The dashboard illusion
Many dashboards look impressive but answer nothing. Charts everywhere, colors everywhere, clarity nowhere.
A dashboard without a question is just decoration.
Start with decisions
Before building any dashboard, ask:
- What decision should this support?
- Who will use it?
- What action should it trigger?
Only then should you choose metrics.
Fewer KPIs, more impact
Good dashboards:
- Focus on 5–7 key metrics
- Update regularly
- Are understood in under 30 seconds
Takeaway
If a dashboard doesn’t change behavior, it’s useless.