“Let’s define a data strategy.”

Translation: let’s argue about tools for 6 months.

Here’s the thing nobody wants to admit:

Most data strategies are just about data stacks.
Not actual strategy.

If you want a strategy that survives the next reorg, AI hype wave, or exec sponsor change - start here:

1. Problem: What are we solving?
2. Users: Who are you serving?
3. UVP: What's our data team's secret sauce?
4. Solution: What are we building and what are we NOT building?
5. Distribution: How will we get this in front of users without chasing them down?
6. Systems: What helps this scale without breaking us?
7. Outcomes: What will users actually do differently?
8. Costs: What’s the real investment? (Spoiler: it’s not just the software)
9. People: How will we grow a team that wants to stick around?
10. Vision: What guides our decisions when priorities clash?

Answer those 10?

You’ve got a data strategy.

Ignore them?

You’ve got a dashboard backlog and a stack no one uses.

♻️ Repost if you've ever watched a “data strategy session” turn into a Power BI vs Tableau debate.

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