Trapped in a Forest Clearing: The Importance of a Solid Data Strategy for Your Business

A clear data strategy serves as our map through uncertainty, illuminating the path to success and helping us overcome unexpected obstacles with confidence.

Alejandro López Correa

9/30/20243 min read

Yesterday, I went on a hiking trail, a simple, healthy activity, and therefore highly recommended for a peaceful early autumn afternoon. It was a new route, and at one point, the path passed along the edge of a wide clearing in the middle of the forest. In the center of the clearing, there was an interesting rock formation. This formation created an oval shape about 100 meters in diameter, with the rock in the center. However, except for the very center, the area was covered with thorny bushes, like the ones seen in the photograph. There was a path from the main trail leading to the rocky formation in the middle of the clearing, but it was quite overgrown with these bushes. Still, driven by curiosity, I ventured onto it. Despite some small scratches and having to push branches aside with a stick, I managed to reach the center. There, I sat down and took a long pause to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the surroundings. The surrounding trees resembled a palisade bordering the outer ring of thorny bushes, and in the center was a fairly flat area of rock and some heather plants. In the distance, the forest extended, with some wooded hills and a sky covered with clouds.

The problem arose when I tried to return to the main trail. I couldn’t find the way back through the bushes. From this side, there didn’t seem to be any passable path, and to make matters worse, it was starting to get dark. The situation was somewhat absurd: it wasn’t such a large area, and the main path was barely 50 meters away. But after five minutes of searching, I couldn’t find the path through the thorny bushes. Fortunately, I had my phone with me, and there was signal. I turned to Google Maps. Using the satellite view and my location, I was able to spot the small path, almost completely overgrown by the bushes. I moved through the center of the clearing, paying more attention to the phone than to my surroundings, until, right in front of me, I found the path. From this side, the bushes effectively hid it, but I trusted that the data I had was accurate, and I managed to return to the main trail.

This experience made me reflect on the importance of having data to find the way. Without data, you can intuitively, almost unconsciously, follow the path, advancing one step at a time, and maybe reach the intended destination, but that’s not always the case. Having a reliable data source regarding the activity you intend to undertake (be it a project or managing a business) allows us to build maps, and those maps help us find routes that bring us closer to our destination.

From this experience, several lessons about data can be drawn:

  1. Availability: Data must be available when needed; this implies that it must have been collected beforehand. It’s essential to implement a good data strategy as soon as possible.

  2. Reliability: Data must be reliable to create an accurate model of the conceptual territory, which requires implementing quality controls.

  3. Level of detail: The normal Google Maps view wasn’t enough for me; I needed the satellite view. Data must contain the required level of detail, and this doesn’t happen by chance; it needs to be designed.

  4. Processing: A disorganized set of data is not enough. I could have had access to a numerical matrix with terrain heights and vegetation density, but what I really needed was a map. Basic data must be processed to maximize its usefulness.

  5. Strategic illumination: A solid data strategy is like a source of light in a dark room. You can navigate the room blindly, but with light, problems are avoided, and the path is more direct.

Just like the trail overgrown with bushes, in business and projects, we can face unexpected obstacles. But with a solid data strategy, we can trust that we have a map to guide us, allowing us to move forward confidently and find the path to success.