

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

Dec 16, 2025 • 50min
485: 1-Click Notebooks For Semantic Models
Mike & Tommy dive into 1-Click Notebooks, exploring how to start using them and the various customizations available. They discuss why these notebooks are essential for enhancing your Power BI experience, aiming to provide practical tips for effective implementation.https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/service-notebookshttps://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deep-dive-into-using-notebooks-with-your-semantic-model-preview/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 Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Dec 11, 2025 • 1h 7min
484: Data Governance in the Age of Fabric IQ
Dive into the intriguing world of data governance with insights on Fabric IQ's potential role. Explore practical strategies for enhancing governance frameworks and the importance of workspace identity in avoiding credential issues. Discover the benefits of integrating automation and APIs into developer workflows. Delve into the impact of Excel drill-through features, and the balance between MDX and DAX. The conversation wraps with governance guidelines, the challenges of educating users on AI tools, and a deep look into ontology and its relevance for effective data management.

Dec 9, 2025 • 57min
483: Let’s Talk Semantic Modeling on the Web
Explore the intriguing world of semantic modeling on the web! Dive into the benefits for Mac users and beginners, along with quick editing capabilities. Discover how live editing and version control can enhance data workflows and governance strategies. Learn about the integration of external tools and the flexibility of managing models across various platforms. Delve into the limitations of web editing and hear about the future of features like Q&A as they transition to Copilot. Get ready to transform your data experience!

Dec 4, 2025 • 1h 14min
482: Microsoft Ignite & Fabric IQ
Dive into the transformative power of AI tools and productivity hacks that can supercharge your work. Explore Microsoft Ignite's exciting Fabric IQ and Ontology advancements, which promise to redefine data integration. Discover how Facilitator features in Teams can streamline your meetings and foster actionable insights. The conversation unfolds with a comparison of coding environments and the rise of AI-powered apps, unveiling both opportunities and governance challenges ahead. It's a tech rollercoaster you won't want to miss!

Dec 2, 2025 • 1h 4min
481: From Fragmented Models to Unified Semantics
Mike & Tommy explore from fragmented import models to unified Fabric semantics, examining how to lead cultural change when teams resist moving from siloed datasets to shared models, and provide practical steps for building a culture that embraces a single source of truth.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 Tommy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypuglia/

Nov 27, 2025 • 54min
480: Kill Your Data Team - Why Product Teams Should Own Data
Mike & Tommy tackle the controversial idea of killing your data team, questioning whether centralized BI teams have become expensive bottlenecks, and exploring how embedding analysts into product teams could deliver faster, more impactful insights.https://medium.com/dashboards-suck/kill-your-data-team-why-product-teams-should-own-data-bddd991dcff8Get 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/

Nov 25, 2025 • 56min
479: Mailbag! Tracking App Usage at Scale
Mike and Tommy delve into the intricacies of tracking app usage across 70 school districts and 9,000 users. They highlight the challenges of native analytics and explore practical workarounds using the scanner API. The duo dissects the Fabric capacity metrics app, discussing its benefits for troubleshooting. They debate the importance of baseline metrics for different users and emphasize the need for admin access to retrieve detailed data. Practical steps, like exporting logs for reporting, round out their recommendations.

Nov 20, 2025 • 1h 11min
478: MAILBAG! Untangling Workspace, Branching, and Artifact Chaos
Exploring the chaos of workspaces, the hosts tackle the complexities of branching and artifact management in Fabric environments. They delve into Deneb's visualization capabilities and discuss the implications of Microsoft's decision to deprecate default semantic models. Insights on interoperability between Databricks and Snowflake reveal integration hurdles, while a guest elaborates on the new semantic bridge feature. The conversation emphasizes the need for usability across tools and touches on the translation of SQL measures to DAX, unearthing best practices and future roadmap plans.

Nov 18, 2025 • 1h 5min
477: Mailbag! Start With Why
Mike and Tommy tackle listener questions about defining problems before adopting tools like Power BI. They discuss the importance of starting with 'why' for effective analytics, emphasizing how industry context shapes value. The hosts critique AI infrastructure challenges and debate cost models. They explore using agents for automations and how BI skills translate to new AI tasks. Cultural resistance and user buy-in are highlighted as critical for successful tool adoption. The conversation also touches on the future of AI in organizations and practical applications of agents.

Nov 14, 2025 • 1h 5min
476: New Feature Announcement - Semantic Bridge
Mike and Tommy dive into the new Semantic Bridge feature of Tabular Editor, exploring its potential to harmonize various semantic modeling standards. They discuss the implications of Microsoft Fabric's removal of default semantic models and the challenges of integrating multiple data platforms like Databricks and Snowflake. The conversation touches on the necessity for usability in semantic artifacts and the complexities of translation between systems, with insights into YAML-based metric views and the future of semantic layers in BI.


