"Most businesses will have a knowledge of what their sales are, what their acquisition cost is, what their spend per customer is...maybe what the next level looks like is, okay, well this is actually how they tied together." — Callum Ballard [0:10:14]
Is your business drowning in dashboards but still lacking clear insight? The solution might not be more reports, but a better way to organize what you already know.
In this episode of More than Numbers Live, Ollie Hughes sits down with Callum Ballard, Analytics Director at Omaze, to discuss how metric trees can transform business clarity and decision-making.
Omaze, the UK-based charity prize draw platform that offers multimillion-pound houses as prizes while raising millions for charity, has mastered operational clarity through a mathematical approach to metrics. Callum shares how his team built a comprehensive metric map that allows the entire organization to understand how different KPIs connect to drive top-line results.
In our conversation, Callum breaks down:
- Why traditional dashboard approaches often lead to metric overload and misplaced priorities
- How a mathematical breakdown of metrics creates a common language everyone can understand
- The process of building your first metric tree and proving its value to stakeholders
Discover how this powerful visualization technique can cut through the noise, reveal hidden opportunities, and ensure your team focuses on the metrics that truly matter.
Brilliant data bits
"If you set up the tree in a mathematical way...you can size that opportunity in terms that the business understands. Once you start being able to put it in those sales terms, suddenly you're talking a language that is common." — Callum Ballard [0:16:55]
"If you break down [metrics] mathematically...you get to a place where you can size that opportunity in terms that the business understands." — Callum Ballard [0:16:55]
What you'll learn
- [00:01:38] Inside Omaze's mission to make dreams come true while raising millions for charity.
- [00:04:11] Omaze's modern data stack: Snowflake, Tran, dbt, Count, and ThoughtSpot in action.
- [00:05:41] How Count and ThoughtSpot complement each other for different analytical needs.
- [00:09:57] The pain of operational confusion: metrics without context create noise.
- [00:12:00] Convincing the business to embrace structured metrics through real examples.
- [00:15:12] Why teams get fixated on low-impact KPIs without proper context.
- [00:17:48] Translating improvements in any metric to top-line impact for better prioritization.
- [00:19:23] Starting small: how to apply the metric tree approach at different business levels.
- [00:21:23] First steps to create your own metric tree using metrics you already have.
- [00:24:01] How mathematical breakdowns can surface KPIs you never thought to track.
- [00:29:09] Using statistics as a foundation for navigating AI hype and delivering real value.
- [00:31:00] Leveraging metric trees for structured brainstorming and identifying high-impact ideas.
"Going through that exercise and being mathematical in the breakdown of metrics can sometimes surface KPIs where it's just like, 'ah, we literally never thought of that.'" — Callum Ballard [0:24:20
Downloads & links
👋 Connect with Callum on LinkedIn
🔗 Learn more about Omaze
😍 See Count’s metric tree example
🔥 Build your own with a free Count account
🚀 Connect with Ollie Hughes
🎙️ Subscribe to More than Numbers Live:
