#92 - Why Enterprise Architecture is not (just) about Technology: with Charles Betz

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

26:28

Squid Game is back—and this time, the knives are out. In the thrilling Season 3 premiere, Player 456 is spiraling and a brutal round of hide-and-seek forces players to kill or be killed. Hosts Phil Yu and Kiera Please break down Gi-hun’s descent into vengeance, Guard 011’s daring betrayal of the Game, and the shocking moment players are forced to choose between murdering their friends… or dying. Then, Carlos Juico and Gavin Ruta from the Jumpers Jump podcast join us to unpack their wild theories for the season. Plus, Phil and Kiera face off in a high-stakes round of “Hot Sweet Potato.” SPOILER ALERT! Make sure you watch Squid Game Season 3 Episode 1 before listening on. Play one last time. IG - @SquidGameNetflix X (f.k.a. Twitter) - @SquidGame Check out more from Phil Yu @angryasianman , Kiera Please @kieraplease and the Jumpers Jump podcast Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . Squid Game: The Official Podcast is produced by Netflix and The Mash-Up Americans.…

2 years ago 53:11

MP3•Episode home

Tune in as he discusses the evolution of technology, the challenges faced by enterprises as they integrate digital, and the critical and evolving role of enterprise architecture in modern business.

This is an all-encompassing episode featuring Charles Betz, the VP and Research Director of Enterprise Architecture at Forrester. With over two decades of experience in the field, Charles is a seasoned expert in enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and organizational strategy, making this a perfect episode for those looking to operate digitally enabled organizations, at scale.

With his wealth of knowledge, Charles takes us on a journey through the historical evolution of computing, tracing the path from the early days of digital challenges to the present era of cloud computing and platform capabilities. He shares perspectives on the evolving and pivotal role of enterprise architecture, a once technical role now increasingly in charge of facilitating technology alignment with product portfolios and business goals.

He introduces the concept of Outcome-Driven Architecture, emphasizing the principles of adaptability, creativity, and resilience, and prepares us as we explore together the digital landscape.

Key Highlights
👉 Distinguishing hardware and software in digital technology and the unifying capabilities of computing machines.
👉 Challenges faced by enterprise architecture - the risk of bureaucracy and the need to adapt to modern platform thinking
👉 Managing multiple PNL units in organizations, and the requirement for a balance between shared governance and shared services for efficient scaling.
👉 Effective portfolio management needs to meet architectural considerations.
👉 Outcome-driven architecture for achieving higher-level values such as adaptability, creativity, and resilience through architectural capabilities.
👉Engagement models for architecture groups and their cultural values, including value, accountability, and agility.
👉 Shift from a top-down approach to a value-driven perspective in managing technology portfolios.
👉 Systematic and rational management of digital portfolios to optimize investments and minimize redundancy and sprawl.

Topics /chapters
(00:00) Intro - Why Enterprise Architecture is not (just) about Technology
(08:20) Balancing Business Logic, Products, and Technology
(11:28) Enterprise Architecture in a Decentralized World
(18:39) Creating Coherence in Constraints
(34:10) Shifting Roles of Enterprise Architects
(39:33) Outcome-Driven Architecture Model at Forrester
(46:00) Shift from top-down to value-driven perspective
(49:07) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/charles-betz

Episode recorded on November 17, 2023

Get in touch with Boundaryless:
Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music
Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

129 episodes

#Tech #Boundaryless SRL

#92 - Why Enterprise Architecture is not (just) about Technology: with Charles Betz

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

13 subscribers

published 2 years ago

MP3•Episode home

Tune in as he discusses the evolution of technology, the challenges faced by enterprises as they integrate digital, and the critical and evolving role of enterprise architecture in modern business.

He introduces the concept of Outcome-Driven Architecture, emphasizing the principles of adaptability, creativity, and resilience, and prepares us as we explore together the digital landscape.

Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/charles-betz

Episode recorded on November 17, 2023

Get in touch with Boundaryless:
Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music
Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

129 episodes

#Tech #Boundaryless SRL

All episodes

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#124 – How AI Restacks the System of Work with Sangeet Paul Choudary | Closing of Season 6 1:06:35

