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What is Dango?

Dango is an open-source data platform that integrates production-grade tools (dlt, dbt, DuckDB, Metabase) into a single, cohesive platform.

Works on your laptop today. Designed to scale to production tomorrow.

The Problem

Building a data platform typically requires:

  • Weeks of setup and configuration
  • Deep knowledge of multiple tools
  • Complex infrastructure decisions
  • Choosing between simple (limited) or complex (powerful) tools

Result: Data teams spend more time on infrastructure than analysis.

The Solution

Dango gives you a complete data stack with one command:

dango init

You get:

  • dlt for data ingestion (29+ verified sources)
  • dbt for SQL transformations
  • DuckDB as your analytics database
  • Metabase for dashboards and SQL queries
  • Web UI for monitoring and management

Architecture

Dango uses a layered data architecture:

graph LR
    A[Data Sources] --> B[dlt]
    B --> C[Raw Layer]
    C --> D[dbt]
    D --> E[Staging]
    E --> F[Intermediate]
    F --> G[Marts]
    G --> H[Metabase]

Data Layers

  1. Raw - Immutable source of truth with metadata
  2. Staging - Clean, deduplicated data
  3. Intermediate - Reusable business logic
  4. Marts - Final business metrics

Tech Stack

Component Purpose Why This Tool?
DuckDB Analytics database Embedded, fast, no server needed
dlt Data ingestion 29+ sources, schema evolution
dbt Transformations SQL-based, version controlled
Metabase BI dashboards Auto-configured, easy to use
Docker Service orchestration Consistent environments
FastAPI Web UI backend Fast, modern Python

Core Features

Data Ingestion

  • 29+ verified dlt sources (Stripe, Google Sheets, GA4, Facebook Ads, etc.)
  • CSV upload and auto-sync
  • Custom source development
  • OAuth authentication for cloud sources

Transformations

  • dbt auto-generation for staging models
  • Full dbt project access
  • SQL-based transformations
  • Incremental model support

Monitoring

  • Web UI with live pipeline status
  • File watcher with auto-triggers
  • Token expiry warnings
  • Validation and health checks

Dashboards

  • Metabase auto-configured with DuckDB
  • Pre-built dashboard templates
  • SQL query interface
  • Dashboard backup and restore

Current Status: v0.0.5 (MVP)

What Works Now

  • ✅ Full CLI with 10+ commands
  • ✅ CSV, Stripe, Google Sheets, GA4, Facebook Ads sources
  • ✅ dbt auto-generation for staging models
  • ✅ Web UI with live monitoring
  • ✅ Metabase dashboards
  • ✅ File watcher with auto-triggers
  • ✅ Custom sources via dlt_native type

Coming Soon

  • 🚧 v0.1.0: Google Ads, demo project, full documentation
  • 🔮 Beyond v0.1.0: Cloud deployment guides, advanced scheduling, team collaboration

Design Philosophy

Dango is built chronologically - starting with local support for MVP, designed to scale to cloud production later.

Why This Approach?

  1. Get started fast - No cloud infrastructure needed
  2. Learn the tools - Master dlt, dbt, and SQL locally
  3. Scale when ready - Same tools, bigger infrastructure
  4. Production-grade - Best practices from day one

Target Users

  • Solo data professionals - Complete stack, zero complexity
  • Fractional consultants - Fast client onboarding
  • SMEs - Analytics without engineering teams
  • Learners - Production tools without production costs

Why Dango vs. Alternatives?

vs. Cloud Platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery)

Dango Cloud Platforms
✅ Free (open source) ❌ Pay per query
✅ Runs on laptop ❌ Requires cloud account
✅ Fast iteration ⚠️ Can be slow/expensive during dev
⚠️ Local compute limits ✅ Scales to petabytes

vs. No-Code Tools (Fivetran, Airbyte Cloud)

Dango No-Code Tools
✅ Fully customizable ❌ Limited customization
✅ Version controlled ⚠️ UI-based configuration
✅ Open source ❌ Proprietary/paid
⚠️ Requires code for complex cases ✅ Point-and-click simple cases

vs. DIY Stack

Dango DIY Stack
✅ Integrated from day one ❌ Weeks of integration work
✅ Best practices built-in ⚠️ Easy to make mistakes
✅ Maintained by community ❌ You maintain everything
⚠️ Opinionated structure ✅ Complete flexibility

What Dango is NOT

  • Not a SaaS platform - It's a CLI tool that runs locally
  • Not cloud-only - MVP is local, cloud support coming later
  • Not a BI tool - It integrates BI (Metabase) but focuses on data infrastructure
  • Not production-ready for enterprise - Currently MVP (v0.0.5)

Next Steps

Ready to try Dango?

  1. Install Dango - Get set up in minutes
  2. Quick Start - Run your first pipeline
  3. Core Concepts - Deep dive into architecture

Questions?