Explicit Measures Podcast

Discover how AI is reshaping team workflows and productivity, particularly in coding. Dive into Microsoft's SQL database updates and their impact on costs. Learn about exciting features in the Microsoft Fabric January 2025 release and the need for better documentation. Uncover challenges in integrating AI into Power BI for enhanced data management. Plus, explore a new CI/CD feature for data flows and the transformative Timdle editor that simplifies data modeling, making workflows easier for all users.

Mike & Tommy consider the current state of automation and enterprise level tooling and if they can live together. Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page. Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitips Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083‎ Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tips Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/ Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/ Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Mike and Tommy dive into the intriguing world of Microsoft Fabric job listings, noting their scarcity despite the tool's recent introduction. They discuss whether this is a reflection of early adoption or deeper industry challenges. The vibrant atmosphere and networking potential at the Fabric Conference are highlighted, showcasing how professionals are eager to learn and connect. The conversation also delves into the complexities of metric sets in data analytics and the evolving job landscape in data engineering, stressing the need for upskilling in response to industry changes.

The hosts dive into the exciting launch of Microsoft Fabric's Copilot capacity, exploring its impact and user implications. They discuss the challenges posed by competitors like DeepSeek and the evolving landscape of AI. The conversation highlights the intricacies of DirectLake models, emphasizing data integrity and the importance of documentation. There's a thoughtful examination of how AI is reshaping career opportunities, alongside humorous personal anecdotes that add a relatable touch to the technical insights shared.

The hosts dive into the complexities of Microsoft Fabric, exploring its contrasting perceptions among engineers and analysts. They discuss whether Power BI fits within Fabric and share insights on data catalogs and monitoring strategies. The conversation highlights the role of AI, particularly ChatGPT, in clarifying data definitions and improving communication. They also address the evolution of Power BI and its significance for advanced data analytics, emphasizing the need for specialized skills and adaptability in today's data-driven landscape.

Mike & Tommy run through an awesome mailbag question focused on what if we only did bronze in Microsoft Fabric. Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page. Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitips Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083‎ Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tips Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/ Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/ Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

The hosts dive into the exciting January 2025 updates for Power BI, highlighting new developer tools and enhanced data visualization features. They chat about the transition from Excel to Power BI, emphasizing user-centric enhancements in semantic model editing. Anticipated software releases include a Spanish Q&A feature, though a surprising absence of a search bar sparked humor. The conversation also covers challenges in data transformation tools and improvements in file management that boost organizational efficiency.

With the ability to connect to Azure AI Foundry & Microsoft Fabric, the ability to connect your data has never been easier. What are the implications of this? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page. Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitips Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083‎ Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tips Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/ Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/ Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Mike & Tommy run through the decision guide and choices now that Fabric SQL Databases have entered the mainstream. https://learn.microsoft.com/fabric/database/sql/decision-guide https://www.sqlbi.com/blog/marco/2024/11/23/sql-database-in-fabric/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/get-started/decision-guide-data-store Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page. Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitips Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083‎ Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tips Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/ Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/ Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Mike & Tommy hear back from the Core Visuals team on their previous conversation, and go over all the major changes and what to expect. -- We launched a vision board detailing our work. This board also highlights sections of the MSFT Learn site where we are documenting everything in unprecedented detail. This process took months of discussions with the MSFT Learn team, which is why it has taken so long. As mentioned, the MSFT Learn documentation will be fully redesigned for core visuals articles. The new documentation will have three sections for each feature or visual: How to Create, All Format Settings, and Considerations and Limitations. See the new card visual article as an example. New documentation for the Button Slicer, Matrix and Table, Bar Charts, and the recently added Small Multiples for the new card visual is coming soon. I have shared examples and tutorials of the work people can do with the new features (post 1, post 2, last post). We recognize the challenge of not having better defaults and the time it takes to make things look nice. Plans are in place to address this, but we first need to establish the foundation of the options before organizing them. You mentioned it would be nice to ask Copilot to make things look good, but without the necessary controls, even Copilot won’t be able to help. --- Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page. Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitips Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVv Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083‎ Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tips Follow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/ Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/ Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/