One of the questions we get asked a lot is: “how are proxy values calculated?”

When we start to explain, it doesn’t take too long before people glaze over. Without exception – although some hold out longer than others!

We’re normally pretty good at making complicated things easy to explain – it’s sort of what we do – but a proper explanation of proxy value calculation requires a brain-numbing level of detail. Unless the person asking is a data scientist, it’s going to send them to sleep pretty quickly.

What do they *really* need/want to know?Maybe what they’re actually asking is: “Can we trust these proxy values have been put together by people who really know their stuff?”

Think about it. When we invest money in a new car, we don’t really want to know the fine details of how the transmission works, or the intricacies of the manufacturing process. We’re more interested in whether it’s going to be a good investment that’s fit for purpose, runs smoothly, is reliable, and isn’t going to drop to bits in the middle of the M62.

What we REALLY want to know is – do the people who have built this really know what they’re doing?

Are they experts?

Can we trust them, their expertise, intentions, and therefore the things that they make?

How do we as a sector get better providing this reassurance about the human expertise behind the offering?

Not sure we need any more kitemarks, which can obfuscate…

What do you think?