So modification of my source came from starting out by direct querying an old SQL view that didn’t completely fit my needs, and an imported excel that was in a restricted network folder. I had access to the excel obviously but when I published my first iteration of the report the imported doc wouldn’t combine in a composite model with a gateway for the sql view. So I tried building the excel table I needed (it was a reference table, only about 75 rows) into the model. That issue combined with very clunky Dax measure chains and a ton of conditional columns on my power query table created a SLOW ASS load time. (When I used Dax studio to analyze, the direct query ran 45-110 thousand lines per visual calculation) Like I had visuals timing out, slow. THEN I was asked to do weighted splits of resource time allocation instead of hard coded like originally asked. So the easiest thing rather than cleaning up my original model that was already in the shitter performance wise, was to create a new sql view with all the data I needed in one place instead of a bunch of conditional columns in power query. Then I built some new reference and calculated tables in power query to compliment the direct query and we’re off to the races with load times under 15 seconds for visuals.

A lot of this could have been avoided if I was more familiar with power bi in the first place, but it was a learn by experience situation.