Why your data platform will fail (and what to do about it) - Data Science Festival

A talk by Jane Usoskina from Cynozure. Many organisations heavily invest in data platforms, often starting with a greenfield project alongside new leadership arrival or transformation programmes. And yet, so many of these fail, despite significant time and money invested. As a data and product consultant, I’ve worked with organisations at every stage - from the initial platform design to being brought in to diagnose what’s gone wrong. In this talk I’ll share the patterns I’ve seen again and again. This isn’t a technical deep-dive on tooling or architecture. Instead, it focuses on the less visible but sometimes more critical factors such as pragmatism, ownership, operating models, product thinking and how value is (or isn’t!) delivered to the business. Through real-world examples I’ll explore why platforms that look right on paper fail in practice, and what teams can do to avoid it. This talk will cover: Why building a data platform is often treated as a technology project rather than a product Common anti-patterns What is “data as a product” and why is it often misunderstood or poorly implemented The gap between platform delivery and actual business value Practical changes that lead to better outcomes Why this talk Most conversations about data platforms focus on tools and architecture. This talk focuses on what actually determines success in practice: how organisations structure teams, define ownership, make decisions and measure value. It’s based on my first-hand experience across multiple organisations, highlighting patterns that repeat regardless of industry or technology stack. Attendees will leave with a more critical lens on their own data platform — and practical ideas they can apply immediately. This session was part of the Data Science Festival Big Birthday Bash event 2026. Find out more at https://datasciencefestival.com/event... The Data Science Festival is the place for data-driven people to come together, share cutting-edge ideas, and solve real-world problems. We run monthly events, meet-ups, and the biggest free-to-attend data festivals in the UK. Join the community at https://datasciencefestival.com/ Would you like to learn how your organisation could partner with and support DSF events? Click the link below! https://datasciencefestival.com/becom...