Value-First Data - Jan 27, 2026

Chris Carolan, Casey Hawkins, and Klemen Hrovat keep building the Unified Customer View, returning to a refrain from the series: don't skip the basics. Before rushing into automation, understand the business needs, the data sources, and how different teams figure in the customer journey — and treat a documented customer view, even an incomplete one, as a valuable starting point for alignment. They get into the nuances of defining lifecycle stages (researcher, buyer, value creator) and argue that custom Value Path stages often beat leaning on built-in MQL/SQL terminology, especially when paired with engagement scoring — while staying mindful of change management and adoption when introducing new language. A practical thread: lead scoring is frequently a simpler, more efficient way to track engagement than building intricate workflows, provided the scoring rests on clear criteria rather than tangled logic.