Imagine an experienced driver who follows the GPS without question. He ignores his own experience, blindly trusts technology and suddenly finds himself in chaotic traffic. It seems absurd, right? But this is exactly what happens to companies that make decisions 100% based on data without considering intuition and experience.
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In recent years, the obsession with rcs data numbers has created a serious problem: the more metrics and KPIs emerge, the more companies outsource strategic thinking.
And here’s the thing: data helps — a lot. But it doesn’t predict everything.
They are like a rearview mirror with statistics. They show what has already happened, they help to calculate probabilities, but they do not have the sensitivity to notice an unexpected curve in the road.
And in an unpredictable world like the one we live in today, relying on this alone can stifle creativity, kill boldness and create a company that only knows how to operate in “safe” mode.
Predictive analytics is advancing, yes. But the real challenge is not technical. It is philosophical: when does data become bias? When, instead of expanding our vision, does it begin to limit our perspective?
The automation paradox
The data promised more accuracy and fewer errors. But the reality is different. Netflix poured millions into “House of Cards” because the numbers a well-develop logical system indicated it would be a success. But it was intuition that made “Stranger Things” a phenomenon, even though it didn’t follow any obvious statistical patterns.
The same thing happened with Airbnb. The data showed that apartments in urban centers were the most sought after. But intuition led the company to try something new: authentic experiences, like sleeping in a treehouse or an igloo. And it took off.
No spreadsheet would have predicted this behavior.
If data were infallible, everyone would whatsapp database philippines have predicted the AI Boom: ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek. But nobody predicted it.
The real thing? Those who only follow data, without using their own minds, do not see the opportunities that only the creative human mind can foresee.
Could AI have thought of McDonald’s?
The data said that traditional restaurants worked well. But someone realized that speed, standardization, and aggressive marketing could create a fast-food empire.
Or at Starbucks? The numbers showed that coffee was just a drink, but someone saw that it could be an experience.
The iPhone? If it had been up to the data, Apple would have made a phone with a physical keyboard like the BlackBerrys of the time. But it was Steve Jobs’ intuition that saw that a full touchscreen would change everything.
Netflix? The numbers said people were renting DVDs, but someone realized the future was streaming.
What about Uber? The data indicated that taxis were the only way to get around cities, but someone saw that ordinary drivers could revolutionize transportation.
Data is not oracles
Data gives you confidence. But too much confidence breeds blindness. If you only look at what has worked in the past, you ignore what might work in the future. And this is where many companies go wrong.
Are you using data to make better decisions or just to confirm what you already want? Many companies think they know where to go, but that’s not the right question.
