# Data & AI Strategy Certification

> The Data & AI Strategy Certification is a self-paced course by Vin Vashishta, with 16 modules and more than 15 hours of instruction, that teaches you to build a data and AI strategy aligned with business strategy, from the technology model to KPI maturity.

URL: https://www.datascience.vin/course-data-ai-strategy.html  
Format: Self-paced  
Price: $595  
Enroll: https://learn.datascience.vin/purchase?product_id=6089920  
Updated: January 2027

- **Format:** On-demand video + exercises
- **Content:** 16 modules · 15+ hours
- **Access:** 1 year, with office hours twice a week
- Dozens of frameworks and real case studies
- Content updated with new case studies
- Email support
- Optional 1:1 sessions with Vin

## Why this course

Data and AI strategy fails when it catalogs technology instead of aligning the firm. This certification builds the Disruptor's Mindset from the business model outward, using the frameworks Vin has used to build data and AI strategies for 10 of the largest companies in the world.

## The shift

| Old pattern | Disruptor's Mindset |
|---|---|
| Data strategy as a technology plan | Data and AI strategy as part of business strategy, starting from the technology model |
| Data as a cost of doing business | Every data set tied to the use cases it serves and what it's worth |
| Push change and wait for adoption | Justify the need for change and reduce resistance before it starts |
| Innovation that can't survive a CFO review | Innovation framed in terms the CFO will fund |
| Reports and dashboards | Decision support and KPI maturity |
| Transformation as a one-time project | A transformation roadmap across capabilities, talent, and infrastructure |

**If you're technical: Learn the business side of the board.** Business, operating, and technology models, value streams, KPIs, and competitive analysis, taught for people with no business background.

**If you're on the business side: Learn the technology side of the board.** What data, analytics, and AI can do, how maturity is assessed, how platforms are built, and how AI ROI is calculated.

## Course outline

From the first AI strategy case study through KPI maturity, every module builds toward a strategy you can implement. Most students have three to five years on a data team or data and AI initiatives. No strategy coursework or technical background required.

### Module 1: Introduction
*8 lessons*

- Course Introduction
- Why Do We Use Systems, Models, & Frameworks For Strategy?
- What Is An AI Strategy?
- A Real-World AI Strategy: SK Telecom
- What Happens Without An AI Strategy
- McDonald's Case Study: Where Does Data & AI Strategy Start?
- McDonald's Drive-Through Case Study
- Building A Data & AI Strategy

### Module 2: Business Fundamentals In The Data Age
*9 lessons*

- The Business Model
- Examples Of Real World Business Models
- The Operating Model
- The Technology Model
- The Value Stream
- Competitive Analysis
- Introduction To KPIs
- KPI Maturity
- Key Definitions And Terms

### Module 3: Integrating Data & AI Strategy Into Business Strategy
*7 lessons*

- The Technology Model: Where To Begin?
- Why Does The Business Need Data Analytics & AI Strategies?
- Data Strategy: Definition & Objectives
- AI Strategy: Definition & Objectives
- The Data Monetization Catalog
- Case Study: What Happens When Technical Strategy Doesn't Align With Business Strategy?
- Case Study: Apple Using Data As A Competitive Advantage

### Module 4: Culture Change Frameworks
*7 lessons*

- Justifying The Need For Change
- Why People Resist Change & How To Fix It
- Evolutionary Decision Making
- Introduction To The Continuous Improvement Flywheel
- Time Travel: Why We Say Can Sound Ridiculous
- The Implications Of Extending Decision Time Horizons
- Wrapping Up & Connecting To The Business

### Module 5: Managing Innovation
*4 lessons*

- Introduction & Business Problems To Solve
- The Disruptor's Mindset
- Solving For Uncertainty & Risks That Come With Innovation
- Justifying Innovation Realities & Costs To The CFO

### Module 6: Strategy Planning
*3 lessons*

- The Story of Retail Pt. 1
- The Story of Retail Pt. 2
- Implications Of Data On Strategy Planning

### Module 7: Strategy Implementation
*6 lessons*

- Case Study: The Cautionary Tale Of Zillow
- Why Is Transformation So Hard?
- Case Study: Data & AI Maturity Drivers
- Getting Buy In From Senior Leadership
- Collaborating With External Teams
- Case Study: What Happens When Data Science Initiatives Fail?

