The Data Catalog Paradox

“The Data Catalog is live!”
Now… all our data problems are magically solved, right?

Not quite.

Let’s manage expectations:

• A data catalog isn’t a magic wand.
• It won’t create value on its own.

Without the right people and processes around it, a catalog is just an empty shelf—you won’t find anything useful on it.

To truly unlock value, you need real people doing real work:

• Defining what your data means
• Linking it to business terms
• Assigning ownership to keep it clean
• Connecting new systems so metadata flows in
• Acting when the tool flags data issues

But wait, can’t AI do all that?

Yes and no. AI can support and speed up each of these tasks. But people still need to guide, validate, and connect the dots. Oversight isn’t optional.