Inside the Dashboard: How to Build Insight Reports Your Exec Team Actually Reads
Stop dumping raw data into PDFs. Build visual, decision-focused insight dashboards that spark action.
Emily Watson
Head of Product Strategy
The Problem with Most Customer Insight Reports
Every quarter, teams scramble to build reports on "what customers are saying."
But what do execs often get?
40-Slide Decks
Raw quotes without context or prioritization
Notion Bullet Points
Unstructured lists that are hard to scan
Dense Spreadsheets
Too much data, too little insight
What do they really need?
Clarity. Direction. Action.
What Executives Actually Want to See
Executives don't want every detail. They want:
Themes
What are the top 3 issues?
Trends
Are they growing, shrinking, changing by region?
Impact
What's the risk or opportunity?
Confidence
Is this feedback from 2 users or 200?
Next Steps
What are we doing about it?
How to Build a Report That Works
1. Start With a One-Slide Summary
Open with a TL;DR:
✓ 3 major insights
✓ Top product opportunity
✓ Customer segment most at risk
✓ Strategic recommendation
This lets execs scan and act—even if they don't read the rest.
2. Visualize Frequency and Change Over Time
Charts > Lists.
Use:
Pro Tip: Tools like GetActionNotes generate these visuals automatically from tagged notes.
3. Add Commentary, Not Just Data
"12 users mentioned onboarding complexity."
"Onboarding is now the top pain point for new enterprise clients, rising 35% QoQ. This may be contributing to slower time-to-value."
This gives context and sparks decisions.
4. Tie Insights to Business Goals
Make sure your insight report connects to:
The best reports say:
"This is what customers are saying — here's how it impacts the business."
Sample Executive Insight Snapshot
| Insight | Impact | Trend | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delayed onboarding hurts time-to-value | High | Increasing | 85% of SMB users |
| Feature X not clear in UI | Medium | Flat | 20+ mentions |
| Enterprise wants audit logs | High | Rising | 3 strategic deals |
TL;DR
Customer insight reports shouldn't overwhelm. They should guide.
Want to Automate Insight Dashboards That Execs Love?
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