Data First Is the Wrong Executive Starting Point
The slogan Data First sounds disciplined, but it starts executive AI strategy with the asset instead of the obligation. Data is foundational to AI execution, yet it is not the first object of executive reasoning. The article replaces Data First with a decision-first sequence: decision obligation, proof burden, information requirements, data fitness, AI suitability, and accountability throughout. It explains why green platform metrics can create false confidence when no one has defined what the business must be able to prove. It closes with a funding-gate standard that shifts spend from asset activity to decision credibility under scrutiny.