A novel

Three Versions
of the Truth.

A Novel About Data, Trust, and the Company That Wanted AI

Three Versions of the Truth: A Novel About Data, Trust, and the Company That Wanted AI. By Mariana Hebborn, Heiko Beier, and Jan-Hendrik Weinert. Caroline, Jonah, and Steven sit around a table covered with reports.
By the authors of How to Become a Data-Driven Organization
The story

It was supposed to
be a quick fix.

Caroline is about to tell the client it’s resolved. Then Jonah puts another report on her desk. Steven has promised an answer by four.

One client. One quarter.Pick up a report

The number the client has.

Caroline has already typed “resolved.” This is the statement Silver Lion received, and Steven needs a reply he can stand behind. She is one click away from sending it.

“Don’t send that.”

Jonah’s printout covers the same quarter, with a heading that looks much the same. Caroline asks which report is the correction. Neither, he says. This one is from Finance.

And now there’s another number.

By midmorning, a third file has joined the first two. The client is still waiting. Jonah was supposed to be preparing for another customer’s rehearsal this afternoon.

At Provisio Data, an urgent problem usually lands with someone who knows how to fix it. Often, that’s Jonah. He’d also like to take his vacation.

The board wants AI. The team is trying to keep its promises. As Caroline works to make the numbers dependable, she has to face how much she has come to expect of the people around her.

Meet the people behind the reports

If you’ve ever had to explain a missed deadline or untangle someone else’s spreadsheet, you’ll feel at home here. No technical background needed.

Inside Provisio Data

People you might
recognize.

They work for the same company. What each of them needs from the next conversation can be very different.

Caroline

Operations

She is used to getting things done and enjoys being recognized for it. Protecting that reputation can put her at odds with the colleagues who know what the work still needs.

Jonah

Data & reconciliation

He wants a vacation he can actually take. Yet the expertise that keeps him at his desk is also what makes him indispensable. Trusting someone else with the work is harder than explaining it.

Steven

Client relationships

He knows the client and wants to remain the person she calls. As Silver Lion considers another provider, being available at all hours may no longer be enough to keep her trust.

Anna

Contracts & business rules

She knows what the agreements mean and wants the authority to stand behind them. Her loyalty to Caroline has limits. A private warning can become a disagreement in front of everyone.

Kate

Client service

She spends her day explaining other people’s improvements. She has ideas for changing the work herself, and wants a role where she can act on them.

Marcus

Technology & AI

He wants dependable systems and room for his team to build. When an old instruction turns out to be his own, he has to decide how openly to face the mistake.

Read an excerpt

The Number We Sent

A short excerpt from the opening of Chapter 1.

CHAPTER 01November 2024Provisio Data

Caroline had already typed “resolved” when Jonah put the second report beside her keyboard.

“Don’t send that.”

She took her hands off the keys. On her screen was the reply Steven needed for Silver Lion. On the desk was the statement they had sent the client: €87,422 in new-business commission for the term life portfolio, July through September 2024. The report Jonah had brought showed €91,108 beneath a heading that looked much the same.

“Which one is the correction?”

“Neither. That one’s from Finance.”

The authors

Experience behind
the fiction.

Mariana Hebborn, Heiko Beier, and Jan-Hendrik Weinert bring their work in data, AI, and organizational change to the practical conflicts of an invented company.

Dr. Mariana Hebborn

Dr. Mariana Hebborn

AI leadership, data governance, and organizational change

Mariana’s work connects data and AI strategy with the people, products, and responsibilities needed to put it into practice.

Mariana on LinkedIn
Prof. Dr. Heiko Beier

Prof. Dr. Heiko Beier

Applied research, knowledge systems, and dependable AI

Heiko brings together scientific research, software entrepreneurship, and the practical use of AI to make complex information useful.

Heiko on LinkedIn
Dr. Jan-Hendrik Weinert

Dr. Jan-Hendrik Weinert

Data & AI strategy, enterprise platforms, and governance

Jan-Hendrik connects business, risk management, and technology, with experience turning data and AI ambitions into working enterprise capabilities.

Jan-Hendrik on LinkedIn
The companion book

How to Become a
Data-Driven Organization

A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

The novel follows people living through the work of change. The companion guide develops the methods behind that work across People, Data Quality, Data Architecture, Data Governance, Automation, and AI.

Written by the same three authors, the books can be read independently.

Explore the companion book