Build dashboards that show what's working and what's broken. Focus attention on problems without overwhelming people with data.
Looker Studio is free but limited. Tableau is powerful but expensive. Notion databases are flexible but not real-time. The right dashboard tool depends on your data sources, update frequency, and audience. Sales teams need live CRM dashboards. Marketing needs campaign performance. Leadership wants high-level KPIs. This chapter shows you how to evaluate dashboard platforms, choose based on your data stack, and build reporting that drives decisions instead of generating pretty charts no one uses.
Use AI to amplify productivity in writing and research. Avoid overspending on capabilities you won't use or falling for empty hype.
The wrong tools waste money and create friction. The right tools compound productivity. Avoid vendor promises and feature bloat. Choose what actually fits your workflow, integrates cleanly, and grows with you.
See playbook
Free dashboard tool that pulls data from many sources, great for quick reports and shareable views.
Dashboard tool with fast connectors and scorecards, ideal for exec views and alerts when you need speed over deep modelling.
All in one CRM with marketing, sales and service, strong when you want one system that teams adopt.
Web analytics that tracks user behaviour and conversions, essential for understanding traffic and lead sources when configured well.
Select metrics that reveal whether you're achieving strategic goals to track progress and identify problems before they become expensive to fix.
Choose one metric that best predicts long-term success to align your entire team on what matters and avoid conflicting priorities that dilute focus.
Calculate the percentage of visitors who complete desired actions to identify friction points and measure the effectiveness of marketing and product changes.
