What do the Ghostbusters, Soham Parekh and our guts have in common?
Just because something looks right… doesn’t mean it feels right.
The Ghostbusters had all the science—PKE meters, proton packs, that weird Twinkie analogy. But when things got really spooky they didn’t wait for a spreadsheet to tell them what to do. They trusted their gut and crossed streams! (Except for Peter Venkman, whose gut was mostly focused on flirting and sarcasm. But still.)
Soham Parekh…well he was apparently working at multiple startups at the same time and everyone loved his interviews but hated his work (probably because he was constantly interviewing and not doing the work…) His answers lined up. The references said all the right things. But deep down, at some point something felt…off for one startup founder…which then led to another and another and another…and while we might never have had THAT issue with a hire…if you’re anything like me you’ve gotten close…
I’ve never done crack, but I assume the feeling is sort of like when our gut and our data line up. There is NOTHING better when it comes to a decision than having those things be aligned. But that’s the easy part, right?
What we need to talk about is when to trust your data… and when to trust your Spidey-sense when they aren’t in agreement.
Your Gut Isn’t Woo-Woo—It’s Evolution
Your gut instinct isn’t just some weird feeling. It’s a cocktail of:
- Subconscious pattern recognition
- Lived experience
- Emotional memory
- That weird burrito you had for lunch (okay, maybe not that last one and stick to tacos next time)
But here’s the trick: gut feelings are helpful if you’ve put in the reps. Instinct without experience is just guessing. Instinct with experience? That’s insight. I love the story from Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink about the piece of art that all the expert “knew” was fake even when they couldn’t say why they “knew” it.
So how do you balance gut vs. KPIs without turning into either a woo-woo guru or a spreadsheet-obsessed robot?
Let’s break it down.
5 Gut vs. Data Guidelines: When to Trust Which (and Why)
1. Trust KPIs When Emotions Are High
Hiring a friend? Firing someone you like? Launching a project you want to work but isn’t converting?
Use the numbers.
When emotions are loud, data keeps you honest. Revenue, open rates, show-up rates, cost per lead—those don’t lie.
Ghostbuster Rule: When you’re about to cross the streams emotionally, let the data lead.
2. Trust Your Gut When the Data Is Incomplete
Ever have a “perfect” candidate or marketing idea that just doesn’t sit right?
That’s your gut pulling from thousands of micro-patterns your brain has stored.
Green flags everywhere… except your gut’s screaming “RUN.”
Listen. Test. Ask more questions.
Spider-Sense Rule: If your intuition buzzes and you can’t explain it—pause and investigate. It’s not always right, but it’s rarely random…there’s a REASON it feels wrong. Or at least a reason you need to get more info to see if it’s right or not…even when you are the antiquity expert who doesn’t know WHY they feel that way.
3. Use Gut for Vision, KPIs for Execution
Your gut is your compass. KPIs are your map.
- Vision: “I want to build a business that runs without me.”
- KPI: “We need to cut case time by 15% and raise retention by 10% to make that happen.”
Strategy is gut. Systems are numbers.
If you only follow KPIs, you can build the wrong thing really efficiently. Remember, as a CEO you have 3 jobs: Set the vision, share the vision, help remove obstacles to achieving the vision. So that compass (your gut) is ESSENTIAL for at least #1 (and will help a ton with #2).
4. Don’t Ignore Either One Twice in a Row
Made a gut call and it flopped? Next time, check the numbers.
Followed the numbers and still faceplanted? Next time, check the gut.
I hear this a lot when it comes to client complaints about employees…I tell my coaching clients when you hear it once, it’s not a big deal (if you have 100 clients and 1 complains…it’s probably the client). If you hear the same complaint twice, it’s time to investigate. And if you get the same complaint a third time, you probably waited too long (either with following your gut or checking your KPIs).
Danger Zone: When you habitually ignore one side of the equation.
Balance is the name of the game. That’s how you stay out of ghost traps and also bankruptcy court.
5. Let Time Reveal the Truth
Sometimes, you just don’t know yet and have to wait and see.
My son is still amazed that when a Bluey episode shared the old Chinese Story about the farmer who loses his horse, but it comes back with a mate, which then breaks his son’s leg, but stops him from being drafted to the army I knew the story…but it’s so true…often times in life the best you can do is wait and see.
If your gut says “wait,” and the KPIs say “go,” sleep on it.
If the data says “stop,” but your gut says “give it one more week,” then give it one measured week.
Wisdom Rule: Time is the tie-breaker when gut and data are evenly matched.
The Takeaway: Use Your Gut to Guide, and Your KPIs to Confirm
You’re not choosing between woo and logic. You’re combining experience and evidence.
Gut checks tell you where to look. KPIs tell you what’s actually there.
If Egon can carry around a PKE meter and believe in ghosts, you can trust your instincts AND check your spreadsheets. Jim Collins always talks about how the best companies are not OR companies, they are AND companies: great service AND low prices, big AND nimble, Fast AND Furious…
Well my friends, this is the ultimate version of that gut AND data! The gatekeeper AND the keymaster.
Until then, listen to your gut, verify with your KPIs, and don’t cross the streams, but if someone asks you if you’re a god, you say ‘yes!