Why I started The Missing Header — a newsletter about everyday data chaos

I originally built Tablecruncher to handle huge CSV files in my own work. It was a side project that grew into a small side business, and I ended up selling licenses in over 80 countries.

I never intended to run a full-on software business, though. As the overhead got too big, I open-sourced the project. But I still wanted to help my users—not just by offering a tool, but by sharing what I’ve learned from 20+ years of working with all kinds of data in my consulting day job.

That’s why I started The Missing Header — a practical, tool-agnostic newsletter about the subtle, frustrating problems that come with real-world data. Not a how-to guide for my app, but something broader: stories, fixes, patterns, and principles to help people deal with messy data, no matter what tools they use.

I'd love your feedback—or hear what kind of data messes you’re dealing with.