Field Study · Labor & the Economy
The Productivity–Pay Gap: where did the middle class's gains go?
Productivity rose ~90% since 1979; typical pay rose ~33%. An honest look at what actually drives the divergence.
Read the study →Pillar 1 — Reporting Trust 2 articles
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Why your dashboards are not trusted even when the data is correct
Dashboard distrust is an ownership, definition, and process problem — not a data accuracy problem. The fix is different than you think.
Reporting modernization is not a dashboard redesign
The dashboard is the last 10% of the problem. Most organizations start there — and wonder why the project didn't work.
Pillar 2 — KPI Definitions 3 articles
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How to build a KPI dictionary
What goes in it, how to structure it, and how to make it stick — including a complete example entry for MRR.
Why every KPI needs an owner
Ownership is the missing link in reporting trust. A specific person, not a team. What it means — and how to assign it.
The hidden cost of conflicting KPIs
Most organizations know metric disagreements are a problem. Almost none have counted what they actually cost — the number is bigger than it looks.
Pillar 5 — AI Readiness 1 article
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AI readiness starts with trusted metrics
AI doesn't fix reporting chaos. It inherits it — and makes it sound authoritative. The data foundation every AI initiative actually needs.
Why bad reporting blocks AI adoption
Your AI initiative isn't blocked by the AI. It's blocked by fragmented sources, undefined metrics, and unowned KPIs — and a pre-flight checklist to fix it.
Pillar 4 — Data Governance & Strategy 2 articles
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Data strategy before data tools
Why the plan has to come before the platform — the seven components, the four questions, and where initiatives fail.
Design thinking in business intelligence
A four-phase method for when you know there's a better answer but aren't sure exactly what it is.
Data governance for operators, not committees
A lightweight model that creates accountability without creating overhead — the five questions governance has to answer.
Pillar 3 — Dashboard Design 2 articles
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Dashboard design, the basics
Grid, spacing, hierarchy, typography, and color — the five principles that separate dashboards people use from ones they ignore.
Gestalt & perception in dashboard design
Seven Gestalt principles, eye-scan patterns, and why the Invisible Gorilla experiment matters for layout.
Field Studies — Economics & Data 3 studies
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Forty years of wage data: what the average hides
The top 1% saw 206% wage growth since 1979; the bottom 90% saw 29%. An even-handed look at what SSA earnings data shows — and what it doesn’t.
Did corporate profits drive post-COVID inflation?
Profits accounted for 54% of price growth vs. 11% historically. What the BEA data says — and what it doesn't.