### Module 8: Using AI For Operating Model Optimization
*4 lessons*

- The Core-Rim Model
- Where Do People Fit?
- The 3 Main People Groups
- The Implications Of Reducing Operating Complexity

### Module 9: Data Science & Strategy
*7 lessons*

- Becoming A Strategic Partner
- Decision Support Systems & KPIs
- The Data Science Value Stream
- Case Study: Microsoft's Initial AI Product Strategy
- Capabilities Based Competition
- Case Study: TikTok vs Google. Competing On Best In Class Capabilities
- Case Study: Exploring Partnerships For Capabilities Acquisition

### Module 10: A Unified View Of Enterprise Transformation
*3 lessons*

- AI Transformation Roadmap: Capabilities
- AI Transformation Roadmap: Strategy Planning & Implementation
- AI Transformation Roadmap: Talent & Infrastructure

### Module 11: AI Platform Strategy
*8 lessons*

- Introduction To The 4 Main Business Platforms
- Building T-Shaped Platforms With Multiple Technologies
- SAP & OpenAI Case Studies
- Introduction To The Capabilities Maturity Models
- Calculating ROI For AI Initiatives
- ROI Calculation Exercises
- The Product, Data, & Design Maturity Models
- Advanced Capabilities Maturity Levels

### Module 12: Assessing the Business
*9 lessons*

- Introduction To The Assessment Framework
- Culture
- Leadership Commitment
- Operations & Structure
- Skills And Competencies
- Analytics-Strategy Alignment
- Proactive Market Orientation
- Employee Empowerment
- Opaque VS Transparent & Justifying Early Initiatives

### Module 13: Solving The Business's AI Last Mile Problem
*4 lessons*

- The AI Last Mile Problem
- Introduction To The AI Governance Framework
- Commercialization & Monetization Phases
- Productization Phase

### Module 14: Data Product Strategy
*7 lessons*

- Introduction To Data Product Strategy
- Monetization Phase
- Productization Phase
- Commercialization Phase
- Key Implementation Points
- Messaging And Executive Communications Framework
- Implementation Cases And Examples

### Module 15: Implementation Cases
*8 lessons*

- Implementation Cases Introduction
- Implementation Case: Data Strategy
- Implementation Case: Data Monetization Catalog
- Implementation Case: Analytics Strategy
- Implementation Case: AI Strategy
- Implementation Case: Transformation Strategy
- Implementation Case: AI Governance
- Implementation Case: Pulling 3 Concepts Together

### Module 16: Decision Support Systems & KPI Maturity
*7 lessons*

- The KPI Maturity Model
- Introduction To Decision Support Platforms
- Case Study: Decision Chains & ROI
- Case Study: Gathering Decision Support Data
- Introduction To AI Strategy KPI Categories
- KPI Selection & Implementation
- AI Strategy KPIs

## Questions

**What is Data & AI Strategy Certification?**

The Data & AI Strategy Certification is a self-paced course by Vin Vashishta, with 16 modules and more than 15 hours of instruction, that teaches you to build a data and AI strategy aligned with business strategy, from the technology model to KPI maturity.

**How much does it cost, and what's included?**

$595 for the full certification. It includes dozens of frameworks and real case studies, content updated with new case studies, email support, optional 1:1 sessions with Vin.

**How long does it take?**

It's self-paced, so you set the schedule. There are 16 modules and more than 15 hours of instruction, with office hours twice a week. Start immediately after you enroll; access runs for a year, with office hours for questions along the way.

**Do I need a technical background?**

No technical background or strategy coursework is required. Students who get the most out of it have three to five years on a data team or on data and AI initiatives.

**Can I expense it?**

Some students do, and approval depends entirely on your employer's policy. A reimbursement guide written to forward to your manager is linked on this page.

**Which course should I take?**

Choose this self-paced certification if you want strategy on your own schedule. The Data & AI Strategist Certification is the live version, with a cohort, a 1:1 session with Vin, and a fixed calendar. Not sure either fits? The course matcher scores 40 job titles.

## Instructor

Vin Vashishta is the author of From Data to Profit (Wiley) and has applied every framework in this course with clients including Airbus, Walmart, Siemens, and JPMorgan Chase. More than 9,000 professionals in 47 countries have taken his courses.