Data Strategy Reconsidered: Seven Principles That Challenge Convention and Deliver Results

Your data strategy is probably following advice that doesn't work.

After 25 years building data strategies—first running his own program, then consulting for hundreds of organizations across every major industry—Kevin Lewis discovered something: nearly everyone having challenges with their data strategy is making the same fundamental mistakes.

They're trying to build business cases disconnected from the real enterprise priorities. They're creating "foundations" that are severely underutilized. They're swinging between extremes of centralization and decentralization. And they're wondering why their significant investments aren't delivering results. All this while faithfully following widely-repeated expert guidance.

It's time to reconsider the conventional wisdom driving these strategies.

In Data Strategy Reconsidered, Lewis shares seven counterintuitive principles that actually work in the messy reality of large organizations:

Target Business Initiatives, Not Direct Business Value
Stop competing for attention and become an enabler of what matters most

Build for Change, Not All Possible Requirements
Create extensible solutions without over-engineering

Balance Responsibility, Don't Polarize
Find the sweet spot between centralization and decentralization

Build Coherent Architecture, Not Monolithic Data Stores or Splintered Data Products
Enable true cross-domain integration when business demands it

Focus on the Future, Not on Rewriting Legacy
Deliver value immediately while gradually retiring old systems

Plan the Program, Not Just Individual Solutions
Ensure every project contributes to a larger vision

Embed Data Strategy, Don't Isolate It
Make good data practices a permanent organizational capability

What makes this book different:

• Battle-tested principles refined across hundreds of large enterprises
• Practical guidance you can apply immediately—no fluff
• Technology-agnostic approach that works regardless of your tools or platforms
• Clear examples from financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and more

Whether you're building a data strategy from scratch or fixing one that isn't delivering results, this book provides the roadmap that conventional wisdom doesn't.

Stop struggling with approaches that sound good but don't work. Discover what actually succeeds in the real world of enterprise data strategy.

Kevin Lewis brings 25 years of hands-on experience in data strategy, having built his own successful data and analytics program before becoming a consultant to hundreds of organizations. His contrarian insights have helped companies across every major industry transform their data capabilities from struggling cost centers into strategic business enablers.