An Exclusive Interview with Tejasvi Addagada, A Highly Acclaimed Data Strategist and Author
Tejasvi Addagada is a data strategist helping large organizations transform their business operations into efficient value chains. He helps to build and optimize strong corporate governance principles through data-based solutions encompassing ownership, governance, and risk.
Tejasvi provides a wide range of services including digital transformation and process excellence that transform customer journeys. He currently heads data management and governance in a global financial institution while also being a data protection officer.
In the early years of his career, as a process and domain consultant, Tejasvi leveraged expertise to bring efficiency to value chains in Banks. He is an early data provocateur in the industry, connected with many thought leaders, in standardizing multiple facets of data management.
His write-ups address common challenges and opportunities that organizations need to embrace in carving their way forward.
Tejasvi Addagada has assisted organizations to accelerate digital transformation across customer journeys as the pandemic hit and the world is getting out of it.
In 2021, firms started embracing digital changes that help people transact easier, by integrating and aggregating multiple data sources and taming their internal ‘Data Swamps’. This aided Tejasvi in delivering qualitative data for decision-making and customer transactions.
How did you come across the idea for this book which has a unique combination of frameworks, examples, and analogies?
I have helped establish the first generation of chief data offices and assisted large firms in effectively managing their data.
These standardization practices I have put across have paved the way for consistent delivery of value from this asset – Data. The first enabler was for me to believe that Data, in reality, can be considered an asset that can provide intrinsic value.
From then, I sensed that there has always been a need for imparting awareness in the industry on standardizing the services for managing data. So, I have curated these native experiences and brought them together in a refined way to the industry as a Book.
One early evening, I received a message, on a social platform, from a bank’s relationship executive. He was checking with me if I could assist the bank in middle-east in sustaining their data management office. It is quite unusual for me to receive a message with such urgency but I did leave a response the same day.
The next day, while in a yoga session, I received a call from the bank. “Is it an appropriate time to speak,” said a coarse voice of a middle-aged man. I stopped my session abruptly, and we spoke extensively for about an hour about the challenges that the bank was facing in its data management and governance functions.
The scenario goes like this – The bank commissioned an in-house office for data management with existing capabilities and skills. After a year has passed, not much progress and benefits have been shown to the board.
To top the challenges, the banking monitor is pushing to fix the issues that link to the data of customers.
By reaching a certain state in the operations where things had begun to lag, the executive owner decided to float a Proposal to the consulting firms that could turn around the data management practices.
So, that’s when I decided to write a book based on my experiences to help others in effectively setting up and sustainably maturing their data offices.
Please tell us about your wonderful book
The Book is Data Management and Governance Services – Simple and Effective Approaches. The book is published on Amazon.
Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?
I like to put my learnings as rough thoughts for the day and improvise these thoughts into practical ways to bring them to life with technology solutions.
Recently, I have developed an approach to using Artificial Intelligence models to understand the accuracy of data that is curated from people. While the idea did not develop in a day, I translated this over a month into a technology solution using deep learning.
Having access to the latest technology helps me think bottom up on the feasibility of putting a solution for a business challenge that may not have been easier earlier. I like to simplify the approaches to implementing models that are based on the enabling culture of an organization.
How long have you been writing?
I liked the idea of jolting my ideas and blogs while I was consulting for Banks. As I moved from software engineering to process consulting, I started interacting with industry thought leaders and co-blogged with them.
For the past 10 years, I have been writing vividly about advancements in Data, Privacy, and Ethics.
What is the most difficult part of the writing process in general?
I would quote three aspects. Writing on technology or business may not be a native challenge for most writers but making it simple for readers to understand is an important aspect.
Finding the perfect editor is a challenge in technology writing especially when is a niche that’s less familiar like data governance. It took me three months to find an editor and I found him in Newyork.
From there, we co-worked on turning around lots of aspects that made the thoughts simple yet effective for someone in an organization to understand data governance.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It takes anywhere between two years to three to write and publish a book.
What has been the greatest joy in your writing career?
When someone whom I have not encountered in the past says that they have enjoyed reading my Book – That brings me the greatest joy to me.
How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?
I have had a few rejections in my early days of writing and that perhaps helped me find the right partners to work with. Now, I assist budding writers with the learnings I have garnered over years.
Where do you get your ideas and what are you thinking now?
I often get my ideas from challenges that I come across in helping organizations steer their direction to create value. I popularly use a design-thinking approach to come up with a problem statement and thereby a solution through an iterative thought process. I do not attempt to turn down any thoughts up-front.
Also, I connect with thought leaders while we exchange thoughts on building ecosystems that enhance the intrinsic value of data on the heels of data protection. Harmonizing data sharing with data protection and security can bolster innovation across the business ecosystem.
This further enhances the intrinsic value of data for the public good while promoting hyper-personalized services to customers. The first step for any start-up or establishment is to build a controlled environment that can actively manage data.
Creating a controlled environment will further generate trust in the internal data hosted by various functions like marketing and develop a culture of sharing for customer-centricity.
What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?
Keep penning down your thoughts and experiences and you would find that you can use every piece of it later. I am happy to co-create content and give some of my learnings to writers.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your journey to becoming a bestselling author? How did you overcome it?
Getting my book out there to the right target segment is something that I never focused on as a priority. However, I always felt I should have invested significant time into marketing.
But, I realized that I gained readers organically through my content in the form of Blogs and Articles which is way better than investing in Marketing.
What are the 5 things a writer needs to know if he/she wants to become a bestselling author?
- Solve a challenge or break it down to make it easier
- Find solutions to problems in a native way
- Don’t throw away thoughts early
- Seek advice on the manuscript while writing
- Invest time into finding the perfect editor
Can you share a little about your recent book?
Someone once said, “It is better to get the town plan right before coming up with a route plan”. On the contrary, many firms have their town plan without a route plan as their data landscape has grown organically.
Re-discovering and standardizing the current data management and governance services or processes can overcome most challenges. I put this thought vividly into my readers by breaking down the basics and enhancing their thoughts.
What are you most excited to work on next book?
I am coming up with his second book “Practical Data Risk Management and Governance”. The book provides frameworks on aligning the data landscapes to overall enablers of corporate governance including accountability, transparency, and trust, thereby supporting a more purposeful society
Where can our readers keep up-to-date with you?
If you have any questions, definitely contact me
