A roadmap for business leaders to unlock the full potential of data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence
More than 90 percent of businesses surveyed say they want to capitalize on data—but two-thirds admit to feeling stuck. What these leaders do not realize is that to succeed at becoming a data-driven business requires developing a nuanced understanding of why data holds such transformative power, what a data-inspired culture looks like, and how to get there.
Data Inspired shows that the secret isn't to be more data-driven—it is to become data-inspired. This book reveals the crucial strategic distinction between using data to optimize existing operations and using them as a catalyst for deep transformation and innovation. Wernicke argues that this success hinges less on technology and more on reshaping an organization's culture and decision-making habits. And with the book's proven principles, real-world examples, and comprehensive toolbox of methods for building a culture of evidence-based inquiry, readers will learn that success means far more than just adding more data to a business: it is about creating a thoroughly data-inspired organization with innovative work methods, new structures, and unmatched efficiency.
Data Inspired will help business leaders, managers, and data professionals move beyond incremental improvements to achieve lasting, powerful change.
Reviews
"Data won't drive your transformation. But data can inspire it. Culture beats algorithms every time."—Seth Godin, entrepreneur, blogger, and author of This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans
"Data is the fuel of AI and, more importantly, better decisions and smarter actions. I love this book's focus on becoming data-driven, with maxims like 'culture first, tools second,' and data as 'a business driver, not a technical capability.' We needed Wernicke's advice a long time ago, but finally we have it."—Thomas H. Davenport, distinguished professor, Babson College; fellow, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy; and author of Competing on Analytics, All In on AI, and Working with AI
"I've seen firsthand that the hardest part of building the future often isn't technology, but culture. Data Inspired is an essential roadmap for leaders who want to move beyond incremental optimization and inspire transformative innovation that truly matters."—Sebastian Thrun, founder, Google X and Udacity
"For leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors who suspect they're drowning in information but starving for meaning, Data Inspired is an indispensable compass."—Guy Spier, author, The Education of a Value Investor
About the Author
Sebastian Wernicke, PhD, is a partner at Oxera Consulting, one of Europe's oldest economics and finance consultancies, where he leads the data science and artificial intelligence practice. For two decades, he has guided global organizations to achieve transformative results with data and AI. His three TED Talks on data and decision-making have been viewed by millions worldwide.
