Academy · Lesson 1 · Basics
Analytics is not about building charts,
it is about answering one question properly.
Every evaluation is made of the same parts: a question, a data basis, a measure with an aggregation, and one or two dimensions to split by. If you can name these four parts, you build evaluations that others can recompute.
Which question do you want to answer with numbers this week?
2 questions in the plan. First question: “Which client is work piling up for?”
The four building blocks
Write the question Check the data basis
“Which client is work piling up for?”
Question, data basis, measure, dimension.
Every evaluation is made of the same parts: a question, a data basis, a measure with an aggregation, and one or two dimensions to split by. If you can name these four parts, you build evaluations that others can recompute. The measure is what you calculate: count, sum, average, minimum or maximum. A dimension is what you split by, such as month, channel, client or status.
From reading to doing
Your questions. For your numbers.
Prepare an evaluation.
2 questions selected
- “Which client is work piling up for?”
The question names the period and the unit before any number exists.
- “Which clients brought in the most income this year?”
One row is one receipt; income and expenses are never mixed.
Ask, narrow down, split.
it is about answering one question properly.
Question first, then the data basis, then the pivot table of rows, columns and measure. In this order, gaps show up before they disappear inside a number.
“Which client is work piling up for?”
The question names the period and the unit before any number exists.
Write the questionMake it one sentence with a verb and a period: "How many tasks are open per client board in October?" Words like "performance" or "trend" are not a question yet.
Check the data basisWhich list holds the answer, and what is one row in it: a task, a receipt, an order? Check empty fields and mixed currencies before you calculate.
Build and read the pivotRows and columns are your dimensions, the cell is the measure. Read the total first, then the largest cell and its share of the total.
Questionone sentence with a period · Open tasks per board in October
Data basissource · one row is · Tasks · one task
Measureaggregation · Count
Dimensionsrows × columns · Board × status
The playbook
Ask, narrow down, split.
One evaluation in three steps
it is about answering one question properly.
Write the question → Check the data basis → Build and read the pivot
- 01
Write the question
Make it one sentence with a verb and a period: "How many tasks are open per client board in October?" Words like "performance" or "trend" are not a question yet.
Example · Harbourview Agency (fictional)“Which client is work piling up for?”
Rows board, columns status, measure count - 02
Check the data basis
Which list holds the answer, and what is one row in it: a task, a receipt, an order? Check empty fields and mixed currencies before you calculate.
Example · Willowcourt Advisory (fictional)
Rows counterparty, columns quarter, measure sum“Which clients brought in the most income this year?” - 03
Build and read the pivot
Rows and columns are your dimensions, the cell is the measure. Read the total first, then the largest cell and its share of the total.
Example · Nordwind Travel Goods (fictional)“Which channel brings the most revenue this quarter?”
Rows month, columns channel, measure sum
Your quality check
Will the evaluation hold up?
Tick what you have checked. Your selection stays in this view only.
0 of 3 points checked
What this article is based on.
Editorial page with fictional examples (Harbourview Agency (fictional), Willowcourt Advisory (fictional), Nordwind Travel Goods (fictional)). The guide describes an approach; where Peak Analytics covers a step today, the page says so explicitly. No measurements, no customers, nothing is sent or saved.
- Editorial demo
Synthetic numbers in the browser. No real data is read, computed or saved.
- Checked evidence
Peak Analytics is a preview: pivot over orders, receipts, tasks, goals and files; count, sum, average, minimum, maximum; day to year; CSV export; sharing a released snapshot; largest value as a task.
peak-one app/w/[scope]/apps/analytics, lib/bi/model.ts, lib/views/pivot.ts, lib/bi/share.ts · checked 2026-10-29
A good evaluation fits in one sentence.
Next up is lesson 2: how a number becomes a KPI with a definition.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Peak Analytics for this lesson?
No. The lesson works with any spreadsheet. Peak Analytics is a preview; where it covers a step today, the page says so.
What is the difference between a measure and a dimension?
The measure is what you calculate, such as a count or a sum. The dimension is what you split by, such as month, channel or status.
Why is empty not the same as zero?
A missing value says something was not recorded; a zero says there was nothing. Treating both alike gives wrong averages.
Can I rebuild the examples in the preview?
Yes, in spirit: the preview calculates pivots over tasks, receipts and orders. The numbers on the page are fictional.