Georgia Tech OMS Analytics

What story are the numbers really telling?

For OMS Analytics student Joe Domaleski, a curiosity about the economic outlook of 2026 had him digging into state and national economic reports at the end of last year. What began as a personal interest eventually became the focus of his Three Minute Thesis (3MT), as he took a deeper look at the reality behind a “strong” economy.

His takeaway? Averages don’t always add up. By masking outliers, averages often fail to reflect the full picture — especially when applied to the assumption that a strong stock market means a strong economy for everyone.

While the S&P 500 has surged since 2020, rising prices and stagnant wages tell a very different story.

“That’s not one shared economic experience,” Domaleski explains. “That’s two very different realities.”

Though his 3MT wrapped in just under three minutes, his work hasn’t stopped. Domaleski is now putting his research into practice by advocating for greater support for existing businesses, local entrepreneurs and startups through local chambers of commerce.

When policy decisions, marketing strategies, and financial planning models rely on aggregate data and the false narrative of an “average consumer,” opportunities to build an economy that works for more than just the average are often missed.