We often treat our data as a definitive map, a digital GPS that tells us exactly where to turn and how fast to drive.

We seek certainty in our dashboards, believing they show us the road ahead with mathematical precision. We assume that if we follow the coordinates provided by our historical performance, we will inevitably arrive at our desired future.

We have been taught to treat the P&L as the ultimate ledger of truth.

If the margins are healthy and the growth trajectories are ascending, we assume the machine is perfect. We celebrate the efficiency of our capital, often forgetting that the most powerful engine of any enterprise isn't the code or the assets, it is the collective will of the people behind them.

Most executive rooms are built on the altar of the "Average."

We worship the center of the bell curve because that is where the volume lives. We spend millions "cleansing" our data of the strange, the fringe, and the "incorrect" usage to find a clear, predictable path to scale. We want a map that confirms our current direction.

This past week, I had the honor of serving as a panelist at the Good Soil Forum 2025 in Dallas, TX. Alongside Tyrome Smith and Adam Berk, we led a conversation titled "Numbers Don’t Lie: Mastering Data to Grow & Scale." What made this session truly powerful wasn’t just the content we delivered, but the intention behind it—to equip Black entrepreneurs with practical strategies to turn data into decisions and decisions into sustainable growth.

In the bustling streets of ancient Rome, fires were a constant and devastating threat. Amid this chaos, Marcus Licinius Crassus saw an opportunity. He formed a private fire brigade, but rather than rushing to extinguish the flames, his men would wait. Crassus would offer to buy the burning property at a fraction of its value. Desperate homeowners, faced with total loss, often agreed. Those who refused watched their properties burn to the ground, left with nothing.

Hard-earned knowledge (though deep learning or life trials) is often squandered by those who feel entitled to it without the struggle. We must question who deserves our wisdom and challenge the reckless misuse of unearned understanding.

Dubois had a rigorous and systematic approach to data collection, which he used to inform his research and advocacy on behalf of black Americans. In his work at Atlanta University, Dubois established a research program that collected detailed data on the social and economic conditions of black Americans in the South.

Dubois and his team used a variety of methods to collect data, including surveys, interviews, and observation. They collected information on a wide range of topics, including education, employment, housing, healthcare, and political participation.

Dubois was particularly interested in using statistical analysis to understand the social and economic conditions of black Americans. He believed that by using data to measure and document the extent of inequality and discrimination, he could more effectively advocate for change.

Dubois' work in data collection was groundbreaking for its time, and it set the standard for sociological research on race and inequality. His approach to data collection has been influential in shaping the field of sociology, and it continues to inform research on social and economic inequality today.