Data scientists can significantly enhance innovation and growth within businesses, but it is crucial to establish a robust foundation to maximize their value. Many companies rush to hire data scientists without adequate preparation, resulting in these professionals performing basic data integration and reporting tasks rather than utilizing their specialized skills. The readiness to hire data scientists can be evaluated through the "data hierarchy of needs," which begins with a solid enterprise data warehouse that consolidates all business data in a modern, cloud-based system. Following this, a clean and curated data view is essential to resolve inconsistencies and duplicate concepts across systems. The next level involves traditional business intelligence and analytics, which support daily decision-making through tools like SQL, Tableau, or Looker. Only when these foundational layers are in place can data scientists effectively apply advanced statistics and modeling, akin to star athletes on a well-supported sports team. Businesses should ensure these prerequisites are met to fully leverage the potential of data scientists.