Search engines have revolutionized learning sources over the last decade. But with such a wealth of You Tube videos and so many links how can you self-learn Power BI easily without running down too many internet dark alleys?
Everybody is different in how they acquire skills but the following have been the best resources for my Power BI learning experience.
Enterprise DNA
Training videos are bite sized, you can run along at your own pace and the forum members usually respond within 24 hours with good technical advice if you are struggling on a single aspect. You can also get accreditations from EDNA which in my view are better than the Microsoft ones because they are practically based.
This is by far the most comprehensive learning tool I have come across. Whilst there is plenty of free stuff and a You Tube channel, spending the money (and not a lot of money) on a subscription gives access to excellent structured learning with probably the best tech forum I have been a part of.
Biccountant
One of the first things to learn in Power BI is how to get the data to the reporting tool. This is done with Power Query. Imke Feldmann is a master at this, extracting data, twisting it around and formatting it correctly for the data model is her forte. From a personal viewpoint one of her blog posts kickstarted the accounting template promoted on my website.
Exceleratorbi
Matt Allington has a fantastic skill in making some of the more complex topics very simple. He often replicates excel issues in Power BI, which is fantastic for those of us coming from a strong excel base.
Radacad
Similar to Matt Allington, Reza offers bite sized solutions and is equally well versed in Power Query and Power BI.
The Italians
You won’t get far in your Power BI journey without coming across Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari. Subscribe to their weekly tips and you get videos and explanation weekly on some topic or other. These guys are the gurus but at a beginner level can be a bit heavy. Once you’ve got the basics their stuff can be extremely enlightening in problem solving the mechanics of a model and how to optimize it.
There are other formidable players out there too, but personally I learnt the most from these places.
If you’re thinking about getting started with the most revolutionary software tool since Excel, then these are the places to go to find out more.