5 weeks ago1:06:35

1:06:35

Sangeet Paul Choudary, globally recognised Platform Strategist and author, joins back on the Boundaryless Conversations Podcast for the 4th time. In this episode, the closing one for Season 6, we unpack how AI radically transforms the system of work. Together, we explore how organisations can stay relevant as value is being redefined (intrinsic, economic, contextual), and how systemic design choices shape who benefits in a rapidly fragmenting economy. Drawing a powerful parallel to the shipping container revolution, Sangeet shows how AI’s impact operates at multiple levels, from simple task automation up to systemic change, urging us to think bigger than just isolated productivity gains.He challenges the Techno-Optimist and Luddite narratives for assuming that competition rules and value distribution remain static in an AI world. Instead, Sangeet urges us to think about how the “pie” gets sliced. Sangeet is a globally renowned author and has an upcoming book, “Reshuffle”. He is known for his deep systems thinking and sharp analysis of digital ecosystems. In this episode, he explored how organisations must fundamentally rethink value (and their role) in an AI-transformed world and unpacks the often-overlooked link between constraints and value. He helps us distinguish local and systemic effects, urging leaders to stop optimising for short-term efficiencies, and challenges the outdated assumption that markets are uniform and competition is static. If you’re curious to learn how your perception of innovation needs to shift, tune in. Key Highlights 👉 In an AI-driven economy, organisations must redefine value in context, not just by markets, but by their unique purpose, position, and impact. 👉 Both techno-optimists and Luddites fall into the same trap: they assume the rules of competition stay the same. But as AI reshapes how the “pie” is sliced 👉 Traditional frameworks fall short - leaders must now navigate systems thinking, modularity, and multi-dimensional trade-offs. 👉 Strategic advantage lies in judgment, where decision-makers are directly impacted by their choices. 👉 Organisations must shift from task-level automation to system-level redesign. 👉 The future of leadership demands a long-term appetite for long-term planning - helping us thrive through uncertainty and systemic adaptation. Topics /chapters (00:00) How AI Restacks the System of Work - Intro (01:38) Introducing Sangeet Paul Choudary (03:34) New Framing for assessing the impact of AI (11:03) Deeper Impacts of AI on the System (16:52) AI affecting Value Economics (22:16) How is Value Impacted in the System of Work (31:08) Shift of Role Requirements in Organiations (35:13) Individual responsibility in defining value (50:09) Pace of Technology (56:49) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions (01:01:05) Closing of Season 6 Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/sangeet-choudary-4/ Episode recorded on May 15, 2025 To pre-order Sangeet's Book: "Reshuffle: Who wins when AI restacks the knowledge economy" check out this link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTKW6NQV?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/ Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#123 - Leadership in Complexity: Purpose, Failure & Conflict with Jennifer Garvey Berger 46:33

7 weeks ago46:33

46:33

Renowned author and complexity thinker Jennifer Garvey Berger, co-founder of Cultivating Leadership, joins us in this episode to explore how organisations can evolve by unlocking the mental traps that limit adaptive capacity.She helps us reframe leadership as a practice that fosters engagement and thriving amid uncertainty, and guides us through why individual development is essential to creating truly functional and effective collectives.She highlights gaps in organisations that often overlook the importance of actively attending to a team’s health, which harms the relationships and connections that hold systems together.She shares a future-focused insight, stating that “organisations are not merely serving markets, but constantly co-creating them,” redefining the deep implications for how organisations define their purpose, value, and long-term responsibility.This episode offers a powerful and timely reflection that embraces a more ecological and co-creative approach to organizing. Tune in. Jennifer, widely known for her books “Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps” and “Changing on the Job”, has guided organisations worldwide in revisiting their mindtraps and reshaping traditional leadership.In this episode, she continues to challenge conventional views of customer-centricity and urges organisations to recognise their role in shaping society and ecosystems, advocating for a purpose that is deeply embedded rather than merely performative.On a timely note, she reflects on generational shifts in how people relate to work and meaning, alongside the rise of values-led business models that call for designing with longer horizons in mind.She helps us stay present, emphasising it as essential for preparing for the future, and guides us in visualising and designing what it means to be a complexity-informed leader. Key Highlights 👉 Value in complex systems is co-created and fluid - organisations must shift from simply "serving customer needs" to becoming conscious shapers of society. 👉 Younger generations are increasingly unwilling to invest their life force into organisations that prioritise profit over planetary purpose and human well-being. 👉 Leadership requires working with, not eliminating, conflict. 👉 Escaping cognitive mindtraps (like certainty, control, or simple stories) is essential for leaders navigating complexity and change. 👉 In complexity, defining and enacting value is a collective, recursive process - it’s shaped by individuals, teams, and ecosystems in continuous dialogue. 👉 Purpose in complexity-friendly organisations must be lived and systemic, not just performative; it's about genuine social contracts and ecosystem stewardship. 👉 True systemic change begins with slowing down, listening differently, and allowing space for emergence. Topics /chapters (00:00) Leadership in Complexity: Purpose, Failure & Conflict - intro (01:55) Introducing Jennifer Garvey Berger (03:45) The Polarities in Leadership (06:48) A new mindset at the Leadership Level (08:54) Personal Pattern and Complex Ecosystems (13:03) Operationalising individual and collective patterns (16:49) The boundaries of leadership in an organization (19:05) The “How” and the “What” to Addressing Complexity (25:21) Organizational Readiness for Handling Complexity (28:08) Are Purpose-Driven Markets the Future? (42:37) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/garvey-jennifer Episode recorded on Jun 03, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/ Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#122 - Regenerative Business: What Does It Mean? - with Kara Pecknold 47:36

