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☠️ Where great data initiatives drop dead
Today I want to talk about a very specific frustration I hear from ambitious senior data leaders.
It usually sounds like this: “I’ve got great ideas. Solid initiatives. Clear upside. But when I take them to the exec team… they just don’t land.”
Recently, a client asked me, “What’s the best way to pitch initiatives to execs so we actually get support, buy-in and budget?”
The ideas they planned to pitch seemed excellent to me. But the pitch itself was focused on the wrong thing.
They were trying to sell the execs on what they cared about (new functionality, capabilities and features), rather than what the exec team cared about.
And sadly, that’s how good initiatives quietly die. Not because they are bad ideas, but because they are framed in a language the room does not reward (or understand).
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“Interesting, but not now”
I’ll be blunt. Exec teams are not sitting around thinking about data capabilities, platforms, or what might be technically possible in the future.
They are thinking about a very small set of things:
👉🏼 What moves the strategy forward?
👉🏼 What reduces risk?
👉🏼 What makes the business more money?
👉🏼 What helps me sleep at night?
👉🏼 What’s my bonus gonna be next year?
When data leaders pitch initiatives without anchoring to those questions, a few things happen.
Quick Poll
What do you think exec teams care about most in data conversations?
The impact of pitching the wrong benefits
Impact #1
The initiative(s) gets labelled as “nice to haves”. If the business value is not obvious from the outset of your pitch, it will quickly slide down the priority list. And we walk away from the meeting feeling absolutely deflated.
Impact #2
You wind up sounding more operational than strategic. Talking about tools, pipelines, or capabilities to the wrong audience positions you as a delivery leader, not a peer in their room. To but it bluntly, it can be seriously career limiting.
Impact #3
Budget conversations do not go your way. Execs will be listening out for strategic assurances and outcomes — AKA ROI. If the return is unclear, the investment simply won’t be coming your way.
Impact #4
You lose momentum and credibility as a leader. After a few lukewarm receptions, people stop leaning in when you speak…they’ll be on their phones checking emails or making lunch plans instead.
The most frustrating part? None of this necessarily reflects the quality of the idea itself (assuming it is a good one).
The problem is simply framing.
How senior data leaders actually win exec buy-in
At the exec level, strategy is the key. If your idea cannot be clearly mapped to it, you are asking the room to do extra thinking on your behalf.
And they do not like that!
Here’s a simple way to flip your approach.
Step 1: Start with the strategic pillar, not the data idea
Before you start writing your pitch, ask yourself:
Is the business prioritising growth and market share?
Is the focus on profitability and customer lifetime value?
Are they trying to raise capital or attract investors?
Is it about cost control, efficiency, or risk reduction?
Or some other strategic pillar?
Which ever it is, you initiative should clearly map to the org’s started strategic objectives. This is exactly what they have already told you is their top list of priorities.
If it doesn’t, you may need to ask yourself if this is actually something the business needs/wants right now…
Step 2: Translate your idea into a business bet
Execs are constantly making bets.
So frame yours like one.
❌ Not: “We want to build X capability.”
✅ But: “If we invest £X here, we expect Y impact on revenue, cost, risk, or growth.”
Remember your stating your hypothesis here, not making a promise. It’s a bet after all.
Step 3: Match the story to the strategy
Some examples:
If the strategy is about increasing market share:
Talk about greater customer acquisition and beating competitors to action.If the strategy is improving profitability:
Talk about churn reduction, pricing optimisation, and margin protection.If the strategy is fundraising or a better valuation:
Talk about confidence for investors, defendability and strengthening USPIf the strategy is about improving growth
Talk about acquisition efficiency, retention, and scalable decision making.
Same data work, but a very different story being told.
Step 4: Leave the techy stuff until they ask
This is the hardest part for data leaders, particularly the technical among you.
Exec buy-in is not earned by demonstrating how smart the solution is.
It is earned by showing you understand the business as deeply as they do.
If they want detail, they will ask. And when they do, you will sound even stronger.
So whack that detail it in the appendix and be prepared to talk about if requested, but don’t make it the focal point by any means.
The real shift senior data leaders need to make
At this level, the question is no longer “Is this a good data idea?”
It is: “Does this help the organisation win, right now, on its stated terms?”
The data leaders who progress fastest are the ones who answer that question first.
If this is the layer of your role you are wrestling with, this is exactly the kind of work I do with senior leaders behind closed doors. I help data leaders and their teams around the world become more strategic and influential.
💡 If this week’s topic resonated, my Data Team Accelerator programme might help
A facilitated group coaching programme that helps data teams improve communication, influence and business partnership. Together we get to the heart of what is holding teams back and set a course for data-driven success. Ideal for teams ready to move from order-takers to high-impact strategic partners.
→ Learn more about The Data Team Accelerator
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Tristan Burns
⚡️ Previous poll results
Last week I asked you: If you were promoted from IC to manager, what was the hardest adjustment?
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