Data Literacy for Non‑Analysts: 30‑Day Plan

Core concepts

• Define a metric, dimension, and segment correctly.
• Understand causation vs. correlation and common pitfalls.
• Read basic charts: line, bar, histogram; avoid misleading visuals.

30‑day schedule

1. Week 1: Questions first—write 5 decision-focused questions.
2. Week 2: SQL basics—SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY on sample data.
3. Week 3: Visualization—create 3 charts and annotate insights.
4. Week 4: Decisions—run a small experiment and document learnings.

Tools to practice

Use spreadsheets, a free SQL sandbox, and a simple BI tool. The tool matters less than your ability to ask sharp questions and tie analysis to action.