diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index 316dc57a2..9c7b9fb10 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: examples/${{ matrix.example }}
         run: |
           pip install uv
-          uv venv
-          source .venv/bin/activate
+          uv venv $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.venv
+          source $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.venv/bin/activate
           if [ -f requirements.in ]; then uv pip install -r requirements.in; fi
           uv pip install "flytekit>=1.12.2" "numpy<2.0.0"
           pip freeze
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export FLYTE_PUSH_IMAGE_SPEC=${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
           default_image=ghcr.io/flyteorg/flytecookbook:${{ matrix.example }}-${{ github.sha }}
-          source .venv/bin/activate
+          source $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/.venv/bin/activate
           pyflyte \
           --pkgs ${{ matrix.example }} package \
           --image $default_image \
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ jobs:
           pip install uv
           uv venv
           source .venv/bin/activate
-          uv pip install "flytekit>=1.12.2" flytekitplugins-deck-standard torch tabulate
+          uv pip install "flytekit>=1.12.2" flytekitplugins-deck-standard torch tabulate pyarrow
           pip freeze
       - name: Checkout flytesnacks
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
diff --git a/examples/data_types_and_io/Dockerfile b/examples/data_types_and_io/Dockerfile
index db5734820..d93ea429b 100644
--- a/examples/data_types_and_io/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/data_types_and_io/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.8
 # ######################
 # NOTE: For CI/CD only #
 ########################
@@ -17,8 +18,10 @@ ENV VENV /opt/venv
 RUN python3 -m venv ${VENV}
 ENV PATH="${VENV}/bin:$PATH"
 
-RUN pip install flytekit pandas
-RUN pip install torch --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu
+RUN --mount=type=cache,sharing=locked,mode=0777,target=/root/.cache/pip,id=pip \
+    pip install flytekit pandas pyarrow
+RUN --mount=type=cache,sharing=locked,mode=0777,target=/root/.cache/pip,id=pip \
+    pip install torch --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu
 
 # Copy the actual code
 COPY . /root
diff --git a/examples/data_types_and_io/requirements.in b/examples/data_types_and_io/requirements.in
index f33049738..79bd303e5 100644
--- a/examples/data_types_and_io/requirements.in
+++ b/examples/data_types_and_io/requirements.in
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 pandas
 torch
 tabulate
+pyarrow
diff --git a/examples/development_lifecycle/Dockerfile b/examples/development_lifecycle/Dockerfile
index 834f5dd29..a704a214d 100644
--- a/examples/development_lifecycle/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/development_lifecycle/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.8
 # ######################
 # NOTE: For CI/CD only #
 ########################
@@ -21,7 +22,8 @@ ENV PATH="${VENV}/bin:$PATH"
 
 # Install Python dependencies
 COPY requirements.in /root
-RUN pip install -r /root/requirements.in
+RUN --mount=type=cache,sharing=locked,mode=0777,target=/root/.cache/pip,id=pip \
+    pip install -r /root/requirements.in
 
 # Copy the actual code
 COPY . /root
diff --git a/examples/development_lifecycle/requirements.in b/examples/development_lifecycle/requirements.in
index 980271fac..8e50db9c6 100644
--- a/examples/development_lifecycle/requirements.in
+++ b/examples/development_lifecycle/requirements.in
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ flytekitplugins-deck-standard
 plotly
 scikit-learn
 tabulate
+pyarrow
diff --git a/examples/duckdb_plugin/Dockerfile b/examples/duckdb_plugin/Dockerfile
index ef4f356dd..91901970a 100644
--- a/examples/duckdb_plugin/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/duckdb_plugin/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.8
 FROM python:3.8-buster
 
 WORKDIR /root
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ ENV PATH="${VENV}/bin:$PATH"
 
 # Install Python dependencies
 COPY requirements.in /root/
-RUN pip install -r /root/requirements.in
+RUN --mount=type=cache,sharing=locked,mode=0777,target=/root/.cache/pip,id=pip \
+    pip install -r /root/requirements.in
 
