Data tells you *what* happened; Personas tell you *why* it matters to a human being.
1Archetypes, Not Stereotypes
A persona is an archetype of behavior. It's not just about age or location; it's about the *intent* and the *context* in which they use your product.
2The Empathy Bridge
When an engineer says 'this feature is too hard to build', a persona helps you counter with 'Sarah needs this because she's losing 2 hours a day without it'. It makes the trade-off human.
3Evolving Characters
Personas aren't static. As your product grows and you learn more, your personas should evolve. If your personas are the same as 3 years ago, your research is stale.
