I Don't Care About Beans

Introduction

My team can tell you where to find the metric for the average density of black beans. Me? I wouldn't have a clue. In fact, I'm not even sure I could tell you the difference between a bean and a legume.

In a world that often equates expertise with domain knowledge, that lack of knowledge can feel like a big weakness.

But over time I've learned that this 'gap' is the exact space where the most critical work happens: the work of translation.

The Blindspot

I've been in meetings with colleagues and product professionals who have no problem recalling the subject matter and talking about it as if it's an old friend. They understand the metrics, the business logic, the whole universe of "beans".

Meanwhile I can struggle to recall the most basic metrics. I'd find the whole experience to be discombobulating. My thoughts would be along the lines: "how come everyone understands and knows this and I don't?" or "What's wrong with me - this isn't rocket science??". And frequently during meetings and discussions, I would feel like I was on the back foot.

But it wasn't incompetence, it was contrast. They were expert in beans. I was becoming an expert in translation.

The Bean Counter's Trap

Deep domain knowledge is a gift, but it carries a hidden risk: the curse of knowledge. The expert can no longer imagine not knowing what they know.

This leads to reports that are logical to the builder but cryptic to the user. They get filled with insider jargon, unexplained acronyms and assumptions that go unstated.

I've actually seen this play out. When a customer has given feedback asking for an amendment to a report, I've had colleagues who have argued with the PO internally: "why do they want that? That metric is on the report anyway (in a different guise). If they go here or click there...."

The Translator's "blind spot" is, ironically, our protection against this trap. We don't assume and we have to ask: "What does this term mean?" or "How would you explain this to a new hire?". This questioning is the very process that surfaces hidden complexity and forces it into the light of clear design.

The Focus

I would argue that our strength therefore is in building clarity, not memorising beans. I enjoy the puzzles that need to be solved. I'm passionate about good UX: providing labels, descriptions and intuitive navigation.

I like the report users to feel at ease not like they're having to wrestle with the application to shake loose the insight.

Because I find it hard to retain the information, I assume everyone does. This means everything I add or change I document so the next person who picks it up can understand in a matter of seconds, not hours.

The Data Translator

If any of this strikes a chord, then maybe you are also a Data Translator. Your role is to make the subject matter's domain expertise usable for people who don't live and breathe that domain.

Subject matter recall is valuable. But it's knowing everything there is to know about beans.

Translation is what makes those numbers actionable for decision-makers.

Without translation, the knowledge stays in the heads of the subject experts and never gets fully out in the open. With translation this knowledge is conveyed to the people who need it most: the stakeholders. Insightful decisions can then be made based on the data and everyone benefits.

The Translator's Toolkit

Translation isn't a passive trait. It's an active practice. Here are some specific disciplines I apply to bridge the gap between the subject matter and user clarity.

The Two-Click Rule

If a stakeholder can't find the key metric in two clicks, the navigation has failed. This isn't about dumbing things down. It's about respecting their time.

Comment-Driven Development

I write the descriptive comment for a measure before writing the DAX. If I can't explain its purpose simply, the logic is too complex and needs to be amended.

The "So What?" Test

Every visual must answer a business question. A visual must encourage user activity and so every visual should be questioned: "What does this tell us we should do?" If there's no answer, it's just decoration.

Include a Glossary

On any project I keep a simple page that defines key terms (e.g. "Gross Profit", "Last 12 Months" etc). I used to even include this as a separate page in my Power BI reports. This becomes the single source of truth that prevents meetings and debates over definitions.

The Conclusion

So, I don't care about beans. I care about creating systems where insight is obvious for the user, not hard work.

Teams don't need another person who can recite metrics. They need someone who can institutionalise understanding. The Data Translator doesn't just build reports, they build literacy.

In an age of an overwhelming amount of data, the highest leverage isn't knowing more facts. It's building the shortest, most reliable path from data to decision.

That is the superpower. And it starts by caring more about clarity than about beans.