The day I stopped trusting my gut alone

I used to think business success was all about instinct.

That magical gut feeling guiding the best entrepreneurs to victory. Numbers, analytics, metrics? Just fancy window dressing to justify what your intuition already knew.

Boy, was I wrong.

Before joining GUVI, I'd dismiss data conversations with a knowing smile. "Just trust your instincts," I'd say, convinced most business decisions were psychological rather than analytical.

When I first started working with Vasanth, GUVI's Chief Strategy Officer. (who also has started a new newsletter btw) He shared how GUVI approach growth.

He described noticing a worrying pattern in our marketing: 70% of their leads were students, yet they only contributed 10% of revenue. Rather than guessing why, we jumped into the data. Through targeted user research with students who almost purchased but didn't, they discovered a crucial insight: our pricing structure was simply out of reach for most students.

What struck me most was how GUVI evolved their relationship with data. Vasanth explained that early on, decisions were mostly "gut + guesswork". The turning point came after watching Moneyball together as a team. Inspired by the film's analytics-driven approach, they changed how they handled information.

They made a small but powerful change: repurposing an intern from simply pulling campaign numbers to actively surfacing insights. This person became their "Peter Brand" — someone who could spot patterns and red flags before anyone asked.

The results were pretty amazing. Teams started working with better awareness of their key metrics. Now they could identify when things were off-track early, not at quarterly reviews.

What fascinated me most was realizing data isn't about replacing intuition — it's about enhancing it. As Vasanth put it, data provides direction and validation, while your instincts ensure relevance and meaning.

Might sound fancy, But I promise it’ll make sense.

This approach reflects what I've learned about successful businesses: they don't choose between data and design thinking — they combine both perspectives. Data brings objectivity and measurable outcomes, while design thinking adds empathy and user-centered solutions.

The most effective organizations integrate data into their design processes through frameworks like empathy mapping, which transforms user data into actionable insights. They create cross-functional teams that bring diverse perspectives to decision-making.

I've completely changed my view. It's not about data OR intuition — it's data AND intuition working together.

What about you? Have you ever had a moment where data changed your perspective on a business challenge? I'd love to hear your story — reply to this email and let me know.

Until tomorrow,
— Shashank

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