[Podcast] E25: Nitin Seth - Mastering Data in the AI Age


I'm kicked to present the 25th conversation of the Story Rules Podcast, with Nitin Seth.

“Storytelling is not about glibness. Storytelling is not about verbosity. Storytelling is not just about your confidence or doing it though it is an important aspect of it. Storytelling is fundamentally about the clarity of what you are saying."

That is Nitin Seth, Co-Founder and CEO of Incedo Inc. and author of the recent bestseller, 'Mastering the Data Paradox’. This 600-page tome provides leaders with a detailed blueprint for making the most of the data opportunity in the AI age.

I often say that ‘data is the new oil, storytelling is the new refinery’. Well, this book opened my eyes to the multiple layers of refining that data has to go through before it is ready for the storytelling step.

In the book, Nitin explains why managing the data explosion is so challenging and what large firms should do to win in the data-first world we live in. He proposes a ‘Unified Solutions Framework’ – a 13-point plan for success. The comprehensive framework covers several diverse aspects including customer problem definition, managing multi-source data, building your data stack, data security and quality, data culture and managing data talent.

Nitin knows what he’s talking about. After leading the Mckinsey Knowledge Centre and Fidelity International’s operations in India, he was the COO at Flipkart. Currently, as the co-founder and CEO of Incedo Inc., a Data and AI consulting firm, Nitin works with leaders of several Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies to help them navigate the data-first world.

In this conversation, we dive into three broad themes.

One, Nitin’s own journey as a storyteller. He starts with an evocative IIT-Delhi story when he roused a bunch of lazy hostelites into cheering for their badminton team (just like the movie Chichhore!). He speaks about his work convincing sceptical audiences - from union workers to board members – at large companies like Tata Steel. Nitin also shares a ‘failure story’ of when his pitch to a senior internal audience at McKinsey did not work, and what he learnt from that experience.

Two, we move on to the contents of the book itself. Data is a paradox – most organisations want more of it, but don’t know what to do with the amount they have. They are spending hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more on data transformation projects, but the impact of the spend is questionable. Nitin cuts through all the noise and brings some clarity to this messy world of data. Some of his key insights are
- The importance of KPI Trees or Issue trees as a starting point in a data project
- The need to think of data as products you make with the user in mind and not as an asset that you have control over
- The need to connect, or integrate insights from data like a ‘sutradhar’ or narrator

Finally, we speak about the implications of the book for data professionals. Nitin speaks about the need for data professionals to develop 'T-Shaped' capabilities. Depth in one or two specific areas of data (for instance an industry like insurance or a function like CRM) and breadth in horizontal skills like problem-solving and storytelling.

Personally, I was also mighty impressed by how Nitin worked outside his main office hours from 10 pm to 1 am for 3 years to find the time to write this book.

I’m sure you’ll walk away with several rich insights and ideas after listening to this fascinating conversation.

Let’s dive in.

You can enjoy my conversation with Nitin at your favourite podcast location:

Browser

Podcast apps: ​Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podcast Addict | Pocket Casts

Happy listening!


Further links:
- Nitin's website and LinkedIn, Twitter profiles
- The book's website
- Incedo Inc

If you find the content valuable, please rate and review this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to it (links above). It’ll help others like you discover these insights!

This podcast was hosted by me, Ravishankar Iyer. Audio editing by Kartik Rajan, transcript editing by Aniruddha Nerli and all-round support by Sanket Aalegaonkar.

Thanks,

Ravi

PS: Got this email as a forward? Get your own copy here.

Access this email on a browser or share this email on Whatsapp, LinkedIn or Twitter

Hello! You are getting this email as a part of the 'Story Rules on Saturday' Newsletter. To get your own copy, sign up here.

Ravishankar Iyer

A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/

Read more from Ravishankar Iyer

I hope you and your loved ones are doing ok in these troubled times. Praying for the victims of the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. Take care. On Thursday, I attended the annual SVP Fast Pitch Event at a watch party in Pune. It was a superbly organised virtual event, with 10 inspiring non-profits sharing their stories. (I had mentored them on the pitch story narrative). The pitches were really well produced. You can view the entire recording on YouTube here. SVP India Fast Pitch You can...

Our (long!) holiday enters week 3, and we have moved from serene Ubud to the frenetic streets of Seminyak (still in Bali)! Bali is majority Hindu and the locals struck us as quite traditional and ritual-oriented. One of their cute rituals is to make simple offerings to their home temples and even places of work. The most common offering is called 'Canang Sari', a small, beautifully crafted palm-leaf tray filled with flowers, rice, and sometimes treats. You'll find these cute trays placed...

Our holiday continues, moving on from the tall temples of Tamil Nadu to the serene rice terraces of Ubud in Bali. Plus, Bali's got some gorgeous architecture. Their temples (and even houses) look straight out of an exotic Hindu-oriental fairy tale. Bali abounds in structures like these! Do make a plan to visit this lovely island if you haven't been here yet! And now, on to the newsletter. Welcome to the one hundred and eleventh edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'. A newsletter recommending good...