Why does analytics start as “facts”?
At the beginning, analytics feels objective: numbers, tables, truth. Then you join a business review, and the same metric becomes a weapon in a debate. I’ve been in those meetings.
What breaks first? Definition.
When a metric has no clear definition, interpretation happens before calculation:
• People argue about meaning, not numbers
• SQL becomes a tool to “prove a point”
• Decisions get made on vibes, just with nicer charts
What GA4 BigQuery does (and doesn’t) give you?
It gives you data. It doesn’t give you meaning. Meaning appears only when you define the question precisely — business goal first, query second.
How I separate measurement from interpretation
I keep two steps separate:
• Define what I measure (inputs, grain, rule)
• Only then explain what it means for budget, product, and growth
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