For CEOs
Data for CEOs: the no-jargon guide
Everything a CEO needs to know about data to make better decisions, without the technical complexity: what to ask for, what to measure and how to get results.
Read articleKey takeaways
- A data strategy aligns data use with business goals.
- It does not start from technology, but from decisions to improve.
- 90 days suffice to define goals, use cases, governance and a first result.
- A strategy without a delivered use case stays on paper.
- Prove value early to fund the next phases.
Too many data strategies end up as a presentation nobody executes. The reason is usually that they start from technology — "we need a data lake" — instead of from the business. A useful strategy is concrete, actionable and delivers value soon.
What it is
A data strategy is the plan connecting business goals with the data capabilities needed to reach them: which decisions to improve, what data is needed, how to govern it and how to deliver it.
A 90-day framework
- Days 1–30 — Goals: identify the decisions that would gain most from data.
- Days 31–60 — Use cases and data: prioritise by impact and availability; define minimum governance.
- Days 61–90 — First result: deliver a working use case and measure its impact.
Days 1–30
GoalsDecisions
Days 31–60
Use casesGovernance
Days 61–90
First resultMeasured
Start from the business
The question that orders the strategy is not "what platform do we build?" but "what decisions do we want to make better, and what does not being able to do so cost us today?". Technology is a consequence of those answers, not the starting point.
The mistake of strategy without delivery
A strategy that does not deliver a tangible result in its first months loses credibility and support. That is why the framework ends with a working use case: proving value early funds and legitimises the next phases.
A strategy is validated by executing it, not by documenting it.
In summary
A data strategy aligns data with business goals — starting from decisions to improve, not technology. A 90-day framework moves from goals to use cases to a measured first result. Deliver something tangible early: a strategy is validated by executing it, not by documenting it.
Sources & further reading
Frequently asked questions
Where should a data strategy start?
From business goals and the decisions you want to improve, not from the choice of technology, which is a later consequence.
Are 90 days enough?
To define the strategy and deliver a first use case, yes. Full transformation is longer, but the first value should arrive soon.
What makes a data strategy fail?
Starting from technology, not prioritising by impact, and not delivering a tangible result in the first months.
Why deliver a use case in 90 days?
Because proving value early builds credibility and funds the next phases. A strategy with no delivery loses support.
What does the framework cover?
Goals (days 1–30), use cases and governance (31–60) and a measured first result (61–90).
Is documentation enough?
No. A strategy is validated by executing it. A document nobody acts on delivers no value.
Turn this data into results
Tell us what you want to achieve. Data Layer connects, processes and delivers the result up and running, with no infrastructure for you to manage.