The more you share, the more you get noticed. It is that simple!
Q: What are your favorite libraries and resources for creating visualizations and data stories?
Khuyen: Seaborn, Plotly, Altair, and Datapane!