We’ve all been there: building amazing dashboards in Power BI, juggling dataflows, APIs, and SharePoint lists, and getting the job done... sort of. But under the surface, we know we’re stretching tools beyond their intent — stacking Power Query steps on fragile data sources, refreshing through API workarounds, and asking ourselves: Isn’t there a better way?

This session is a story — my story — of how chasing that “better way” led me from Power BI to Microsoft Fabric. It’s a journey of ambition, learning, and growth: from citizen developer to confident data engineer. I’ll walk you through the evolution from overengineered dataflows to Gen2, from M to Python, and from brittle architectures to scalable pipelines and Lakehouse-based models.

Expect demos, practical takeaways, and some honest talk about the bumps in the road — the false starts, the learning curves, the wins that made it all worth it. If you're a Power BI professional feeling the limits of your stack, or a developer curious how Fabric can empower less traditional engineers, this session will show you what’s possible — and how to get started.

Learning Objectives
- Understand why strong data models require strong architecture — and where Power BI alone may fall short.
- Discover how Microsoft Fabric enables Power BI professionals to evolve into data engineers.
- Learn practical steps for transitioning from dataflows to Dataflow Gen2, notebooks, and pipelines.
- See how citizen developers can work confidently with Python, SQL, and Lakehouse tools — starting from zero.
- Hear real-world lessons and pitfalls from a journey of hands-on learning with Fabric.

Notes
This session will be a mix of storytelling, slide-supported narrative, and live demonstrations. Given the cinema-style venue, the focus will be on strong visuals and clear takeaways rather than hands-on labs. The tone will be personal, honest, and technically grounded — aiming to inspire, educate, and connect with both experienced developers and those just starting to expand their scope within the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem.

The session is provided by the CTO of DATA KINGDOM, certified in PL-300, DP-600, DP-700, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). With a background in finance and Power BI consulting, he brings bring a dual perspective of technical depth and business pragmatism — perfect for bridging the gap between self-service BI and modern data engineering.