What Is Wes McKinney's Connection to pandas and *Python for Data Analysis*?

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Wes McKinney created pandas, the Python data analysis library, and wrote Python for Data Analysis, the book widely used to learn it. On wesmckinney.com he links to two ways to read the book: free online, or a purchased copy that supports him. The site also identifies him as "The Creator of Pandas" in a podcast title, confirming the connection directly.

Who Wes McKinney is

According to his site, McKinney is an entrepreneur and engineer focused on AI developer tools and data systems. His principal role is Founder at Kenn Software, and he is also a Principal Architect at Posit, contributing to Python and AI strategy. He was a founder of Voltron Data, Ursa Labs (with Posit), and DataPad, and is a Member of The ASF (Apache Software Foundation). He has been building software projects since 2008.

Why pandas matters to his profile

pandas is the foundation of much of his later work and reputation. The site's talk list includes a July 2026 Data Engineering Central podcast episode titled "The Creator of Pandas on AI, Apache Arrow, and the Future of Software Engineering," which ties his pandas background to his current focus on AI tooling and data infrastructure. If you want to understand his data-systems work, pandas is the natural starting point.

How to get Python for Data Analysis

The site states plainly that you can read the book for free online or buy a copy to support him. The page does not specify a price, retailer, or whether any login is required, so check the linked pages for current terms.

Option What the site says Best for
Free online reading Available via a link on the site Trying the material before buying; quick reference
Purchased copy Proceeds support the author Readers who want a physical or paid edition and want to support his work

What else is on the site

The site is mainly a personal hub. It lists his current Kenn Software projects:

  • agentsview — session search and token analytics across coding agents
  • roborev — continuous background code review
  • msgvault — archiving and searching email and chat
  • Kenn Forge — maintainer triage
  • Ghosthub — a native macOS terminal for tmux fleets

It also lists recent talks and podcasts, including episodes of The Test Set (Posit), which he co-hosts, and appearances on the Joe Reis Podcast and Data Engineering Central. He notes he is an active angel investor and advisor through his fund, Composed Ventures.

Bottom line

If you came looking for the pandas creator or the author of Python for Data Analysis, wesmckinney.com is his personal site and the place he points readers to the book. Start with the free online version if you want to evaluate it, and use the purchase option if you want to support the author.