Definition: Other systems read your data as their source of truth. You become the canonical record.
The Mechanism:
When data lives in multiple places, organizations inevitably designate one system as “authoritative.” That system gains data gravity — every query, every report, every dashboard pulls from it. Over time, the gravitational pull strengthens as more systems synchronize against it.
Example:
Salesforce as the “single customer view” that marketing automation (Marketo, HubSpot), support ticketing (Zendesk, ServiceNow), analytics platforms (Tableau, Looker), and sales engagement tools (Outreach, Salesloft) all query for customer context.
Key Characteristics:
Single customer view across all systems
Data gravity pulls queries to you
Migration + repointing every downstream system
Switching Cost Profile: 6-12 months of parallel running before cutover confidence.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
