10 July 20261 min readReporting / Operations
A dashboard is a meeting, written down
ByEthan
If nobody can say what decision a chart changes, it is decoration. Build the meeting first, then the dashboard.
Most dashboards fail quietly. They launch with ten charts, get opened for two weeks, then become a tab someone checks before a quarterly review. The numbers may be correct. They are just not attached to a decision.
Put a verb behind every number
“Leads by source” is a report. “Which source should we spend on next month?” is a decision. The useful view does not simply show more history. It puts the current exception beside the person who can act on it.
If your dashboard cannot name that person, it is not ready to ship yet.
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