For a long time, two years to be exact. I carried a vision that wouldn’t leave me alone. Since 2023, the thought of building a community sat quietly in my mind, nudging me every now and then: “People need this. you need this.” But, I didn’t know where to start.

I started my career as a software developer, and later, I transitioned into data. My transition wasn’t the hardest because I had a technical background, and I already knew how to code. All I needed was theoretical knowledge, some statistical understanding, and I was off. But even with that advantage, I still felt something I hadn’t anticipated: loneliness.

When you step into a career path that feels new, you wish you had someone to ask the “real” questions. Not “teach me statistics” or “how do I run this model” but the kind of questions that help you understand what it really means to be a data scientist.

• What does the work feel like?
• What do I need to watch out for?
• What’s the structure like?
• What mistakes should I avoid?

But there was nobody. Everyone was busy. And that loneliness, that silence, made me realize something, there are so many others like me. Self-learners. Career switchers. People sitting alone with a laptop, watching tutorials, trying to push through. People who need a community not just a forum where an “expert” answers questions but a real community where everybody supports each other.

The first attempt

I decided to start small. I created a WhatsApp group. I posted the link once, just once. No ads, no campaigns yet over 200 people joined. That was my first sign: people were craving this. But soon, I realized WhatsApp wasn’t the right platform. Channels are limited; there’s no room for interaction beyond broadcasts. That’s not a community. That’s a notice board.

I tried Instagram next. I wanted something that didn’t feel like a random group chat, something that could hold a community together. But again, the platform wasn’t giving me what I needed. And without the right platform, my own passion for pushing through faded. The group sat dormant, almost 300 members now, but with no heartbeat.

Yet, during that quiet period, the vision never left me.

Building the dream, piece by piece

I started researching. What platform could give me the community I envisioned? After countless consultations and asking questions, I settled for Discord. It wasn’t just because it’s feature-rich; it’s because it has the power to create spaces, real spaces, where people feel like they belong. I integrated bots to make it fun. I wanted even the commands to feel engaging, giving users a small touch of that programmer’s vibe while they interact.

But even with the right platform, I knew something: a community is not built by one person.

Bringing people together

So I decided to call for volunteers. I needed people to build Data Living with me, not for me. I posted the volunteer form, and in less than 12 hours, nearly 200 people applied. That blew me away.

When I onboarded them, something incredible happened: they took ownership. Conversations started, ideas flowed, people were collaborating without me telling them to. I woke up to messages of teamwork, initiative, and creativity. It felt like they believed in this vision even more than I did, and that’s when I knew: this was no longer just my dream.

What Data Living stands for

Data Living was born out of the loneliness many of us feel while learning or growing in our data careers. It’s for:

• the self-learner staring at a tutorial, wishing for someone to ask questions that Google can’t answer;
• the career switcher who feels like they’re walking this road alone;
• the beginner who just needs a safe place to ask without feeling small;
• and even the experienced professional who wants to give back and be part of something bigger than themselves.

It’s not a community where experts sit on a pedestal and beginners stay quiet. It’s our community. Everyone’s voice matters. Your ideas aren’t too small here. Your questions aren’t silly. Your contributions shape what this space becomes.

The journey continues...

Today, we’re building this platform together, channel by channel, idea by idea. Volunteers, members, and contributors are shaping it into something bigger than any one of us.

And now, the doors are open. People are joining, connecting, and finally finding a place where they can belong. Data Living is no longer just an idea I carried for two years. It’s alive. It’s ours.

Because learning alone doesn’t have to mean being alone.
Because community changes everything.

Welcome to Data Living.
Welcome home.