How AI and LinkedIn Can Transform Microsoft

To fully understand why LinkedIn's acquisition could be so transformative for Microsoft, we need to take a deep dive into the nerdy (yet quietly sexy!) world of data. Here's the high-order bit: In a world of machine learning, uniquely valuable data is the new network effect. The right kind of data is now the force multiplier that can catapult organizations past any competitors who lack equivalent data... and if you have the right kind of data, it is VERY HARD to get equivalent data, so data is also the new barrier to entry. How can we characterize this type of uniquely valuable data? Despite the marketing hype, the best data is not necessarily just "big"!