9 weeks ago47:36

47:36

Kara Pecknold, VP of Regenerative Design at Frog and a leading voice in sustainable innovation, joined us for a conversation on what it truly means to design for regeneration.She breaks down the challenges and opportunities of embedding regenerative thinking into organisations, helping us explore how brands can move beyond green checklists toward a deeper, systemic approach that lies at the intersection of nature, culture, and business goals.Highlighting that “Regenerative design can help businesses localise,” she also discusses a potential direction to navigate today’s global crises, thus requiring a reframing of business as we know it.This episode invites us to imagine futures where businesses give back more than they take, offering a hopeful push we all need. In this episode, Kara draws from her experience of guiding regenerative design with clients across diverse local contexts, helping us imagine the power of viewing business like nature. She speaks on how regenerative design cannot be siloed into CSR activities, and why it's important that it be tied to all parts of the organisation.She also touches upon several frameworks tackling this problem, like biomimicry, the doughnut economy etc. - helping us put a practical approach to regeneration, rather than viewing it as an idealistic utopian future. Tune in to discover how this future-focused approach can guide you through the complexities within the boundaries of today’s world. Key Highlights 👉 Regenerative design encourages businesses to rethink growth by focusing on giving back more than they take from natural and social systems. 👉 Embedding regenerative thinking requires breaking silos - making it a company-wide commitment, not just a CSR initiative. 👉 Localising parts of your business can build resilience amid global disruptions like supply chain challenges and geopolitical shifts. 👉 Regeneration blends nature, culture, and business goals into an integrated systemic approach. 👉 Leadership buy-in at the top and empowerment at the grassroots are both essential for regeneration to take root. 👉 Limits and boundaries are vital concepts, challenging the endless-growth mindset and inspiring new business models. 👉 Biomimicry offers design inspiration by learning from nature’s time-tested strategies and cycles. 👉 Designing for regeneration means fostering creative disruption rather than clinging to business as usual. Topics /chapters (00:00) Regenerative Business: What Does It Mean? - Intro (01:24) Introducing Kara Pecknold (03:10) The Personal Side of Transformation (05:20) Tactical Implementation of Regenerative Design (09:30) Defining the Natural Element (12:23) Do customers seek a regenerative future? (16:49) Navigating the Tension in Regenerative Indicators (19:40) Does Regenerative Design Apply to Digital Companies? (24:31) Bio-regionalism and Relocalization of Business (28:15) Regenerative and Localized Organizational Design (31:09) Impact on Organizational Operating Models (33:27) Role of External Stakeholders (35:22) Defining Regeneration (36:04) Constraints and Limits within Regeneration (41:09) Reimaging Design beyond the Classics (45:27) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/pecknold-kara Episode recorded on Apr 24, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/ Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#121 - Understanding Value in a GenAI Powered World with Simon Wardley 1:02:38

11 weeks ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Strategic tools can help you navigate organisational and market complexities. But how do you even begin to make sense of it all?In this episode, Simon Wardley, the creator of Wardley Mapping and one of the most profound thinkers and influencers in strategy, explains the power of mapping complex ecosystems. He speaks on how building resilient organisations goes beyond clever tactics and requires a deep understanding of the landscapes you’re navigating. He highlights how most organisations still struggle to truly understand their customers, and emphasises why it’s crucial to realign strategies, foster a shared language, and enable cohesiveness to create true “value.”For leaders, this conversation serves as a call to rethink how you approach both organisational structures and the strategies needed to stay adaptable in a constantly changing landscape.Simon brings a wealth of experiential knowledge in strategy, having contributed to the growth of some of the biggest organisations worldwide. In this podcast, he delves into the evolution of technology, organisational structures, and strategy, with a particular focus on the impact of AI. He challenges our fear of rapid technological advancement by sharing how tech’s true development follows a more gradual process, ultimately leading to sudden bursts of change - a more nonlinear growth.He also explores other critical themes like - the evolution of organisational structures, referencing his explorers-villagers-town planners model, the need to have strong guiding principles, and also shares why the engineer is the true architect of a technology.So, for anyone seeking a roadmap to navigate complexity correctly, this conversation is a must-listen. Tune in. Key Highlights 👉 Strategic tools must account for complex and rapidly shifting environments - mapping systems can help you visualise and adapt to these changes. 👉 Understanding the landscape is like seeing the entire chessboard – without it, organisations risk making strategic moves without fully grasping the game. 👉 Technology evolves through long, gradual build-up phases before rapid, transformative bursts - a non-linear path. 👉 Principles, not just structures, are the foundation of organisational agility – without them, teams become unstable and revert to traditional structures under pressure. 👉 Developing a common language within organisations is critical for strategic coherence and effective decision-making. 👉 Socio-technical systems, when understood and harnessed properly, create synergies between technology and organisational culture - these connections should be fostered to drive both innovation and user engagement. Topics /chapters (00:00) Understanding Value in a GenAI Powered World - Intro (02:42) Introducing Simon Wardley (04:35) Mapping Strategic Change in an AI-Driven World (20:14) Deterministic and Non-Deterministic Languages: Creating Shared Systems (39:12) Building a Humanised Strategy for the future (46:12) Creating Dynamic Systems (52:53) Evolution of Socio-Technical Systems (01:00:40) Breadcrumbs and SuggestionsRemember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: Episode recorded on Apr 17, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/ Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#120 - Stackable Business Models: Startup Strategy in the AI-Native Era with Pete Flint 42:50

