NOTE: Although I was at Spotify for around 8 years and I’ve read a number of DIBBs decks, I was not involved in creating DIBBs for any Bets.
DIBBs stands for Data, Insights, Beliefs, Bets.
- Data: Quantitative and qualitative data; facts
- Insights: Interpretation of the data; explanations, implications, judgments, etc.
- Beliefs: “theory of product”; hypotheses; what do we believe addresses the problem/opportunity; guiding principles
- Bets: Specific projects/initiatives/efforts given the beliefs. They’re called “bets” to remind us of the inherent uncertainty. Our insights can be wrong; our beliefs can be wrong; our efforts might not pan out for multiple reasons.
DIBBs is a strategy framework (in the Richard Rumelt sense).
The strategy kernel from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy is a diagnosis, a guiding policy, and a set of coherent actions.
Insights based on Data is the diagnosis. And this is how the Insights should be framed. A coherent diagnosis, not just a disconnected set of interpretations.
Beliefs are the guiding policy. So, it may be helpful to think of Beliefs as the guiding principles we believe address the problem/opportunity.
The Bets are the set of coherent actions.
Data and Insights are about the problem space; Beliefs and Bets are about the solution space.
There was always a degree of confusion between what is an Insight versus a Belief.
In my mind, the critical distinction is that Data and Insights are about the problem space, that is, the nature of what is currently happening, while Beliefs and Bet are about the solution space, that is, how we intend to shape reality toward what we want.
See Also
- Spotify Rhythm — how we get aligned (slides from my talk at Agile Sverige) — Crisp’s Blog | I think this is the only other public article on DIBBs by someone who was at Spotify?
