Analysis Starts With a Question, Not a Dataset

Opening a spreadsheet and looking for something interesting rarely produces useful analysis. Starting with a specific question narrows what you look at and what you can conclude.

Correlation Is a Starting Point, Not an Answer

Two metrics moving together is a reason to investigate, not a reason to act. Good analysts treat correlation as a lead worth chasing, not a finding worth reporting.

Know Your Data's Limits Before You Trust It

Every dataset has gaps, biases, and quirks in how it was collected. Understanding those limits is what separates a confident wrong answer from a useful right one.

Conclusion

Thinking like an analyst is less about tools and more about discipline: ask a real question, respect the data's limits, and treat every correlation as something to verify.