13 weeks ago42:50

42:50

Pete Flint, General Partner at NFX and founder of Trulia, joins us for an expansive conversation on how AI is reshaping the foundations of entrepreneurship, platform economies, network effects, and defensibility strategies. Drawing from his deep experience as both a founder and an investor, Pete breaks down what it means to build in a world where CAC is difficult to change and requires expanding LTV by designing invisible, agent-powered experiences and adopting “stackable” approaches to product development. Speaking on the low barriers to entry for startups, he highlights why speed now trumps precision, saying, “There is no prize for being right, but there is one for being fast.” This conversation is a must for anyone navigating the fast-moving world of AI, platform innovation, and startup strategy. What does it mean to build a startup in a world of frictionless tools and unpredictable technological shifts? In this episode, Pete, one of the world’s most prominent internet entrepreneurs, helps us unpack how the dynamics of company-building are being transformed - not just by AI, but by new patterns of behaviour, demand, and value creation. We explore consumers’ hyper-personalised requirements and what that means for founders navigating shifting entry points and stackable business models. He also speaks on cultural foundations and how an organisation’s ecosystem affects outcomes. For anyone grappling with how to lead or build in this dynamic landscape, this episode offers a take on what truly matters. Key Highlights 👉 AI-native startups demand a new mindset - where building fast and embracing imperfection is often more strategic than over-optimising from the start. 👉 “Stackability” is emerging as a core design principle: founders should think in terms of layers and expansions, starting with a powerful wedge into the market. 👉 In an age of low switching costs and high user expectations, designing invisible, agent-driven experiences is becoming critical for product stickiness and defensibility. 👉 Founders must be hyper-intentional about their initial entry point - the “killer wedge” - which creates unfair economic or experiential advantages and unlocks further growth. 👉 In a world where CAC is hard to move, the focus is shifting towards expanding LTV by designing invisible, agent-powered experiences and adopting “stackable” approaches to product development. 👉 Large organisations struggle with speed due to risk aversion and fear of failure, highlighting how startup culture can remain a competitive edge if properly nurtured. 👉 The importance of geography and culture: proximity to dense information and strong execution cultures compounds the advantage of high-velocity teams. Topics /chapters (00:00) Stackable Business Models: Startup Strategy in the AI-Native Era (01:40) Introducing Pete Flint (03:38) AI and Platforms - Industry Overview (09:48) Is Stackability the next step of Super Apps? (11:55) What is the future of Marketplaces with AI? (17:28) Revamping UX with Agent Marketplaces (21:15) Changes in Network Effects for the Future (24:54) Changes for a user (30:57) How can a Founder Be Future-Proof? (34:22) Do Future Predictions Matter? (40:31) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/flint-pete Episode recorded on Apr 04, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#119 - Working with Source: Acknowledging the Creative Hierarchy with Tom Nixon 53:01

