Big Data is the latest business term to explode. Every consultant or guru will tell you your company needs to be focusing on it.

McKinsey says it “will become the key basis of competition, underpinning new waves of productivity.”

Amazon’s top selling Big Data book says it is a revolution that will change the way we live work and think.

IBM claims to have the right platform that keeps your needs in mind (wouldn’t your company want its own Watson?)

SAS goes further hen everyone and claims we are past the growth wave of Big Data and now “Big Data is the reality of doing business.”

If there is any argument against these beliefs it’s that Big Data has a downside of invading privacy. There has been a lot less questioning of Big Data as a solution to a problem that doesn’t need to be solved – at least doesn’t need to be solved yet for most companies.

What all four of those examples really have in common is that they are trying to (1) Sound like they are on the cutting edge, and (2) Trying to sell you something.

If you are thinking you need to go down the route of mastering your Big Data, please read my latest chapter first: Why your company should not use Big Data

If you are concerned that your company doesn’t have Big Data and you might get left behind, stop worrying. I try to spell out in the chapter what you should actually be worried about (Hint: It’s Easy).

As always, please come back to this post with your comments and arguments on why I’m completely wrong on this one.