Mar 29, 2024
Let's Talk Power BI Templates – Ep. 306
In this episode of the Explicit Measures podcast, Mike discuss Let's Talk Power BI Templates - Ep.306 - Power BI tips from the Real World.
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Mar 27, 2024
Lakehouse or Data Warehouse – Ep. 305
In this episode of the Explicit Measures podcast, Mike and Tommy explore whether you should build on a Lakehouse or a Data Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric. They break down practical trade-offs and how to choose the right fit for your organization.
Mar 22, 2024
The Quality Problem – Ep. 304
Mike and Tommy dig into the quality problem in analytics work — why teams keep shipping brittle solutions and how to change the incentives. They lay out practical habits for raising the end-to-end quality bar, from requirements and modeling to testing and automation.
Mar 20, 2024
Sharing Strategies – Ep. 303
Mike and Tommy talk through practical sharing strategies in the Power BI / Fabric world — what to share, how to share it, and how to avoid turning collaboration into chaos.
Mar 15, 2024
Internal Design – Ep. 302
Mike and Tommy dig into internal design: how to build Power BI/Fabric solutions that are usable, maintainable, and aligned with how your organization actually works.
Mar 13, 2024
Two Edged Swords – Ep. 301
In Episode 301, Mike and Tommy break down the key takeaways from 'Two Edged Swords - Ep.301 - Power BI tips from the Real World'. You’ll hear what matters most for Power BI and Fabric practitioners and what to try next.
Mar 8, 2024
To 300, and Beyond! – Ep. 300
Episode 300 is a milestone conversation about what it takes to show up consistently and keep learning in public. Mike, Tommy, and Seth reflect on community, career growth, and the habits that make Power BI and Fabric work sustainable.
Mar 6, 2024
AI & Data Culture Problems – Ep. 299
AI can accelerate analysis, but it can’t rescue a weak data culture. In this episode, the crew digs into where the real bottlenecks live—definitions, trust, and ownership—and how teams can use AI as an assistive tool without skipping the fundamentals.
Mar 1, 2024
TMDL in Desktop – Ep. 298
TMDL is a promising step toward real source control for Power BI semantic models—human-readable files you can diff, review, and deploy. In Episode 298, Mike, Tommy, and Seth unpack what’s changing in Desktop and how Copilot can speed up measure documentation.
Feb 28, 2024
BI Strategy Wrap Up – Ep. 297
A BI rollout isn’t finished when the report ships. The team wraps up Microsoft’s implementation planning series with practical guidance on training, support, feedback, and monitoring adoption.
Feb 27, 2024
Tips+ Designer and Theme Generator Tutorial: Gallery Project Copy & Edit
## Introduction Welcome to today’s tutorial where we dive into the powerful capabilities of the Power BI Tips+ Theme Generator. In this post, we won’...
Feb 23, 2024
Mailbag: Analytics vs. Data Visualization – Ep. 296
A listener asks how to help analysts find the unexpected “aha” insight inside a governed Power BI experience—without exporting everything to Excel. The team revisits Ep. 294 and outlines where exploratory analysis fits, what audiences need, and which Power BI/Fabric tools actually enable discovery.
Feb 21, 2024
Deploy, Proof, and Validate – Ep. 295
A BI rollout succeeds or fails in the messy middle: deployment planning, proof-of-concept reality checks, and a repeatable validation loop with users. In Ep. 295, the team breaks down how to move from strategy to something people trust and adopt.
Feb 16, 2024
Data Visualization vs. Data Analytics – Ep. 294
In Ep. 294, the team draws a clean line: analytics turns raw data into meaning; visualization turns meaning into a message. If your Power BI work feels like ‘just charts,’ this one helps you reset the goal—and includes a quick sidebar on why Copilot feels inconsistent across Microsoft 365 right now.
Feb 14, 2024
Solution Planning Requirements – Ep. 293
Requirements shouldn’t be a dead document—they should be the shared decisions that drive your semantic model, visuals, and rollout. In Ep. 293, the team breaks down solution planning requirements that prevent churn and keep a Power BI build aligned with real business outcomes.
Feb 9, 2024
One Person to Do Everything – Ep. 292
Most teams don't need a unicorn - they need clear responsibilities. In Ep. 292, Mike, Tommy, and Seth unpack why one person owning engineering, modeling, reporting, and governance becomes a bottleneck, and how to scale delivery without burnout.
Feb 7, 2024
Define Solutions & Initiatives – Ep. 291
In Ep. 291, the team translates Microsoft’s tactical planning guidance into a simple operating model: ship measurable BI solutions, run enablement initiatives in parallel, and revisit the plan every 1–3 months so priorities stay real.
Feb 2, 2024
Mailbag Time – Ep. 290
It's mailbag time. In Ep. 290, Mike, Tommy, and Seth answer listener questions on adopting Power BI in a Google/BigQuery environment, surviving terminology changes like 'dataset' to 'semantic model', and balancing process vs. technology as tools evolve.
Jan 31, 2024
Defining Key Results – Ep. 289
Defining key results is where BI strategy turns into execution. In this episode, Mike, Tommy, and Seth continue their walk-through of Microsoft's Power BI strategy guidance and focus on tactical planning: how to write OKR-style key results that reduce ambiguity, align teams, and make progress measurable.
Jan 29, 2024
Tips+ Designer and Theme Generator Tutorial: Gallery Project Download for Easy Theme Solutions
Welcome to today’s tutorial where we’ll explore the Power BI Tips+ Theme Generator and its incredible features designed to streamline your Power BI re...
Jan 26, 2024
Requirements for Semantic Models – Ep. 288
Episode 288 is a practical checklist for gathering semantic model requirements: who the model is for, what definitions must be nailed down, and the constraints (grain, security, refresh) that drive design decisions.
Jan 24, 2024
Tactical Planning Objectives – Ep. 287
Power BI implementation success is won in tactical planning. In Ep. 287, Mike, Tommy, and Seth break down Microsoft’s Step 1 guidance: define actionable objectives, prioritize time-sensitive work, choose quick wins that compound, and lay the adoption/governance groundwork without stalling.
Jan 19, 2024
Creativity in Power BI – Ep. 286
Creativity in Power BI isn’t decoration—it’s the discipline of making intentional choices (story, layout, emphasis, and interaction) so the report communicates fast and earns trust. Ep. 286 breaks down how to stay creative while still building something consistent and scalable.
Jan 18, 2024
Creative Thinking in Fabric & Power BI
In podcast #286 we take the time to review an older video of John Cleese giving a talk about the Creative Process in Management. We thought this would...