

Explicit Measures Podcast
PowerBI.Tips
Hosted by Mike Carlo, and Tommy Puglia, the Explicit Measures Podcast is a Power BI focused show that is like being around a Power BI Pro’s Water Cooler. With so many available resources in the community that focuses on the “how” in Power BI (how to do Drill Through, how to use DAX, etc.,), the Explicit Measures Podcast is all around the WHY. Why use a particular feature, does it make sense for my users?
Build the toolset, learn the how, and then come to the Podcast to the listen to the why in situations we all experience as Power BI Pros.
Build the toolset, learn the how, and then come to the Podcast to the listen to the why in situations we all experience as Power BI Pros.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 2min
450: The End of Line for Datamarts
Mike, Seth, & Brad talk about the retirement of Datamarts in October and preparing for the new focus.https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/unify-datamart-with-fabric-data-warehouse?WT.mc_id=DP-MVP-5002621Get in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Aug 12, 2025 • 1h 4min
449: Lakehouse or Warehouse?
Mike & Tommy are joined by Brad Schacht on the Microsoft team to see if they could get to the bottom of the issue of Lakehouses vs Warehouse.Get in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Aug 7, 2025 • 1h 2min
448: The Easier the Worse It is? Simple UI & Gotchas
Mike and Tommy discuss the balancing act of creating visually appealing yet functional user interfaces in Microsoft's Fabric. They tackle the challenges of simplifying complex features while catering to both casual and power users. The conversation shifts to the evolution of tools like Power Query and DAX, addressing the tension between innovation and limitations. They also highlight user feedback's role in shaping products and emphasize the need for design consistency across diverse age demographics, ensuring usability across different skill levels.

Aug 5, 2025 • 60min
447: Translytical Is So Much More
Mike & Tommy unbox the new Translytical Task Flows in Microsoft Fabric and debunk what they are, and what they are not. They are more than writeback!https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/translytical-task-flow-overviewGet in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Aug 5, 2025 • 1h 2min
446: AI In Power BI - Are We Now Ready?
Mike and Tommy engage in a lively discussion about the role of AI in Power BI, breaking down its current status and future potential. They also ponder the dynamics of sports loyalty while giving a nod to data visualization in baseball analytics. The conversation dives deep into the technical complexities of generated visuals and the importance of transparency in AI tools. They further explore the latest Power BI updates, including Azure Cosmos DB integration, and examine how AI is reshaping both education and the job market.

Jul 31, 2025 • 1h 6min
445: The Evolution & Future of the Analyst
Dive into the fascinating evolution of data analysts within Microsoft's ecosystem, spotlighting Power BI's growth. Hear about the game-changing Fabric Data Agents and how AI agents are becoming increasingly specialized. The discussion on balancing user-friendliness and costs in data management uncovers tough trade-offs. Explore the shift in data reporting approaches and the anticipated impact of AI on simplifying user interaction with data. Personal anecdotes and challenges add a relatable touch to this journey through the rapidly changing analytics landscape.

Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 8min
444: Mailbag! Optimal Power Bi Architecture in the Fabric Era
Mike & Tommy run through a GREAT question by one of our listeners on what to do with Power BI & Fabric development.In the Pre-Fabric era, as far as I know the most optimal architecture for dataset & report development was the following: 1, Collect data sources into Dataflows 2, Create shared datasets which load data from the Dataflows 3, Create reports built upon the shared datasets.In the Fabric era, how does the optimal architecture look like for dataset & report development? Is the Pre-Fabric architecture described above still the most optimal? If not, what's your idea on it? Power BI Desktop will remain the primary tool for dataset development or Power BI Service will take its place?Get in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jul 22, 2025 • 51min
443: Mailbag! Future-Proofing Excel - Dashboards to Power BI
Mike & Tommy have a great conversation on how do we still build for Excel? Thanks for the mailbag!I’m building Excel sheets for my company to use as sales metrics dashboards. Can you talk about what would make of the ideal Excel migration strategy? I want to build in a way that makes migrating easier in the future, not harder.Get in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 5min
442: What's Up with DAX?
The hosts dive into the relevance of DAX in today's Power BI landscape, questioning its dominance in the age of Fabric. They share personal experiences on the path to becoming a Microsoft MVP and stress the importance of community contributions. Engaging presentations and recent Power BI innovations, especially AI enhancements, are highlighted. Field parameters in report design offer newfound interactivity, while organizational themes promise exciting updates. Ultimately, the conversation revolves around mastering DAX skills for effective data analysis.

Jul 15, 2025 • 1h 8min
441: What Is Your Numeracy?
Mike & Tommy talk about requirements for the business to understand their numbers.Get in touch:Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page.Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 730am CST on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/powerbitipsSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/230fp78XmHHRXTiYICRLVvSubscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/explicit-measures-podcast/id1568944083Check Out Community Jam: https://jam.powerbi.tipsFollow Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcarlo/Follow Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-bauer/Follow Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/