 # Copy the actual code
 COPY . /root/
diff --git a/examples/duckdb_plugin/requirements.in b/examples/duckdb_plugin/requirements.in
index f4180eb1a..4f8699977 100644
--- a/examples/duckdb_plugin/requirements.in
+++ b/examples/duckdb_plugin/requirements.in
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ wheel
 matplotlib
 flytekitplugins-deck-standard
 flytekitplugins-duckdb
+pyarrow
diff --git a/examples/kfpytorch_plugin/kfpytorch_plugin/pytorch_lightning_mnist_autoencoder.py b/examples/kfpytorch_plugin/kfpytorch_plugin/pytorch_lightning_mnist_autoencoder.py
index e5e819e6d..ddc4409aa 100644
--- a/examples/kfpytorch_plugin/kfpytorch_plugin/pytorch_lightning_mnist_autoencoder.py
+++ b/examples/kfpytorch_plugin/kfpytorch_plugin/pytorch_lightning_mnist_autoencoder.py
@@ -10,17 +10,10 @@
 import os
 
 import lightning as L
-from flytekit import ImageSpec, PodTemplate, Resources, task, workflow
+from flytekit import ImageSpec, Resources, task, workflow
 from flytekit.extras.accelerators import T4
 from flytekit.types.directory import FlyteDirectory
 from flytekitplugins.kfpytorch.task import Elastic
-from kubernetes.client.models import (
-    V1Container,
-    V1EmptyDirVolumeSource,
-    V1PodSpec,
-    V1Volume,
-    V1VolumeMount,
-)
 from torch import nn, optim
 from torch.utils.data import DataLoader
 from torchvision.datasets import MNIST
@@ -69,19 +62,6 @@
 # ```
 # :::
 
-# %% [markdown]
-# We're also going to define a custom pod template that mounts a shared memory
-# volume to `/dev/shm`. This is necessary for distributed data parallel (DDP)
-# training so that state can be shared across workers.
-
-# %%
-container = V1Container(name=custom_image.name, volume_mounts=[V1VolumeMount(mount_path="/dev/shm", name="dshm")])
-volume = V1Volume(name="dshm", empty_dir=V1EmptyDirVolumeSource(medium="Memory"))
-custom_pod_template = PodTemplate(
-    primary_container_name=custom_image.name,
-    pod_spec=V1PodSpec(containers=[container], volumes=[volume]),
-)
-
 # %% [markdown]
 # ## Define a `LightningModule`
 #
@@ -175,7 +155,6 @@ def train_dataloader(self):
     ),
     accelerator=T4,
     requests=Resources(mem="32Gi", cpu="48", gpu="8", ephemeral_storage="100Gi"),
-    pod_template=custom_pod_template,
 )
 def train_model(dataloader_num_workers: int) -> FlyteDirectory:
     """Train an autoencoder model on the MNIST."""
diff --git a/examples/productionizing/productionizing/reference_task.py b/examples/productionizing/productionizing/reference_task.py
index 29c6efc46..a64d46468 100644
--- a/examples/productionizing/productionizing/reference_task.py
+++ b/examples/productionizing/productionizing/reference_task.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-from typing import List, NamedTuple
+from typing import List
 
-from flytekit import StructuredDataset, reference_task, workflow
+from flytekit import reference_task, workflow
 from flytekit.types.file import FlyteFile
 
 # A `flytekit.reference_task` references the Flyte tasks that have already been defined, serialized, and registered.
@@ -26,22 +26,19 @@ def normalize_columns(
     ...
 
 
-outputs = NamedTuple("Outputs", results=StructuredDataset)
-
-
 @reference_task(
     project="flytesnacks",
     domain="development",
-    name="bigquery",
+    name="sql.bigquery.no_io",
     version="{{ registration.version }}",
 )
-def bigquery_task(version: int) -> outputs:
+def bigquery_task():
     ...
 
 
 @workflow
 def wf() -> FlyteFile:
-    bigquery_task(version=1)
+    bigquery_task()
     return normalize_columns(
         csv_url="https://people.sc.fsu.edu/~jburkardt/data/csv/biostats.csv",
         column_names=["Name", "Sex", "Age", "Heights (in)", "Weight (lbs)"],