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Why ‘Data-Driven’ Decisions Are Killing Your Innovation
The most successful companies ignore their data. Here’s why yours should too.
Netflix almost killed its streaming business because of data.
In 2007, their data showed customers loved physical DVDs.
Engagement was high, satisfaction scores were strong, and churn was low. The data clearly said:
“Keep mailing DVDs.”
Reed Hastings ignored it.
He bet the company on streaming despite data showing it would cannibalize their profitable DVD business.
Wall Street called him crazy.
His own board questioned the decision.
Today, Netflix is worth billions. Blockbuster, who followed their data religiously, is extinct.
This isn’t an anomaly.
It’s a pattern.
The companies that create breakthrough innovation consistently ignore their data and trust their intuition about where the world is heading.
After analyzing case studies of major business pivots and interviewing executives who’ve led transformational changes, I’ve discovered something counterintuitive: data-driven decision making is innovation’s…
