Around Q3 of last year, I started hearing the word “context” pop up in many of my conversations. It was noticeable because previously, data was all anyone wanted to talk about.

We all know how the vocabulary of the business world works. When everyone starts talking about something, we come up with a different word to make it sound like we’re talking about a new thing (which usually isn’t the case).

So when I started hearing “context” in the second half of 2025, it seemed poised to take its place alongside synergy, pivot and alignment in the Corporate Speak Hall of Fame.

But “synergy” and “alignment” are really two different ways of saying the same thing, while “data” and “context” are not.…