Hi there, this week I have a special announcement. I built a web extension and published it on the Chrome Web Store. It's completely free, and it's the first tool I've built specifically for people like you. It’s called VizBuddy.
I built it because the process of getting AI to assist with data interpretation had too many steps. Screenshot the dashboard, switch apps, paste it in, wait, rewrite the output. Every time I was looking at something new whether it’s a report, a complex dashboard, an unfamiliar table, I just wanted a solid analyst brief without the context-switching. So I built something that lives in the browser and does it from a single click.
What it does
VizBuddy analyzes your screen in Chrome and generates an intelligent, structured analyst brief from a single click. It works on Power BI, Tableau, web pages, tables, and more. The motto I've been running with: if you can see it, VizBuddy can read it.
Who it’s for
I built this with my peers in mind. You know the moment when you're staring at a report or a table of results and the question running through your head is "what the heck am I looking at, and how do I explain this to someone else?" VizBuddy is built to answer that question quickly, so you can get to the part that actually matters.
What makes VizBuddy unique
VizBuddy doesn't just tell you what the data means, it helps you tell others as well. “Compose This” translates any analysis into four ready-to-send formats - technical, executive, plain English, or Slack. Whoever you're writing for, there's a version for them.
Thank You to the Beta Testers 🙏
Prior to launch, four PlotStack readers put VizBuddy through user testing and provided honest feedback that made it meaningfully better. Beth, Iyabo, Jordan, and Beto - I'm genuinely grateful. You caught things I was too close to see and pushed the tool in directions I hadn't considered. This is better because of you.
🕹️ Trivia
Which country invented the first modern touchscreen technology used in smartphones?
A. Japan
B. South Korea
C. United States
D. Finland
Answer at the bottom of this issue
Interesting Reads (TL;DR)
Best AI Workflows for Data Analysts in 2026 by teum
Looks at how AI workflows have evolved from basic automation to actual autonomous loops. Makes a point that the highest-value workflow category for analysts tends to be passive monitoring. Staying aware of changes you'd otherwise have to actively check rather than replacing analytical judgment. Read more →
10 Best AI Data Analysis Tools in 2026 (By Use Case) by Summer Lambert
A breakdown organized by workflow type rather than a ranked list, with the honest observation that the hype around LLMs has cleared and they've become essential productivity infrastructure rather than replacements for quantitative work. Read more →
Build a Winning Data Analysis Workflow by Daniel Marashi
Veridata Insights Covers how execution in 2026 means integrating platforms, deploying AI, and automating the repetitive steps that used to consume analyst hours Read more →
Resources & Tools
Resurf #productivity
"A library that gets more useful every time you save." This is a tool I use just about everyday to manage PlotStack. When I come across an article, product, resource, or just something I want to share on here I can quickly and easily store it for later with Resurf. I was someone who invested early in this app and quickly got myself a license. There's a free to try option available as well.
ColorSlurp #productivity
ColorSlurp is the ultimate suite of color tools for designers, developers, and artists. This is the color picker I use when developing color palettes for my data visualization projects.
This Week’s Quick Study
▶️ How LLMs Actually Generate Text (Every Dev Should Know This) by LearnThatStack (9 mins)
A great video to revisit and share with others who are new to LLMs or want to better understand how the popular AI tools out there generally work. I wish I had seen this video back in grad school.
CLASSIFIEDS
FROM THE EDITOR
Design visuals your stakeholders actually understand.
Data Visualization: An Audience-First Approach, dashboards and stories that inform, inspire, and drive decisions.
FROM THE EDITOR
Free Notion templates built for data professionals.
Trusted by 1,000+ users, download the templates designed to keep your goals, projects, and ideas in perfect sync.
🕹️ Answer
Which country invented the first modern touchscreen technology used in smartphones?
A. Japan
B. South Korea
C. United States ✅
D. Finland
The capacitive touchscreen technology that powers modern smartphones traces back to research done at CERN and later developed commercially by American engineers. The multi-touch capacitive displays we use today were largely commercialized in the United States, most notably by Apple with the original iPhone in 2007.
How was this week’s issue?
Newsletter publishing is hard work and it’s just me running the show here. If you ever feel like extending a thanks, idea, or insult you can do that here.
Or email me directly at → [email protected].
If you’re feeling generous, I also keep an Amazon Wishlist of books and tools I’m interested in.
