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Data Inspired: The new book by Sebastian Wernicke on using data to inspire transformation, not just optimization.

❝ Wernicke describes with both clarity and nuance what leaders need to understand about human decision-making.❞
Linda A. Hill
Faculty Chair, Leadership Initiative, Harvard Business School
❝ Data won't drive your transformation. But data can inspire it. Culture beats algorithms every time.❞
Seth Godin
Entrepreneur, blogger, and author
❝ A great starting point for building a culture in which rapid evidence-based learning at scale can become a reality.❞
Rita McGrath
Thinkers 50 #1 strategy thinker
❝ An indispensable compass for leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors who are starving for meaning.❞
Guy Spier
Investor and best-selling author
Pre-order Now Cover of Data Inspired by Sebastian Wernicke

Stop optimizing technology.

Start transforming
your culture.

❝ This book reveals how most organizations are approaching data wrong—and illuminates how to get it right.❞
Adam Grant
#1 New York Times bestselling author, host of the Re:Thinking podcast
❝ A persuasive and timely invitation to rethink how we learn, decide, and adapt in a world awash with information.❞
Amy C. Edmondson
Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School
❝ We needed Wernicke's advice a long time ago, but finally we have it.❞
Tom H. Davenport
Distinguished Professor, Babson College
❝ An essential roadmap for leaders who want to inspire transformative innovation that truly matters.❞
Sebastian Thrun
Founder of Google X and Udacity

Why this Book?

Data-driven organizations optimize what exists. Data-inspired organizations discover what’s possible. Which will yours become?

More than 90 percent of businesses say they want to capitalize on data—but most also admit to feeling stuck. This gap persists because most leaders treat data as a technical challenge when it demands, in fact, a cultural shift.

Data Inspired bridges this divide. It argues that the secret to breakthrough transformation isn't adding more data and investmenting into tools—it’s building a culture of inquiry.

Drawing on proven principles, real-world examples, and a comprehensive toolbox of methods, this book will show you how to move beyond the mechanics of being "data-driven," reshape your organization’s habits, and turn data into a catalyst for deep transformation.

For business leaders, managers, and data professionals ready to move beyond incremental improvements and achieve lasting, powerful change.

Inside the Book

DATA INSPIRED is divided into five comprehensive parts, guiding you to the future of building a data-inspired organization.

Part I The Data Revolution Has Only Just Begun
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Chapters 1–2: Why do so many companies find themselves "data-frustrated" rather than data-driven? We debunk the myth that data is just a technical asset and explore why the true revolution isn't about collecting more data, but about overcoming the "optimization trap" to find transformative value.

Part II "Just Add Data" Won't Do the Trick
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Chapters 3–5: Technology is easy; people are hard. This part dives into the psychology of decision-making and the three persistent myths that derail data initiatives. Discover how to build a resilient culture of inquiry that overcomes the data-resistant mind and fosters true evidence-based leadership.

Part III The Five Action-Areas of Data-Inspired Success
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Chapters 6–10: A practical deep-dive into the five domains where data creates value: Metrics (steering without surrendering control), complex decisions (where data is a puzzle piece, not the answer), operational efficiency, machine learning, and the emerging frontier of AI-driven transformation.

Part IV Achieving Sustainable Transformation
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Chapters 11–14: How do you actually get there? We map the journey from building a purpose first, data second strategy to avoiding the four fatal traps of transformation. This part culminates in the data-inspired manifesto—a blueprint for moving beyond data-fatigue to genuine inspiration.

Part V The Toolbox
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Chapters 15–20: Hands-on resources to start immediately. This comprehensive toolkit includes frameworks for data literacy, methods for designing roles and responsibilities, and specific workshop formats for prioritizing use cases and planning data projects collaboratively.

What You'll Learn

  • ✓

    Turn "Data-Frustration" into "Data-Inspiration"

    Build a resilient culture that sparks curiosity and drives real transformation.

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    Overcome the true bottleneck of harnessing data and AI

    Discover why the biggest barrier isn't tech, but your culture.

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    Master the five action-areas of data-inspired success

    Field-tested strategies for mastering transparency, decision-making, efficiency, automation, and AI.

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    Build a roadmap that actually works

    Learn to craft a "purpose first, data second" strategy and avoid the four "fatal traps" that derail most data initiatives.

About the Author

Sebastian Wernicke, author of Data Inspired

SEBASTIAN WERNICKE

A leading expert in data and AI strategy, Sebastian believes that the key to unlocking data’s power lies not in technology, but in leaders fostering a culture of evidence and inquiry.

For over 20 years, Sebastian has guided organizations around the world to harness the power of data and AI to achieve breakthrough transformation.

Sebastian's ability to make complex topics around data accessible, engaging, and actionable has made him a sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator. His three acclaimed TED Talks have reached over 5 million viewers.