business forecasting Archives - Thomas M. McCorry

a man presenting at a meeting on a stage with a cocktail in his hand signifying forecast theater

Behind the Metrics: The Forecast Theater

Every organization has a forecasting process. Numbers are gathered, models are updated, and leaders present their projections with confidence. But behind the spreadsheets and slide decks, something else is often happening — something subtle, cultural, and deeply human. Forecasts stop being strategic tools and start becoming performances. This is Forecast Theater — the ritualized process […]

an in progress jenga game showing how all of the pieces are built upon each other. A hand starts to put on one piece watching to see if the stack falls,,, creating imagery of the assumption stack.

Behind the Metrics: The Assumption Stack

Every metric tells a story. But behind every metric, there is something more fragile and more powerful than the number itself: the assumptions that created it. Revenue forecasts, pipeline coverage, capacity plans, hiring models, ROI calculations — all of them rest on an invisible structure of beliefs about how the world works. That invisible structure […]

A white background with scrabble tiles spread across a table with four tiles put together to form the word "BIAS"

Behind the Metrics: Forecast Bias

Forecasts are the heartbeat of organizational planning. They shape budgets, guide hiring, influence investment decisions, and set expectations for boards and investors. Every quarter, leaders present forecasts with confidence—numbers that signal direction, momentum, and intent. But beneath the surface of every forecast lies a subtle, powerful force that can distort decisions and mislead teams: forecast […]

A scientific dial with hashmarks from 30 to 100 with the words accuracy level indicating a measure of forecast accuracy

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Behind the Metrics: Forecast Accuracy

Forecasts are everywhere in business. Revenue projections, pipeline estimates, budget allocations, demand curves—they fill board decks and investor updates. Leaders rely on them to make decisions, allocate resources, and set expectations. Yet one critical metric is almost always missing: forecast accuracy. Forecast accuracy measures how close your predictions come to reality. It’s not glamorous, and […]

Business dashboard illustrating customer lifetime value metrics with charts, dollar signs, and user engagement icons LTV

Behind the Metrics: Lifetime Value (LTV)

Continuing our Behind the Metrics series, we’re diving into another foundational concept: Lifetime Value (LTV). If Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) tells us what it takes to win a customer, LTV reveals what that customer is truly worth over time. Together, they shape the economics of sustainable growth. What Is LTV? Lifetime Value estimates the total […]