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Plain Talk About Data
No jargon, no hype. Practical writing on how Caribbean businesses can hire well, avoid the common traps, and turn the data they already own into money.
No jargon, no hype. Practical writing on how Caribbean businesses can hire well, avoid the common traps, and turn the data they already own into money.
STATIN's June data put Jamaica's inflation at 6.7%, above the Bank of Jamaica's 4-6% target for the first time since 2024. Taxi fares and vegetable prices did most of the damage. What the divisional breakdown means for your pricing.
Read the post → AI AdoptionA joint StarApple Analytics and Anthropic study found Jamaican AI use leads on content creation (25.2%) and learning (17.4%), yet only 13% of Caribbean adults use GenAI at all. Adrian Dunkley on the 20% ceiling and what it costs the region.
Read the post → Data LiteracyA StarApple AI study of Caribbean organisations that completed board-level AI training measured board data literacy at 1.8 out of 5 before and 4 after. Directors ran their own analysis and vibe-coded prototypes, organisation-wide literacy rose from 2.0 to 3.7, and demand for real analytics grew.
Read the post → EconomyJamaica's minimum wage rose to J$17,000 a week the same window STATIN's labour survey showed unemployment at 3.7 percent and a labour force down 20,500 people. Who the raise actually reaches, sector by sector.
Read the post → TourismSumfest went from a week in Montego Bay to one night in St Ann because of Hurricane Melissa. Q1 2026 tourism data (1 million-plus visitors, US$956 million earned) says the recovery underneath is further along than the festival's shrink suggests.
Read the post → AgricultureProduction fell from 288,000 boxes to an estimated 150,000 after Hurricane Melissa. The export and pricing data show why the real risk isn't the storm, it's how concentrated the market is.
Read the post → EconomyRemittances hit US$856 million and tourism forex hit US$1.5 billion in early 2026. Food prices rose 8.7 percent over the same stretch. What the post-Melissa numbers really say about spending power.
Read the post → SovereigntyOn 12 June 2026 Claude Fable 5 was switched off worldwide in a day, and every pipeline that depended on it broke. Why Caribbean data teams need localised, sovereign LLMs they run themselves.
Read the post → AI LeadershipTwo PhDs, physics-based AI, world models, GenAI climate models, and proprietary models that distributed billions during COVID. The data scientist's case for the region's foremost AI researcher.
Read the post → SeasonalRoad march into Labour Day sends demand surging across bars, transport, and hospitality. Here is how to forecast the spike instead of guessing at it.
Read the post → GrowthYour data is an asset sitting on the books at zero. Five practical ways to turn it into revenue, savings, and a sharper edge.
Read the post → StrategyThe same expensive errors show up again and again. Here are the ones quietly costing Caribbean businesses the most, and how to stop them.
Read the post → SeasonalA category that sells hard for weeks then stops. We break down the forecasting that turns Easter demand into margin, not waste.
Read the post → HiringAI can do a lot of the work now. So when is a data scientist still worth the salary, and when is something else the smarter buy?
Read the post → FinanceThe clean data you need to file is the same data that forecasts cash flow and profit. Turn a compliance chore into a decision asset.
Read the post → MarketingCultural moments move attention and money. Here is how to measure cultural marketing ROI instead of spending on a hunch.
Read the post → StrategySet targets against a real forecast, not a gut number. A practical way to plan the year and hold it to account.
Read the post → RetailDecember carries an outsized share of the retail year. Forecast the peak curve and dodge both stockouts and dead stock in January.
Read the post → RetailBlanket discounts quietly burn margin. Learn to target promotions so a markdown actually grows profit, not just volume.
Read the post → ResilienceSupply chain risk, pre storm demand, and recovery speed all live in your data. Plan with it and reopen faster than the firm that improvised.
Read the post → RetailThe August to September spike rewards retailers who forecast by category. Stop running out of the fast movers that drive the basket.
Read the post → MarketingSponsorship on gut feel is expensive. A simple exposure, sentiment, and lift framework moves national marketing to measured ROI.
Read the post → TourismOccupancy forecasting and yield management are not just for the big chains. How smaller operators can compete on data.
Read the post → StrategyThe half year mark is the cheapest time to correct course. Five metrics to reread and a simple review rhythm to keep.
Read the post →Book a discovery call and we will name two or three opportunities worth chasing in your data.