“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

- Me, sitting across from a VP of Cisco Hong Kong, pretending I belonged there.

2007.

We’re sitting at the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong.

White tablecloths. Three forks on the table. Breakfast that's way over my usual budget.

Across from me is the VP of Enterprise Marketing at Cisco.

Next to me, my business partner - a sharp US strategy consultant with 20 years of experience, tailored suit, brimming with confidence.

We’re here to discuss a predictive analytics project for Cisco Asia-Pacific.

The VP turns to my partner.

“I see your experience. I can tell you know your stuff. We’re excited to have you here.”

Then he looks at me.

“But what are you doing here?”

And just like that - boom - my heart drops into my stomach.

Because honestly?

I had no answer.

I was a fresh marketing graduate. No work experience. No technical background. First time in Asia. First time in a meeting like this.

And there I was, pitching AI and predictive marketing to a Fortune 100 exec in one of the most expensive hotels in Hong Kong.

What the hell was I doing there?

The Truth Behind the Breakfast

Here’s the context:

A few months before that meeting, I was still at university. I had volunteered at a university careers fair. I helped exhibitors set up their booths and find coffee.

One of them was the CEO of a market research firm in Singapore.

He wanted to pivot from qualitative research to AI and predictive analytics.

For some reason - still unclear to me - he invited me to co-found the company with him.

No experience. No track record. No technical skills. Straight out of uni.

And I said yes.

Because sometimes when life offers you a wild opportunity, you don’t pause to assess qualifications. You just jump.

We didn’t get the Cisco project. But here’s what happened next:

• We built a marketing ROI optimization model for AT&T Asia Pacific.
• I presented to the regional CEO of ING bank.
• I learned more in 18 months than most people do in five years.
• And by age 29, I was leading the global data team at the world's largest venture builder, building data infrastructure for market leaders like Zalando, DeliveryHero and HelloFresh.

I fell flat on my face more than once. But I kept showing up.

And eventually, I stopped being the imposter in the room.

I became the person who belonged in that room.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I know many of you feel the same way I did that morning at the Grand Hyatt.

You call yourself semi-technical. Or not technical enough.

You didn’t study data science. You didn’t start in engineering.

Maybe you studied literature, finance, linguistics. Maybe you were a teacher. A poker player. A marketer (like me).

And deep down, you sometimes wonder:

“What am I doing here?”

Or maybe you are the opposite: you are very technical and you're wondering:

“All this talk about creating business value with data & AI. My strength is the tech!”

Let me be very clear:

You do belong here.

Your crooked path is not a bug - it’s your feature.

Some of the best data people I’ve ever hired came from outside the traditional mold.

The best people I've hired combine their interests in tech AND business for the greater good.

The “Real” Data Person Is a Myth

We’ve built this toxic image in our industry:

• Writes Python in their sleep
• Sets up Kubernetes clusters for fun
• Thinks Airflow is “too basic”

This is nonsense.

I still don’t know how to write Python.

But I can build a practical data strategy and align it to business goals.

I’ve helped more than 50 companies unlock millions in value- not because I’m the most technical person in the room…

…but because I know how to bridge the gap between data and business impact.

And that’s the superpower.

So if you’re doubting yourself right now:

• You don’t need to write perfect code.
• You also don’t need an MBA to create business value.
• You don’t need to pretend you’re something you’re not.
• You just need to stay curious, stay brave, and keep saying yes.

The path to becoming an influential data leader doesn’t have to be straight. It just has to move forward.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve ever felt behind, or “not technical enough,” or "not business savvy enough" or like you somehow snuck into this industry…

Let me remind you of what’s possible:

✅ You can get into rooms you’re not ready for- and grow into them​
✅ You can come from a marketing degree (like me) and end up advising founders and CEOs on data strategy
✅ You can fail, regroup, and still lead data teams at the highest level

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to show up.

But more importantly - wherever you are on the journey right now:

You got this.

Keep going.

Cheers,
Sebastian

P.S.: I teach the exact frameworks and battle-tested strategies I used to go from clueless marketing grad to global data leader in my Data Strategy Masterclass.