Discovering DataTalks.Club: A Free Data Scientist Community for Data Enthusiasts
- Dr Dilek Celik
- Aug 11
- 2 min read
I recently stumbled upon DataTalks.Club and was pleasantly surprised to find a vibrant, inclusive space tailored for anyone interested in data—whether you're just starting out or a seasoned expert. Here's a closer look at what makes this community such a hidden gem.
Founded in September 2020 by Alexey Grigorev, the community has organically grown to over 73,000 members globally. Despite relying on volunteer effort and sponsorships, the team ensures content stays free and accessible—and they reinvest sponsorship funds directly into the community.
A Welcoming Global Community for Data Enthusiasts
DataTalks.Club is a free, global online community that unites data enthusiasts across all experience levels—from hobbyists to industry professionals. Centered around a busy Slack workspace, members engage in discussions on
data science,
ML engineering,
MLOps,
and career topics.
ZOOMCAMPS - Education & Hands-On Learning
One of the standout features is their free online courses, humorously dubbed Zoomcamps, spanning topics like:
Machine Learning (16 weeks)
Technologies Used in Machine Learning Zoomcamp Data Engineering (9 weeks)
Data Engineering Zoomcamp overview MLOps (12 weeks)
MLOps Zoomcamp overview LLMs (10 weeks)
LLM Zoomcamp overview Stock Market Analytics (8 weeks)
These programs are richly structured, focused on practical, project-based learning with modern tools—think Docker, Spark, Flask, Kubernetes, LangChain, Hugging Face, MLFlow, TensorFlow, BigQuery, Kafka, and more.
Dynamic Events & Webinars
They host regular webinars, workshops, and live podcast-style talks—all free and streamed online . The webinars are often technical and interactive, while the live talks offer candid conversations with real-world practitioners.
You can also subscribe to their Google calendar to keep up with all events—convenient and helpful.
Insightful Podcasts
Their podcast series features data professionals sharing authentic stories about transitions, challenges, and careers—no scripts, no sales pitches, just real tales that inspire.
From freelancing journeys to ML production tales and leadership learnings, the episodes are consistently relevant and fresh.
Articles, Newsletters & Knowledge Hub
DataTalks.Club also runs a rich articles section, where community members write practical tutorials, career advice, and technical deep-dives—from DataOps to naming conventions in ML.
Their weekly newsletter rounds up highlights like new events, courses, podcasts, and news—keeping things manageable and useful.
What Makes It Special?
Totally Free: High-value courses, webinars, and podcasts without paywalls.
Practitioner-Focused: Real-world experience over theory.
Inclusive & Global: Professionals, students, and hobbyists included.
Broad and Deep: Topics cover the data lifecycle and emerging fields.
Constantly Evolving: Regular fresh content keeps things current.
Final Thoughts
I love how DataTalks.Club (DataTalks.Club, GitHub) bridges the gap between structured learning and community-driven exploration. It’s rare to see something so rich in offerings—Zoomcamps, events, podcasts, articles—yet entirely free. For anyone passionate about data or looking to grow in their career, this is definitely worth checking out.
EXCELLENT!