We don’t live in a clean lab. We live in the wild… half-filled forms, distracted students, glitchy software, good intentions. Statistics is not the hero of certainty; it’s the translator that turns mess into movement. When you ask a clear question and choose a measure that actually reflects it, you’re not “doing math,” you’re building a bridge from the world you have to the decision you need. The mistake is waiting for perfect conditions; by the time they arrive, the moment for action has passed. Pick the smallest useful question. Choose a variable that captures it. Collect a sample you can actually get. Then cross the bridge you built. Translation over perfection.
