Prerequisites

What You Need Before Starting

This book assumes very little. Here's the actual list.

Required

1. A Computer

You'll need a computer — Windows, macOS, or Linux — with internet access and permission to install software. A mid-range laptop from the last 5 years is more than sufficient. You do not need a specialized developer machine.

2. Comfort with Spreadsheets

You should be comfortable using a spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets, or equivalent). You don't need to be an expert, but you should know how to: - Open and navigate a spreadsheet - Understand what rows, columns, and cells are - Perform basic calculations (SUM, AVERAGE) - Filter or sort data

If you don't have this background, spend a few hours with Excel or Google Sheets tutorials first — it will make the business examples much more meaningful.

3. Basic Business Context

The examples in this book assume you understand basic business concepts: revenue, expenses, profit, customers, invoices, inventory. You don't need an MBA — just the experience of working in or around a business.

Not Required

• Prior programming experience — We start from absolute zero in Chapter 2.
• Mathematics beyond arithmetic — We use business math (percentages, averages, growth rates) but no calculus, statistics beyond high school level, or linear algebra. Chapter 25 introduces more formal statistics, and the concepts are always explained intuitively first.
• Computer science knowledge — No algorithms, data structures (in the CS sense), or computer architecture required.
• Command line familiarity — We'll introduce what you need as you go. Chapter 2 covers the basics.
• A specific operating system — Instructions are provided for Windows, macOS, and Linux where they differ.

Optional but Helpful

• Familiarity with SQL — If you've used SQL before, Chapter 23 will feel familiar. If not, that chapter covers what you need from scratch.
• Some exposure to statistics — If you've taken a stats course, Part 4 will move faster. If not, Chapter 25 starts from the beginning.
• Experience with any programming language — If you've written VBA macros, JavaScript, or any other language, you'll find Python surprisingly intuitive. But it's not required.

Technical Requirements

A Note on Time Investment

Learning Python to the level described in this book takes time. Plan for:

• Part 1 (Chapters 1–8): 3–6 weeks at 1–2 hours per day
• Part 2 (Chapters 9–16): 3–5 weeks
• Part 3 (Chapters 17–24): 4–6 weeks
• Part 4 (Chapters 25–32): 4–6 weeks
• Part 5 (Chapters 33–40): 5–8 weeks

This is not a weekend project. It's a professional development investment. The business professionals who get through this book are the ones who carve out consistent, protected time each week — even 30 minutes a day produces significant results over months.

Ready? Let's Go.

If you can check the boxes above, you have everything you need. Chapter 1 doesn't require you to write a single line of code — it's about building the mental model and the motivation. From there, Chapter 2 gets your tools set up, and Chapter 3 writes your first real Python.

The prerequisites are light. The payoff is not.