For me, Qlik is all about the engine. What you can do with this beautiful piece of engineering is just astounding. Yes, building engaging and useful visualizations is ultimately what users need, but to me, those are just the blossom on the tree. They are seasonal and change with the wind. It is the roots, trunk, and branches that provide all the strength, power, and capabilities. A leafless tree in winter is as strong as in every other season, but – to me – even more gorgeous.

Build the data model and expressions right, and with minimal ongoing effort, your application will grow with your needs without buckling under increased load. Shortcut this stage in development, and it won’t be long before the fragile trunk of your application becomes exposed for what it is – hollow and weak. Do it right the first time. Yes, it takes...