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The Uncomfortable Truth: Data Lies, Making Anything "Real"

How numbers are shielding flawed research from criticism, distorting our reality

Matt Klein
Mar 6, 2025∙ Paid

A data point doesn’t make it true.

In our strategy work, we often leverage data as a form of assurance, but like any drunken anecdote, data is also prone to blurry fabrication and biased self-interest.

Data is a crutch. And it can deceive effectively.

As one trend report this year confidently proclaimed:

“Searches for Moo Deng increased +98,588%!”

Cool. But …

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