In the world of data, there’s an unsettling trend that’s hard to ignore: data teams are increasingly fixated on building data platforms, data meshes, data fabrics etc., often at the expense of a real, value-driven data strategy. While it’s true that having a solid data infrastructure is essential, it’s only a means to an end, not the end itself. And this platform-first mentality is not only problematic, but it also poses a serious threat to the long-term viability of data teams themselves. Harsh as it may sound.