Why Most Data & AI Initiatives Fail - And How to Create Real Business Value - Ritavan
Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder · 2026-01-20 · 31 min
Episode notes
How do companies turn data into real enterprise value - not just dashboards, pilots, and AI theater? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, Dave speaks with Ritavan, author of the award-winning book Data Impact and creator of the SLASOG framework, about why so many data and AI initiatives fail - and what leaders should do differently if they actually want results. Rather than chasing buzzwords or “digital transformation” for its own sake, Ritavan challenges leadership teams to treat data as a strategic asset for value creation. He explains how different economic paradigms - from hunter-gatherers to industrial firms to digital natives - shape how organizations extract value, and why legacy companies often underestimate their proprietary advantages.