All your numbers in one place, built for your team to own.
I pull your spreadsheets, apps and databases into one warehouse you own, model the data with dbt and build dashboards people can trust. Everything is tested, documented and handed over.
Fixed prices. A one-week Health Check is $1,500.
From scattered sources to one trusted view
Your data is copied on a schedule into a warehouse you own. It's cleaned and modeled with tested code, then shown in a few dashboards that answer real questions.
Map your sources
We list where your data lives and the questions you need answered, then agree on a plan.
Build and test
I set up the pipeline and warehouse, write the data models and add tests that catch bad data early.
Document and hand over
You get dashboards, plain docs and a walkthrough, so your team can run and extend it.
Clear scope, fixed prices
Not sure where to start? The Health Check gives you a clear, prioritized list either way.
Pipeline Health Check
$1,500
1 week
- Review of your existing data stack
- Where it's fragile, slow or costly
- A prioritized fix list you can act on
Data Foundations
$6,000 fixed
3 weeks
- A warehouse you own
- dbt data models with tests
- Up to 3 dashboards
- Docs and handover
Fractional Data Engineer
$5,000 / month
1 day a week · or 2 days for $9,000/month
- Senior data engineering on your team, month to month
- Pipelines, models, reviews and mentoring
- A regular check-in with your lead
Software and cloud costs are separate and paid directly by you. I'll estimate them in the plan, and I favor simple, low-cost tools where they fit.
Businesses whose data is scattered or fragile
If answering a simple question means exporting three spreadsheets and hoping they match, a small, solid data setup will pay for itself in saved time and fewer arguments.
Growing businesses on spreadsheets
Your reports are built by hand each month, and only one person knows how.
Teams with many apps
Sales, billing, support and marketing data live in separate tools that don't talk to each other.
Companies with a shaky pipeline
You already have a warehouse, but jobs break, numbers drift and nobody trusts the dashboards.
Teams that need senior help
You need an experienced data engineer a day or two a week, not a full-time hire.
- Usually a business of about 10 to 200 people.
- Data in spreadsheets, SaaS apps and at least one database.
- You want to own the result, not rent a black box.
Hi, I'm John Houghton.
I've built and run data pipelines at large scale, including multi-terabyte training datasets for AI researchers at Meta (contract) and the move of Apple Maps reporting from Hive to Snowflake.
I build smaller systems the same careful way: tested, documented and easy to hand over. You can see how I work in my public San Diego open data pipeline on GitHub.
- Senior data and AI engineer. Previously Meta (contract), Apple Maps, Kaiser Permanente and Intuit.
- B.A. Economics, San Diego State University.
- Based in San Diego. You work with me directly, from the first call to the handoff.
Common questions
Which tools do you use?
Usually dbt for data models, plus a warehouse such as DuckDB, Postgres, Snowflake or BigQuery, and an orchestrator like Dagster when it's needed. I pick the simplest setup that fits your size and budget.
Do we need a data team to run it?
No. The setup is built to run on its own, with alerts when something breaks. A technical person on your side helps, and the docs and walkthrough are written for them.
We already have a warehouse. Can you help?
Yes. Start with the Pipeline Health Check. You get a prioritized fix list, and you can do the work yourselves or have me do it.
Who owns the code and data?
You do. Everything lives in your accounts and your code repository from day one.
What does it cost to run?
It depends on your data and tools. I'll estimate running costs before we start, and I keep them low where I can.
Other ways I can help
Let's look at your data together
Book a free 15-minute call. Tell me where your data lives and what you wish you could see. I'll tell you honestly what it would take.
Prefer email? john@houghtonlabs.com