This document discusses treating data as a valuable business asset. It argues that businesses that learn to value their data can gain a significant advantage over competitors. While CIOs recognize data's value, other executives may not yet see it as a strategic asset. The document advocates putting a value on companies' data and treating it as a perishable commodity in order to demonstrate its worth to other C-level executives and get them to prioritize data strategies. It also provides examples of digital disruption from companies with few physical assets that have gained high value from data-driven business models.