Why No One Trusts Your Data (And How to Fix It)

Most companies don’t have a tech problem.

They have a trust problem.

We’ve seen this over and over with mid-sized and enterprise teams:

You run a full discovery. Agree on definitions. Align with business goals. Build the thing.

And a few months later no one is using it.

Or worse: leadership starts questioning the numbers.

The biggest mistake?

Data teams talk to the middleman, not the actual users.

Here’s How It Happens

A senior stakeholder kicks off a request. You get assigned a “point of contact.”

You do everything right on paper:

• KPI definitions agreed

• Data sources mapped

• Dashboards scoped

• Tickets completed

And still… the sales director doesn’t trust the revenue number.

The CFO says margin doesn’t look right.

CS team keeps exporting to Excel anyway.

Everyone was technically right. And completely wrong.

Why This Kills Trust

The only way to know if a data product is successful:

• It impacts a key KPI the user actually cares about

• It saves time or removes friction

• The person using it says, “Finally. This helps.”

• Middle managers can’t answer for that.

Only end users can.

If you never spoke to them? You missed the mark.

This Applies to AI Projects Too

We’ve seen the same mistake in GenAI initiatives:

• Building copilots that no one uses

• Training LLMs to answer questions nobody’s asking

• Logging feedback—but never actually reviewing it with the user

If the person you built it for isn’t involved in feedback, it will fail.

TL;DR

• Don’t build data products through middlemen

• Always speak to the end user

• Always collect feedback post-launch

• Trust = impact × adoption

Bonus: How to Fix It

If you already shipped something that’s getting ignored:

1. Re-interview the actual users (Sales, Ops, Finance)

2. Ask: “What decisions are you not able to make today?”

3. Measure adoption, impact, and trust

4. Iterate—not redesign

Want a second pair of eyes?

We run a free Data Trust Audit—15-minute session to check if your team is aligned with the real business KPIs.

▶ Schedule your session