Insights in the Fast Lane: Why Every Data Story Starts with People

By Juan Jose (JJ) Ayala, Executive Director, Team Percepto

Every Sunday or every other Sunday during the season, I sit down with my F1 TV app and dive into the world of Formula 1. The races are thrilling, the cars are beautiful, and the stakes are always high. But what really grabs me isn’t just the speed or the spectacle. It’s the strategy. The way data, instinct, and teamwork come together to chase something bigger than any one race: the championship.

That’s exactly how I see our work with consumer data. Each survey, each project, each insight, it’s like a race. And if you’re going to compete, really compete, you need more than raw numbers. You need purpose, design, and a team that knows how to turn data into something powerful.

Let me tell you what that looks like from my side of the track.

Why Every Data Story Starts with People

Start With the End in Mind

In Formula 1, nobody starts with a car. They start with a goal. A win on a specific track. A season-long edge. Before the engine even turns over, teams are in the wind tunnel, running simulations, testing different builds. Every part is engineered with intent.

That’s how we approach research. Before we ask a single question, we ask ourselves what we need to learn. What decision will this data support? What problem are we solving for our clients?

That wind tunnel moment is where we start aligning with our stakeholders. We define who we need to hear from. We shape the objectives. We test our thinking. Because if you get the purpose wrong, no amount of data will save you later.

Good Tools Respect Real People

Building a good survey is a lot like building an F1 car. It has to be efficient, responsive, and built around the conditions. We design surveys that get to the point without rushing people. We ask questions that are easy to understand but rich in insight. And we always leave room for people to speak in their own words.

Because behind every data point is a person. A real human. And their story is where it all begins.

It’s easy to get caught up in platforms and dashboards and segmentation models. But the truth is, all that comes after. First, we listen.

Clean Data, Clear Story

Once the data starts coming in, it’s not glamorous. It’s raw. Messy. That’s why we clean it. We check for duplicates, remove bots, and make sure responses make sense. We sift through open-ends, looking for themes, contradictions, and surprises.

This is the part nobody sees. The long nights. The quiet aha moments. The first glimpse of a pattern. It's like reviewing telemetry from a race: engine performance, tire degradation, pit timing. You find the story by digging in.

We never forget that the people who responded gave us their time. They trusted us with their opinions. So we take care with every piece of data, every verbatim. Because their words are the foundation of the insights we deliver.

From Bricks to Buildings

I often say data are the bricks. But you can’t build a solid wall with bricks alone. You need mortar, rebar, a structure that holds everything together. And once the wall is built, you need stucco and paint, something that looks good, that people want to engage with.

That’s what we do in the storytelling phase. We pull together the analysis, build a clean presentation, and design every slide to tell a clear, powerful story. We don’t just want the data to be understood. We want it to stick. We want it to move people.

Because in a world full of noise and distractions, clarity is a competitive edge.

Every Project Is a Race

To me, every project is like a single race. It matters. It teaches you something. You win some, you learn from others. But over time, you build something bigger.

It takes several well-designed surveys, spaced out and aligned with your goals, to build a long-term strategy. That’s how you win the season. That’s how you earn a reputation. That’s how you become a champion, not just of data, but of action.

And just like in Formula 1, you don’t do it alone. Behind every insight report is a team. Researchers. Designers. Analysts. Storytellers. And respondents too. They play a fundamental role. They are the raw material for the bricks that, all together, bring us the canvas to build the story.

That’s why I named my company Team Percepto. Because I believe in the team. I believe in the crew behind the driver. And I believe that together, we’re capable of something great.

Final Lap

We use every tool available to us. We use dashboards. We visualize data in new and exciting ways. But none of that replaces the first step: talking to real people. Everything we build, every insight we uncover, begins with someone giving us their truth.

We race with intuition. We win with data. And we build with purpose. One insight at a time.

About:

Team Percepto is an insights and storytelling company.

We help brands listen better, see clearer, and move smarter.

We believe the strongest strategies begin with real people, speaking honestly.

That’s where every story begins, and where every insight earns its power.

Let’s build stories that matter. Let’s race with purpose.

Why Every Data Story Starts with People

By Juan Jose (JJ) Ayala

Team Percepto, May 2025