Evergreen notes and applied theory

Small Data Ethics

For the professional who has to explain a wrong outcome to a real person

By Laini Byfield

Newsletter

Short essays on small data, governance, operational ethics, and how to build systems that respect people.

Launching May 2026SubstackCase studies

Coming May 2026

The Small Data Ethics newsletter launches on Substack in May 2026. It will cover the operational realities of running data systems that affect real people — written for the analyst, the program manager, and the governance lead who have to live with the consequences.

What to expect

  • Case studies in small data failure — and what they teach
  • Contestability and appeals in operational systems
  • Designing incentives without coercion
  • Documentation as ethics — how to publish learning across cycles

Want to be notified at launch? Email hello@lainibyfield.com with "newsletter" in the subject line.