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.

The conversation explores:

Why most data and AI programs collapse under groupthink and misaligned incentives
How companies like Walmart leveraged physical assets, customer demand, and scale to build defensible data advantages
The dangers of chasing “quick wins” instead of compounding value
Why KPIs must be context-specific to strategy, not borrowed from competitors

Ritavan also breaks down his six-step SLASOG framework - Save, Leverage, Align, Simplify, Optimize, Grow - and shares practical guidance for leadership teams on aligning talent, culture, and first-principles thinking around long-term value creation.

If your data strategy feels like “spray and pray,” this episode will help you identify where to start, how to uncover asymmetric advantages, and how to think about data the way investors and buyers do.

About Our Guest:

Ritavan is an entrepreneurial technology leader and over the past decade he has built and scaled data-driven solutions that have impacted billions of euros. He has authored peer-reviewed papers, given invited keynotes & workshops at global conferences, and holds an international patent. Ritavan is known for his first principles approach to data-driven value creation across industries. https://ritavan.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Data-Impact-businesses-LEVERAGE-SIMPLIFY/dp/178133921X/

About the Host:

Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and entrepreneurs reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.

Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.

He’s on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people’s contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company’s most valuable asset.”

Dave’s book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions.

He’s also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.

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Why Most Data & AI Initiatives Fail - And How to Create Real Business Value - Ritavan