The Motivation

Why is building Data Platforms
so complex?

Because it sits at the intersection of Data Engineering, Programming, Cloud, and DevOps. You can find hundreds of courses on specific tools and frameworks but no one shows you how to leverage them all together so that you can actually build cost-effective, scalable data platforms. My name is Szymon Żaczek. I created dataplatformacademy.com to show you how you can architect your company's data future.

Szymon Zaczek at Data Conference
Data Science Summit 2025 // Szymon Żaczek
The Origin

I do not have a CS Degree.

I hold a PhD in Computational Chemistry. I was used to systems where one wrong variable destroys a year of research.

I was a scientist before I wrote my first line of production code. I know what it feels like to be lost. I know what it feels like to stare at a screen, unaware of what you should be learning, stuck in a role that feels like a trap.

I didn't start in tech—I broke into it. The transition from Science to Data was painful, but it taught me something more valuable than syntax: it taught me how to learn.

Szymon's Career

From Beginner to Architect.

SEP 2017

Start of PhD Studies

Simulating execution environments where a single variable could invalidate years of research.

JAN 2020

1st Software Engineering Job

Realized that 90% of data projects fail not because of bad models, but because of weak foundations.

APR 2023

1st Data Platform Architect Role

Applied the Scientific Method to cloud infrastructure, mastering in 3 years what takes others 10.

NOV 2023

PhD Defense

Proved that the scientific method—hypothesis, test, validate—is the ultimate debugging tool.

JAN 2026

Founding Data Platform Academy

Synthesized a decade of struggle into a blueprint for others to follow.

The Mission

Why Data Platform Academy?

It’s not just about learning tools. It’s about transformation. I want to share the exact blueprint I used to accelerate my career, so you can build solutions that truly transform your company—and your own future.