The Confluent maturity curve outlines five levels of adoption for data streaming technologies like Apache Kafka. The first three levels (1-3) are characterized by bottom-up, tech-led adoption, while the fourth level (4) requires top-down, business-led adoption. Level 4 involves coordinating disparate teams, implementing a Center of Excellence, and managing data as a product to achieve economies of scale. To move from Level 3 to 4, organizations need education and awareness from the business, budget or solid business case outlining real benefits, senior-level sponsorship, and a change management approach. The Confluent maturity curve is being revised to emphasize the step from Level 3 to 4, with recommendations including writing a strategy or internal proposal, determining metrics and ROI, and implementing a people, process, and technology layer to support this shift. Organizations can benefit from managing data like a product, driving innovation, cost allocation, and risk management, while also reducing costs associated with managing data. Change management is critical for this transformation, involving identifying stakeholders, training, education sessions, tech talks, and new performance metrics.