data-story

Overview

Based on "Storytelling with Data" by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic. The core principle: data does not speak for itself. Context, audience, and a clear call to action determine whether an insight drives a decision or gets ignored. Every data communication is a story with a protagonist (the audience), a tension (the problem), and a resolution (the recommended action). Remove everything that doesn't serve that arc.

Workflow

Step 1: Define the audience and the decision they need to make

Before touching a chart or a sentence, answer:

• Who is in the room? (technical ICs, business leads, C-suite?)
• What decision do they need to make as a result of seeing this?
• What do they already believe? What might they push back on?

Write one sentence: "After seeing this, [audience] should [specific action or decision]."

This sentence controls everything downstream.

Step 2: Lead with the conclusion, not the methodology