Track · 2:30 · Liner note
Mean, Median, and a Deep Breath
The mean and the median summarize the middle of a distribution in different ways, and the choice between them changes what a metric says, especially when the data is skewed.
Add one billionaire to a room and the average income soars while the median barely moves. That is why Mean, Median, and a Deep Breath is worth a pause: the mean is pulled by extremes, the median is not, and a metric definition should say which one it uses.
For skewed quantities like order value or session length, report the median beside the mean and show the spread. Write the definition next to the metric, and breathe before you change it, because every chart that uses it will move.