15 weeks ago53:01

53:01

In this episode, we welcome Tom Nixon, author of Work with Source, to explore the powerful yet often overlooked idea of “source” - as the person who first conceives and commits to a creative initiative - and the impact such a role has on organizations. Drawing from his extensive experience advising founders and mission-driven projects, Tom helps us unpack what it truly means to hold the role of source - beyond conventional leadership, and as he puts it, “being the author of the story that unfolds.” Together, we explore how organizations can enable a deep human dimension behind all authentic ventures, and work towards a truly regenerative and evolutionary way of organizing. While many conversations around leadership focus on structure, roles, or decision-making, this episode looks at a deeper assessment of where creative initiatives truly begin - and how they should maintain coherence as they evolve. Tom Nixon introduces us to the subtle but powerful idea of “source” as the unique origin point from which meaning, direction, and integrity flow. We explore how the source perspective can help us navigate complexity, and why the source is simply not a “genius hero” figure, as we presume. He also helps us unpack more regenerative, emergent, and resilient ways of working together. So, for listeners looking to understand the creative dynamics that often hide behind hierarchical organizational structures - and why honouring the human in a project is highly strategic - this conversation is a source of guidance. Key Highlights 👉 The idea of source reframes leadership as a creative, intuitive role - the one who first sees and commits to a new possibility. 👉 Beneath formal org charts and policies lies the creative field - an energetic structure established by the source, which can’t be captured by governance documents but is deeply felt. 👉 Many people think the “source” is a visionary genius who always knows what to do - but that’s a myth. In reality, being the source means holding the responsibility for the creative edge, often with doubt and uncertainty. 👉 Regenerative organizing calls for living systems thinking - where purpose drives structure and growth emerges organically rather than being imposed top-down. 👉 Being the source is not about authority or control, but about holding the original impulse with integrity and enabling others to contribute meaningfully. 👉 Recognizing who holds the source in a project helps clarify roles, resolve tensions, and unlock greater flow and coherence within teams. 👉 Working with source calls for deep listening, intuition, and the courage to protect the original impulse - even when it's not yet fully understood by others. Topics /chapters (00:00) Working with Source: Acknowledging the Creative Hierarchy - intro (00:51) Introducing Tom Nixon (02:37) Introduction to Source Work (06:29) Overlapping Creative Hierarchy and Organizational Hierarchy (09:52) Managing Hierarchy in Evolving Organizations (16:09) Ownership of the Source (19:33) Managing system thinkers and complexity mindset to coexist with intelligent creation (26:34) Shaping a Founders Mindset for a Balanced Business (37:13) Source’s Impact on a Brand Story (46:04) Sources and their Ownership (51:41) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/nixon-tom Episode recorded on Apr 01, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/ Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#118 - Effective Adoption of AI in the Enterprise - with Anindya Ghose 46:46

17 weeks ago46:46

46:46

What does it take for organizations to truly harness the power of AI - not just as a buzzword, but as a transformative force for strategy, culture, and execution? In this episode, Anindya Ghose - Professor at NYU Stern, and one of the world’s leading voices at the intersection of AI, economics, and platforms - joins us to explore what it means to adopt AI intentionally and ethically. Anindya presents his “House of AI” framework to cut through the AI hype. This grounded, end-to-end framework helps organizations align their data, models, and ethics for meaningful impact. He also shares his insights on how AI is shifting the nature of management itself - and why the true differentiator in an AI-enabled world will be people, not technology. We go beyond surface-level AI conversations to explore what it really means to embed it within an organization - not just as a tool, but as a force that reshapes how decisions are made, work gets done, and leadership is defined. Anindya is a globally recognized AI advisor who has transformed the journey of over 60 companies worldwide. As the author of Tap and Thrive, he also brings a rare blend of corporate insight and academic depth, helping us break down how AI can elevate both business and human potential. We explore how AI is pushing organizations to rethink core assumptions, what are the cultural and structural implications of AI, how does AI take shape in organizational structure, and why it’s important to also see AI as a powerful positive force. This is not an episode to miss, as we explore the tensions around AI and how they can be turned into meaningful opportunities. Key Highlights 👉 AI transformation starts with intentionality, requiring organizations to align their data, business context, and strategic goals before deploying any tools or models. 👉 Data engineering is 70% of the work, and without clean, structured data, even the most advanced AI will fail to deliver meaningful results. 👉 The House of AI framework provides a step-by-step path that moves from data readiness to modelling and ends with ethical, transparent storytelling. 👉 AI adoption requires organizations to answer four core questions - descriptive (what happened), predictive (what will happen next), causal (why), and prescriptive (what should we do). 👉 AI is evolving from a decision-support tool into a force of production, fundamentally altering how workflows operate and how organizations create value. 👉 Fairness can be built into AI through data debiasing, but ethics largely remains a human responsibility shaped by incentives, governance, and cultural values. 👉 Competitive advantage will depend less on technology access and more on the people, mindsets, and ability to act on insights quickly and responsibly. Topics /chapters (00:00) Effective Adoption of AI in the Enterprise - Intro (00:58) Introducing Anindya Ghose (03:11) House of AI Framework - Getting Real with AI (11:16) Intentionality of Adopting AI (14:07) Changing the conversation around AI’s Positivity (18:52) AI’s new regime in radical disruption (23:34) How is AI altering the culture of Management in Organizations? (29:54) Preparing for AI Dominated Organizations (33:16) The Future of Competition in an AI-Driven Market: Openness vs. Differentiation (39:16) How will Organizations Differentiate? (42:15) Is it a Winner Takes All Market (44:08) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/ghose-anindya Episode recorded on Mar 05, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#117 - Building Antifragile Organizations Through Daily Action with Luca Dellanna 51:50

