Facts vs. Projections: The Principle That Changed How I Work (and Live)

This article is personal—a mix of work and life. Because I believe this principle is valid for both.

It’s something I learned from my life experience (and my wife): The difference between facts and projections.

What’s the Difference?

The difference is sometimes so thin that you believe a fact is a projection, and vice versa.

A fact is something objective. It’s measurable. It happened.

A projection is what your mind believes around that fact—your opinions, your expectations, your interpretation.

A Work Example: The 12% That Became 24%

Someone in my domain once said: “Alex, the integration rate is 12%.”

I stopped them: “Wait, wait. 12%? I believe it’s higher.”

I investigated deeper and realized the way we measured the fact was inaccurate. We were including customers who didn’t even have the possibility to integrate. The formula was wrong.

We changed the formula. We all agreed on the new formula.

The fact became: The integration rate was 24%.

Same reality, different measurement—completely different fact.

Another Example: “This Feature Isn’t Used Heavily”

What does “heavily” mean?

• Sometimes 1% is heavily used
• Other times 50% isn’t heavily used

What was the goal? That’s where the mind lies. That’s where projections come in.

As humans, we all have biases. We all have something we want to reach. We all have projections layered on top of facts.

The PM vs. CEO Perspective

Maybe 1% is amazing for a PM who worked incredibly hard on a feature (and remember, “worked hard” isn’t a measurable fact—that’s an ugly truth).

But maybe 1% isn’t good enough for the CEO, who has pressure from the board and investors.

Same fact. Different projections.

The Rule: Stick to Facts, But Understand the Humans

First: Stick to the facts. That should be easier because we should all agree without opinion.

Then: Keep in mind that we all have opinions and projections attached to those facts.

Why Understanding Projections is Fascinating

If you keep investigating humans—not just the facts, but their opinions and expectations (their projections)—you’ll know more about that human.

This is fascinating to me. Sometimes frustrating, yes. But mostly fascinating.

Because if you understand the drivers—the opinions, the projections—you can understand the person better.

And when you understand a person better, you can create a better relationship with them.

The Meta-Lesson

Understanding humans means creating meaningful relationships.

Creating meaningful relationships means having a better life.

And that’s true whether we’re talking about work, home, or your kids.