Lesson ProgressPhase 1 of 6
Phase 1Hook
Hook: Integration & Dashboard: Decision-Ready Three‑Statement Model
Sarah demos an investor dashboard request: one page, scenario toggles, clear decision cues
🎛️ Phase 1: Investor Dashboard Demo
Sarah’s Live Demo: One Page, Three Scenarios
A real investor asks Sarah for a single dashboard view with Base, Stretch, and Downsidetoggles. They want quick comparison, clear KPIs, and obvious decision cues. Sarah’s old workbook has hard‑coded charts and fragile links. Today she proves a new, integrated model built on named ranges, exact‑match lookups, and stable charts.
Before: Fragile Dashboard
Charts → =Sheet1!$B$2:$B$13 (static range)
=VLOOKUP(Scenario, Map!A:B, 2, TRUE) // wrong matches under pressure
=VLOOKUP(Scenario, Map!A:B, 2, TRUE) // wrong matches under pressure
- Static ranges don’t expand; visuals go stale
- Approximate matches return wrong values
- Hidden manual edits break investor trust
After: Integrated & Reliable
Drivers: Table + named ranges (e.g., Driver_Scenario)
=XLOOKUP([@Scenario], Driver[Name], Driver[Value], "Missing")
Charts → Table columns (auto‑expanding)
=XLOOKUP([@Scenario], Driver[Name], Driver[Value], "Missing")
Charts → Table columns (auto‑expanding)
- Exact‑match switching with IFNA/IFERROR guards
- Stable visuals from structured references
- Validation flags visible on the dashboard
Integration Pitfalls & Dashboard Best Practices
Identify choices that keep dashboards decision‑ready during live scenario changes.
1. What breaks dashboards most often when scenarios change during a meeting?
2. Which formula pattern is most reliable for scenario switching?
3. An investor asks to compare Base vs Downside instantly. What proves decision‑readiness?
0 of 3 questions answered
Turn and Talk
Discussion Prompt (3 minutes):
- What makes a dashboard trustworthy to an investor?
- Where do you surface validation so errors can’t hide?
- Which three KPIs would you feature first for TechStart?