19 weeks ago51:50

51:50

What separates organizations that thrive in uncertainty from those that struggle? In this episode, Luca Dellanna - management consultant, researcher, and author - explores how companies can move beyond theoretical decision-making to ensure real-world execution and resilience. In this episode, Luca unpacks key concepts like ergodicity, antifragility, and the role of behavioral dynamics in shaping organizational effectiveness. Stating how “Decision-making is only as good as execution,” he emphasizes the need for organizations to create systems that surface problems early and drive real adaptation. He also challenges the notion that architecture alone can ensure antifragility, suggesting that qualitative insights, cultural alignment, and leading by example are all essential in building adaptable organizations. In this episode, Luca provides a reality check on common management approaches, indicating why many organizations fail to turn strategy into action. He highlights why leadership by proclamation is ineffective without visible commitment, how organizations often create misaligned incentives, and why cultural shifts require more than just top-down mandates. Drawing from real-world examples, he also shares how true organizational change comes from daily, repetitive micro-level decisions. Tune in, as we discuss how to avoid the cost of irreversible consequences, and instead structure for long-term wins that build anti-fragile organizations prioritizing survival over performance. Key Highlights 👉 Decision-making alone isn’t enough, organizations must ensure that strategies translate into real execution and adaptation. 👉 Ergodicity matters because businesses that fail to consider irreversible consequences risk long-term failure by optimizing for short-term gains. 👉 Leadership signals shape culture, as policies and incentives alone won’t drive change. 👉 Antifragility requires surfacing problems early since organizations that proactively address challenges become stronger. 👉 Cultural transformation happens through action, not communication, since top-down mandates fail unless reinforced with direct engagement and behavioural consistency. 👉 Small, deliberate interventions drive systemic change, as focusing on a single key habit can transform an entire organization. 👉 The best organizations blend structure with human insight, as architecture and incentives provide a foundation, but qualitative understanding and direct engagement ensure real impact. Topics /chapters (00:00) Building Antifragile Organizations Through Daily Action - intro (00:59) Luca Dellanna Introduction (02:45) Ergodicity Overview (05:54) Creating Constraints and Excelling through Friction (07:45) Designing Systems that are Anti-Fragile (10:18) Enabling Ergodicity (27:45) Cultural Truths about Anti-Fragility in Modern Organizations (48:35) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/Dellanna-Luca Episode recorded on Feb 10, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#116 - GenAI and The End of Consulting as We Know it - with Louis-David Benyayer 50:09

21 weeks ago50:09

50:09

As AI reshapes industries at an unprecedented pace, Louis-David Benyayer, associate professor at ESCP Business School and a leading researcher and strategist at the intersection of AI, digital transformation, and knowledge work, joins us on this podcast to discuss what it means for the consulting, education, and knowledge work industries. In this episode, Louis helps us explore how Generative AI has the potential to go much beyond automating tasks and fundamentally shifting business models in two very key industries: Consulting and Professional Education. He emphasizes that "AI will likely not replace human expertise but amplify the best experts. " He also states that hybridizing humans and technology allows for deeper insights and more significant impact. During the episode, Louis-David shares tangible examples from his experience of how these industries are evolving: consulting firms moving away from traditional billable hours toward subscription-based and modular services and universities looking to redefine their role in a world where knowledge is highly accessible, among others. He also highlights how AI amplifies expert consultants while commoditizing baseline knowledge and explores why the most skilled professionals benefit from AI’s evolution.So, if you’re a consultant, educator, or customer looking to interpret and navigate the complex landscape shifts due to AI, this episode is a must-listen. Key Highlights 👉 AI is transforming consulting and education, not just by automating tasks but by reshaping business models. 👉 Expertise is more valuable than ever, as AI commoditizes basic knowledge. The best consultants and educators will leverage AI as a tool to enhance their impact. 👉 Having a framework isn’t enough - expertise matters. The Blue Ocean Strategy, for example, has been around for decades, but applying it effectively in real business scenarios requires deep expertise. Similarly, AI can generate insights, but knowing how to act on them is what creates value. 👉 Human decision-making remains critical in strategy, as AI can optimize known processes but cannot redefine markets, make trade-offs, or drive transformative change. 👉 Universities must rethink their core value, as knowledge becomes freely available. The future of education lies in curated learning, human interaction, and critical thinking. 👉 Soft skills will be the true differentiator in a world where AI can handle hard skills. Emotional intelligence, facilitation, relationship-building, and navigating human dynamics will become even more essential in consulting and education. 👉 The future of knowledge work is hybrid, blending AI-powered efficiency with human creativity, expertise, and leadership. The challenge is not whether to use AI, but when and how to integrate it effectively. Topics /chapters (00:00) GenAI and The End of Consulting as We Know it - intro (00:57) Louis-David Benyayer Introduction (06:20) Is it the end of consulting? (11:36) How do you Operationalize the future of Consulting with GenAI (16:57) Human Expertise in AI (21:33) Is GenAI meant for lazy companies? (38:42) Should Universities re-think it’s fundamental purpose? (44:41) Hybridization between Humans and Tools Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/Benyayer-Louis-David/ Episode recorded on Feb 06, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#115 - How to Structure your Partnership Strategy with Asher Mathew 44:27

