How to Escape Data Flatland

Actionable Insights

If you only have a few minutes, here’s what’s going to make your business smarter:

• We’ve lost the ability to use data in every aspect of our lives. In times of information scarcity, the rule was simple: Acquire the right data at whatever cost is necessary. Use it to broaden your horizons, explore more options, and decide quickly.
• There are only four clear rules for truly using data in decision-making: Spend serious resources on acquiring data. Focus everything on acquiring the right data. Use data only to broaden your options list. Move fast.
• These four rules apply all across your life. Whether you’re traveling, founding a company, or checking the weather.

“What I’ve learned from watching real people in action is that […] they’re often unaware circumstances are thinking for them. ” — Shane Parrish in Clear Thinking

Pete is the Head of Data at a medium-sized company. But if you ask him whether the company would function without data, if he’s really truthful, he’d tell you: Sure, no manager would stop working just because he doesn’t have dashboards.

Anna is a startup founder, and she just came out of 50 discovery calls with customers. Does her startup also run without data? Yes, she admits, it kind of does. Most…