The Biggest Crisis

We hear the word “crisis” a lot these days. A phenomenon of our age is that issues are transformed into crises, and many crises are transformed into existential threats. Think about the way we looked at online harms and screen time for children. Just a year or two ago, the rage was the claim that… Read More

Why Privacy is Like Bubble Wrap

Today is Data Privacy Day, a great time to remember that we live our lives increasingly in visible, recorded ways, and that privacy is something that belongs to all of us and to each of us. Also, it’s a day when privacy professionals post jargon-filled memes that no one understands. “Did you hear the one… Read More

California’s New (New) Privacy Law: Part 2

Last time, we talked about the passage of the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), a ballot referendum that expands and enhances the scope and consequences of CCPA. Today, we’ll look a little deeper into why CPRA is such a big deal, and also why it may simultaneously be the cause of its own undoing. When… Read More

Two to Tango: Mutually Beneficial Data Partnerships

The mutually beneficial data partnership may sound like a unicorn, but it is actually quite common. Market forces drive these partnerships for one of three reasons: shared clients, operational teams, and marketing. This contrasts with innovator partnerships, which are driven by sales opportunities, product innovation and channel distribution. Mutually beneficial partnerships tend to between partners… Read More

Data Strategy on a Tight Budget

Regular readers of our blog will be familiar with our frequent suggestion that you should deploy data review teams and use subject matter experts to come up with clever solutions to data-based problems. “That’s all well and good,” you might say, “for companies that have dedicated staff for working only on data problems or massive… Read More

Too Much Data, Not Enough Insight

It’s a strange phenomenon of modern business that we are absolutely awash in data but, frequently, it seems like the additional information doesn’t lead to insights or meaningful tools. For many enterprises — especially small businesses — market necessity makes it seem like a move to a comprehensive system with data-analytics is the only way… Read More

Anonymous Schanonymous

Everybody loves a fad. You can pinpoint someone’s generation better than carbon dating by asking them what their favorite toys and gadgets were as a kid. Tamagotchi and pogs? You were born around 1988, weren’t you? Coleco Electronic Quarterback and Garanimals? Well well, an early X-er. A fad is cultural currency and social lubricant at… Read More

Sensors, Monitors, and Bill & Ted

Any decent account of the last 30 years will certainly conclude that the high point of culture was 1990’s Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.  History, philosophy, George Carlin, mylar tracksuits (it was the 90s) — it had everything you need.  And, with its long-awaited second sequel coming out this week, I’m sure that if William… Read More

How to Pitch Data Partners

Jerry Seinfeld used to do a bit where he noted that the number one fear most people have is speaking in public, followed in second place by the fear of death.  “That means that, if given a choice of what to do at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than giving… Read More

Understanding Reseller Channel Partnerships

On Monday, we talked about how to structure channel data partnerships, particularly in the context of affiliates.  Affiliate partnerships are a great way to ensure that your data reaches the widest possible audience, relying on the affiliate’s access to potential customers.  They are, in effect, a force multiplier for your data, broadcasting it to a… Read More

Understanding Channel Data Partnerships

Although there’s no shortage of media coverage of data as a valuable asset and data partnerships as an important part of nearly every business transaction, there’s precious little explanation of exactly how data fits into business beyond its role as raw material.  While it’s probably easier to follow the “data as oil” line of thinking,… Read More

A Post About Bread! (And Data too, I Guess)

We’re big fans of January around here, enjoying, as we do, the prospect of starting the new year off the right way and looking at things afresh. There’s something special about the focus that comes with new beginnings and the excitement of starting new projects after the whirlwind of the holiday season. The one thing… Read More

Predictions, Lists, and Complete Wild Guesses II

After a whirlwind start to this year (let’s leave the decade debates aside please), we’re finally ready to start making our 2020 predictions for privacy, data partnerships, and data strategy. This is where we lay out our view for how businesses, regulators, government, and internet users will shift the rules and change the way we… Read More

Why You Need a Data Audit Team (Like Yesterday)

Creating a Culture of Data Privacy & Protection (An Excerpt) It fascinates us how few data audit teams we run into, regardless of company size or data asset library depth. Everyone is accustomed to financial audits; the very same principles can be put to work for your data strategy to monitor intrinsic and extrinsic data… Read More