23 weeks ago44:27

44:27

In an era where go-to-market strategies are evolving rapidly, Asher Mathew—a veteran in partnerships, ecosystems, and business transformation—makes a case for the strategic role of partnerships in modern business. Asher unpacks how partnerships extend beyond traditional sales and marketing, influencing product development, customer acquisition, and even service delivery. Sharing how “intentionality in design” is at the core of partnership strategy, he explains how organisations can align themselves with customer needs. So, whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, this episode will serve as a perfect playbook for leveraging partnership as a key growth multiplier rather than just another channel. Asher, co-founder of Partnership Leaders, has long-standing experience in how modern organizations design partner strategies to enhance product adoption, customer reach, and business scalability.He highlights the importance of identifying core business strengths to determine which capabilities to build, buy, or partner for; and how to balance both horizontal and vertical partnerships. He takes us through different models that serve different objectives, and indicates why it’s important for companies of all sizes to develop structured partner programs for scalability. If you’re keen on learning how companies could use partnership strategies to function at scale, tune in, as Asher shares everything there is to know. Key Highlights 👉 Partnerships are a strategic growth lever, not just a sales channel, and modern businesses must integrate them across product development, marketing, sales, and customer success 👉 Successful partnerships require intentional design, as organizations must decide what to build, buy, or partner for, ensuring alignment with their core strengths and market positioning. 👉 Customer-driven partnerships create the most impact because instead of targeting potential partners first, companies should engage customers to understand which collaborations will bring real value. 👉 Different partnership models serve different objectives, and businesses can leverage referrals, reselling, co-selling, or OEM agreements based on their goals and market dynamics. 👉 Balancing horizontal and vertical partnerships is key, as hyperscalers like AWS and Google Cloud offer broad reach while niche vertical partnerships provide deep industry access and differentiation. 👉 Organizational structures must evolve to support partnerships, and as businesses scale, a dedicated partnership function helps prioritize, manage, and grow strategic relationships. 👉 AI and platform ecosystems are reshaping partnerships, as companies transition from traditional partner tiers to dynamic, data-driven collaborations that enhance efficiency and growth. Topics /chapters (00:00) How to Structure your Partnership Strategy - intro (00:25) Asher Matthew Introduction (02:24) Are Partnerships for all Businesses? (05:31) Gaps to be addressed in Organizations (11:49) Partnerships Function in Organizations (13:44) Implications of Partnerships on Organizational Structure (18:52) Balancing Hyperscalers and Vertical Partnerships (29:41) Business Models of Partnerships (31:35) The Mental Model for Selecting Partners (33:31) Risks in Partnership Strategies (35:44) Partnering vs. Purchasing your customers (37:58) What’s New in Partnerships? (41:57) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/mathew-asher Episode recorded on Jan 24, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#114 - Bringing Customers Back to the Heart of Business - with Helge Tennø 1:00:13

25 weeks ago1:00:13

1:00:13

In a world where products and organizational design often take centre stage, Helge Tennø —a long-time strategist and innovation advisor focused on customer-centric transformations— makes the case for redefining and delivering customer value. In this episode, he challenges the conventional reliance on engagement and sales metrics and highlights the importance of measuring real customer value, driving behavioural and strategic change - thus linking customer impact directly to business success. Using a customer-centric four-stack framework that aligns Experience, Data, Strategy, and Culture, he offers a wealth of insights on rethinking organizational design and navigating the future of AI-driven customer experiences. As a prolific writer and practitioner voicing customer-centricity for over two decades, Helge has guided several organizations worldwide in creating meaningful value for customers. In this conversation, he helps us visualize what it means to step out of purely product-centric perspectives, outdated measurement systems, and rigid internal structures. Taking real-world examples, he explores how organizations can build a clear chain of measurement, tracking the real impact of engagement, behavioural shifts, and ultimately, business value. This episode is not missing, as we also touch upon the future of customer centricity, which breaks free from traditional customer journeys – and captures the complexity, helping organizations become intuitive and human-centred. Key Highlights 👉 Customer-centricity is not just a mindset shift but a structural transformation, requiring organizations to embed customer needs into strategy, measurement, and ways of working. 👉 Traditional customer journeys often fail to capture complexity—organizations can instead explore designs that suit their specific requirements and aid their decision-making. 👉 Ownership in a customer-centric organization must evolve—teams should focus on owning customer outcomes rather than just products to drive meaningful impact. 👉 Rethinking measurement is crucial—organizations must stop assuming that more engagement equals success and start tracking behavioural change and long-term value creation. 👉 AI and modularization will redefine customer interactions, potentially enabling customers to self-configure their own experiences—but most businesses lack the right data to support this shift. 👉 Innovation should be embedded within daily operations, rather than being treated as a separate function or ceremonial event, to drive continuous transformation at scale. Topics /chapters (00:00) Bringing Customers Back to the Heart of Business (00:56) Introducing Helge (03:41) The importance of being a customer-centric organization (06:37) Key Elements of a Customer Centric Transformation (09:54) Line of Sight between Employees and Value (13:57) Evaluating True Value (17:15) Orchestrating Business Value in Complexity (21:59) Driving Ownership in a Customer-Centric Organization (26:44) Enabling Customer Based Metric System (30:44) Technology and Modern Tool Integrations for Data Analysis (34:57) AI and customers self-designing their experiences (44:50) What’s the space for simplicity, aesthetics, and design? (49:15) What’s the rebundling that’s going to put customers in the center? (53:19) Keeping Leaders Grounded in the Chaos (57:32) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/tenno-helge Episode recorded on Jan 21, 2025 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#113 - Why Every Company Is Now a Technology Company—and What It Means for the Future with Rebecca Parsons 57:53

