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Feb 19, 2025
Mike and Tommy compare two practical ways to manage small-but-critical reference tables: Power BI Dataflows Gen1 versus a Fabric SQL database. They break down tradeoffs around refresh, governance, CI/CD, and downstream consumption so you can pick the simplest option that still scales.
Feb 14, 2025
Mike and Tommy dig into what it means for Power BI semantic models to move ‘onto the web’, from editing models directly in the service to live editing Direct Lake models from Desktop. They also connect the dots on governance, versioning, and cost—so you can adopt the new workflows without breaking your production reporting.
Feb 12, 2025
Mike and Tommy break down what’s new in Semantic Link Labs and why it’s becoming a go-to toolkit for automating Fabric and semantic model workflows with notebooks. They share practical scenarios—from incremental refresh policy updates to operational monitoring—so you can move faster while keeping governance in mind.
Feb 7, 2025
Mike and Tommy compare the classic Tabular Editor workflow—C# scripting, macros, and model metadata automation—with the newer TMDL-based experience showing up in PBIP and Power BI’s TMDL view. They break down where TMDL makes collaboration and source control dramatically better, and where Tabular Editor still earns its place in a serious semantic model toolbelt.
Feb 5, 2025
Mike and Tommy walk through their ‘draft’ of the Microsoft Fabric January 2025 update, calling out the changes they think will matter most for Power BI and Fabric practitioners. From TMDL scripting and semantic model version history to Copilot/Q&A improvements and OneLake catalog metadata, this episode helps you prioritize what to test next.
Jan 31, 2025
In this episode, Mike and Tommy unpack a mailbag question: why are there still so few job listings that explicitly ask for Microsoft Fabric? They break down what’s really happening in the market today and how both job seekers and hiring managers should think about Fabric skills as adoption ramps up.
Jan 29, 2025
Mike and Tommy break down what Copilot Capacity is and how to think about sizing and governance so your organization can safely roll out Copilot features in Power BI. They share practical guidance for planning adoption, controlling cost, and setting expectations as teams move from experimentation to production.
Jan 24, 2025
In this episode, Mike and Tommy wrestle with a question they keep hearing: is Microsoft Fabric too complex or too simple, depending on who’s using it? They also dig into the ‘myth of the data catalog’ and why getting clear on definitions and outcomes matters more than buying another tool.
Jan 22, 2025
Mike and Tommy tackle a common Fabric design question: can you ship analytics by building only a Bronze layer, or do you really need Silver and Gold. They break down what you gain (and lose) when you skip refinement layers, and share practical rules of thumb for keeping models trustworthy, performant, and maintainable.
Jan 17, 2025
Mike and Tommy dig into a deceptively simple question: can you build Power BI reporting straight off the Bronze layer and call it ‘done’? They break down when it’s a smart shortcut, when it’s a trap, and the minimum guardrails you need to keep raw data from becoming everyone’s problem.
Jan 15, 2025
Mike and Tommy unpack what OneLake security and data access roles mean for real-world Fabric governance—especially when your data lives behind shortcuts. Then they zoom out to Microsoft’s Azure AI Foundry announcements and talk through what it could mean for building AI-enabled apps on top of trusted data.
Jan 10, 2025
Mike and Tommy break down what Fabric SQL Databases are, where they fit in the Fabric ecosystem, and the scenarios where a relational database is the right tool instead of a Lakehouse. They also cover how this changes your architecture choices and what to watch for as the feature matures.
Jan 8, 2025
Mike and Tommy revisit Power BI’s core visuals and share practical design and interaction tips that make everyday reports clearer and more trustworthy. They also touch on a Fabric pipeline pattern (pipeline calling pipeline) and how small workflow tweaks can scale your delivery.
Jan 3, 2025
In this episode, the team breaks down Metric sets in Power BI and why a shared, reusable catalog of KPIs can change how organizations define and trust their numbers. They cover where Metric sets fit in the experience today, what it means for business users, and the practical impact on model design and governance.
Jan 1, 2025
In this episode, Mike and Seth walk through what it really takes to migrate Excel-based reporting into Power BI without losing trust in the numbers. They share practical guidance on scoping, modeling, and rollout so your migration improves the experience instead of recreating spreadsheet chaos at scale.
Dec 27, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth break down the new Org Apps experience in Power BI and how it changes the way you package and ship content to your organization. They cover practical setup patterns, governance considerations, and what to watch for as the feature continues to evolve.
Dec 25, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth dig into the new Organizational Apps (Org Apps) experience in Microsoft Fabric and how it changes the way teams package and distribute content. They break down what’s different from classic workspace apps, where the feature helps, and the preview limitations you need to understand before rolling it out broadly.
Dec 20, 2024
The crew digs into OneLake data cataloging and governance: what it enables, where the current gaps are, and what to watch for as Fabric’s governance story evolves.
Dec 18, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth talk about the rise of the notebook engineer in Fabric: why notebooks are becoming the default interface for data work, and what good notebook practices look like in real teams.
Dec 13, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth talk through report commenting in Power BI: when it helps, how teams can use it effectively, and the gotchas to watch for in real collaboration workflows.
Dec 11, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth unpack how much ‘knowing data’ matters versus knowing *the* data in your organization, and what that means for your career in analytics. They also dig into practical ways to add narrative context to KPI snapshots—without losing the thread over time.
Dec 6, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth break down filter context in DAX—what it is, how it’s created, and why it’s the root of so many ‘my measure is wrong’ moments. They walk through practical mental models for reading a visual’s filters and using CALCULATE intentionally, so you can predict results instead of trial-and-error debugging.
Dec 4, 2024
Mike, Tommy, and Seth break down what’s new (and what’s changing) in Power BI’s core visuals, plus what those updates mean for report builders. They also share practical guidance for when to lean on built-in visuals versus custom visuals as the platform evolves.
Nov 29, 2024
Mike and Tommy debate whether Power BI Desktop should be treated like a true development tool or more like a report authoring environment. They break down what “developer workflow” actually means for Power BI teams—source control, testing, deployment, and repeatability.