Met expectations...

Sometimes, when you extend into the edges of the product you sell, you don't know what to expect. So, when I had a question from a customer about Google Analytics, I thought I'd try it myself. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know I track everything. 

Of course, I'm the only regular reader of my blog. But humor me!

Tableau makes visualizing Google Analytics dead simple. Like, "this is so simple why would I ever do it another way" simple.

It goes like this:

• Choose the Google Analytics Data source
• Sign in to Google
• Choose your property and profile
• Choose your date range, measure group, and dimensions

Then, drag and drop in Tableau as you would any data source.

What makes Tableau great is not just that new features are added, it's that they are added (in the words of our leadership) the "Tableau Way" - simple and elegant. I guess I've used (and built) enough software that was - ahem - inelegant, so I appreciate a good thing when I use it.

If I were in Marketing for a living, this would be a must have. Especially if I'm doing some A/B testing (shout out to Optimizley). I'm not in Marketing, but I like most of the Marketing people I meet. They tend to send well-formatted emails, which is a dying art in our society.

For me, I just want to see if I can come close to the popularity of Big Daddy Paul. Doubtful, but a guy can dream.

Disclaimer: I work for Tableau. But it really is that easy.