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How do you explore data? What path do you take from opening a data set to publishing a dashboard? Do you go in a straight line or a squiggly path? This week Tableau’s research team is joining Makeover Monday to help answer those questions.

I didn’t start my career in anything remotely close to this field. No, I went into American Sign Language interpreting and spent a good bit of time with a startup. Somehow, I ended up here. If you’re an oddball like me, this is what I wished I’d heard earlier.

Let’s say sales are down, costs are high, and resources are underused—all familiar scenarios, right? Being able to identify these problems is the easy part. The hard but crucial part is actually getting to the root cause of a problem so you can take action. How do you do that? By asking why, and then asking it again.

We believe people should not be forced down a straight line, but be able to explore the data, chasing hunches, in order to focus on the best articulation of the data. Knowing more about people’s behaviour helps us improve Tableau. We want you to help us by getting involved in a special experiment next week. The research team are joining with Makeover Monday for a special “advanced logging” week. Collecting multiple log files from people all exploring the data set will give us a unique perspective on people’s paths through the data.

The feeder competitions are fierce, but no matter what your current skill level, you, too, can work your way to the Iron Viz stage. And when you do, use these tips to propel you to the top!

If everything’s bigger in Texas, and Austin keeps it weird, then it comes as no surprise that this year’s Tableau Conference has been the biggest and best yet. Some 13,000 of you came, registered, schedule (scouted), and you conquered. From the 400+ sessions to the Iron Viz Championship, people everywhere were seeing and understanding data in new ways.

The nerd glitterati of TC16 gathered with one mission: Choose the winner of the Live Hackathon in Austin. At stake? Nothing less than $1,000 and the coveted Trophy of Eternal Glory.

Twenty minutes to the start of the Iron Viz competition, the energy in Viz Stadium was palpable. As the music blared and lights flashed, the same question was on every person’s mind: Who will be crowned 2016’s Iron Viz champion?

I have the pleasure of leading Tableau’s talented engineers, and we’re excited about our vision and plan for what’s ahead. Let me tell you about some of the most anticipated new capabilities we showcased on stage at TC16.