Was Rachel Reeves British Girls U14 Champion – and does it matter?

by Alex Edmans | 3 Dec 2025 | A fact is not data

“I am – I was – a geek. I played chess. I was the British girls under-14 champion.” So said Rachel Reeves in a Guardian interview. The Independent, Sky News, and Reuters ran similar headlines: They claimed that her chess ability would lead to her becoming...

Ultra-Processed Evidence

by Alex Edmans | 3 Jan 2025 | A fact is not data, A statement is not fact, Confirmation bias, Data is not evidence, Evidence is not proof

Chris van Tulleken’s “Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … And Why Can’t We Stop?”, on the dangers of Ultra-Processed Food (UPF), was one of the most successful books of 2023. It was a #1 Sunday Times Bestseller and an Economist, Daily...

Does only 2% of VC funding go to female founders?

by Alex Edmans | 22 Apr 2024 | A fact is not data

A widely quoted statistic is that only 2% of VC funding goes to female founders. For example, this Forbes article highlights that “only 2% of all VC funding goes to women-led startups” and asks “Why is only 2% of VC funding going to female...

Successful companies are successful

by Alex Edmans | 23 Mar 2024 | A fact is not data, A statement is not fact, Data is not evidence

I was struck by the Harvard Business Review headline “Companies that Practice ‘Conscious Capitalism’ Perform 10x Better”. On the one hand, it appealed to my confirmation bias. Conscious capitalism involves serving stakeholders, not just...

Do women improve decision-making on boards?

by Alex Edmans | 25 Nov 2023 | A fact is not data, A statement is not fact, Confirmation bias, Diversity

Last week, Harvard Business Review published an article entitled “Research: How Women Improve Decision-Making on Boards”. It was widely shared on LinkedIn and someone tagged me in it, given my research on diversity, equity, and inclusion. When I became...

Does social purpose drive profit?

by Alex Edmans | 4 Nov 2023 | A fact is not data, A statement is not fact, Evidence is not proof

Someone thoughtfully sent me a Harvard Business Review article, ‘How Your Company’s Social Purpose Can Also Drive Profit’, thinking I’d like it given my book Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit, gives a similar message. My...