Douglas W. Hubbard author photo

Douglas W. Hubbard

Douglas W. Hubbard is an American author, decision scientist, and founder of Hubbard Decision Research, known for applying quantitative methods to measurement, risk analysis, and decision-making. He wrote How to Measure Anything and The Failure of Risk Management, books that have influenced business, government, and project management practice.

Biography & Author's Journey

Douglas W. Hubbard built his career at the intersection of management consulting, statistics, and decision-making. After earning an MBA from the University of South Dakota in 1988, he began at Coopers & Lybrand, where he worked on applying quantitative methods to business problems. That period became the foundation for Applied Information Economics, or AIE, the framework he later developed around calibrated judgment, Bayesian reasoning, Monte Carlo simulation, and practical measurement under uncertainty. In 1998 he founded Hubbard Decision Research in the Chicago area, turning a consulting approach into a distinctive body of work used by corporations, government agencies, and other large organizations facing high-stakes decisions. ((https://hubbardresearch.com/category/news/?utm_source=openai))

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Quotes

quote
Figure out what you mean and you are halfway to measuring it
-Measurement of Intangibles
quote
If you know almost nothing, almost anything will tell you something
-Decisions Under Uncertainty: Module 5
quote
So when I called my first book how to Measure Anything, I meant it literally
-Rise8: How to Measure Anything
quote
Your biggest risk, regardless of your industry, is a flawed risk assessment method
-Doug Hubbard on How to Measure Anything
quote
Project management is, to a significant degree, project cancellation management
-Three Critical Project Management Measurements You Probably Don’t Track
quote
Does the assumption contain more or less error than a calculation would have?
-How to measure everything
quote
So, first you have your original calibrated estimates, THEN you compute the value of information, THEN you measure the things that matter
-Computing the Value of Information
quote
They are never really necessary once someone figures out what the real problem is
-The Measurement Challenge

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Community Voices

"Douglas Hubbard helps us create a path to know the answer to almost any question in business, in science, or in life"

Peter Tippett

"Hubbard has made a career of finding ways to measure things that other folks thought were immeasurable"

ComputerWorld

"Doug Hubbard really knows his stuff"

Sam Savage

"Hubbard bridges the gaps to make college statistics relevant and valuable for business decisions"

Ray Gilbert

"Doug Hubbard, a recognized expert among experts in the field of risk management, covers the entire spectrum of risk management"

Peter Julian

"Doug Hubbard's book is a marvelous tutorial on how to define sound metrics to justify and manage complex programs"

Jim Flyzik

"Hubbard's book is a valuable resource for those who routinely make decisions involving uncertainty"

Strategic Finance

"Doug Hubbard's book should be required reading for managers and practitioners responsible for mitigating risk"

Ron Miller

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