27 weeks ago57:53

57:53

Amid technological advancements and shifting organizational landscapes, former CTO of ThoughtWorks, Rebecca Parsons, takes this episode to build the bridge between technology and business impact. Challenging a common fear in the ecosystem of “technology being commoditized”, she explores how it can transcend industries to become a core enabler of differentiation if it’s integrated with a deeper sense of understanding user experience and needs. This episode offers a wealth of knowledge and delves into themes such as creating outcome-driven governance models, building unbiased technology, and driving sustainable architecture. As the co-author of “Building Evolutionary Architectures”, and a thought leader in software technologies for decades, Rebecca has had a front-row seat to the transformation of every company into a technology company. Highlighting the unique nature of software—its “softness” and malleability to learn and adapt—she emphasizes that the future of competitive advantage lies in deeply understanding users and building meaningful relationships beyond the software itself. In the episode, she also points to compelling reflections on the democratization of tools, the integration of sustainable practices, and the challenges of navigating AI’s energy-intensive demands - leaving you curious and thoughtful about the future. Join along as she sets the tone on how to build an organization that’s ready for the complexity of a tech-first future. Key Highlights 👉 Technology is no longer a supporting function but a central enabler of business strategy, shaping how organizations differentiate themselves in an increasingly commoditized landscape. 👉 Legacy systems can act as both anchors and accelerators for innovation, depending on how organizations navigate their integration with evolving business models. 👉 The future of competitive advantage lies in understanding users deeply, building trust, and creating meaningful relationships beyond the software itself. 👉 Balancing short-term pragmatism with long-term vision is critical for organizations, requiring principle-based frameworks that adapt to changing market and technological landscapes. 👉 Continuous delivery and evolutionary architecture enable organizations to respond to rapid change while minimizing risks, fostering a culture of adaptability. 👉 Ethical technology practices are no longer optional, as bias and inclusivity issues have tangible impacts on user trust, market share, and regulatory compliance. 👉 Sustainability in technology is gaining traction, with green engineering and energy-efficient practices becoming business imperatives amidst growing demands from AI and other resource-intensive innovations. Topics /chapters (00:00) Why Every Company Is Now a Technology Company—and What It Means for the Future - intro (00:57) Introducing Rebecca Parsons (03:17) The role of technology in organizations (08:11) Building a Competitive Advantage through Technologies (16:55) Leading with a Human-Centered-Approach through Democratization of Technology (21:17) Long and Short Term Vision in Technology (26:16) Organizational Approach of Technology Capabilities (34:01) Creating Coherence in Organizations (41:32) Technological Integration and Organizational Implications (47:57) Sustainability for Business Resillience (52:14) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/parsons-rebecca Episode recorded on Dec 03, 2024 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#112 - Finding the Beauty in Business with Tim Leberecht 49:54

29 weeks ago49:54

49:54

In a world of interconnected complexities, where futures can often feel bleak, there’s Tim Leberecht, founder of House of Beautiful Business, integrating beauty where we least expect it - business. In this episode, he shares how beauty goes beyond aesthetics and speaks to truth, alignment, and the reminder of what humanity is capable of at its best. Tim highlights the tension many organizations face: on the one hand, movements pushing for visionary changes in value creation, like regenerative economics, participatory design, and co-ops; and on the other, reverting to short-term pragmatism, cutting programs such as DEI initiatives - and, how all of this is inherently a political stance that the organization is taking. This conversation covers multiple themes - how organizations can avoid homogenization, especially at the time of AI; poly-opportunities to tackle the poly-crisis, decentralizing power, and much more. As the author of “The Business Romantic”, Tim has always encouraged businesses to actively design spaces for imagination, emotional connection, and alternative ways of thinking. He explores the importance of fostering rituals like storytelling and resonance inside organizations that can serve as cultural anchors and inspire collective meaning. Taking the example of how energy, mindfulness, and spirituality are now taking center stage in organizations, he states how often, qualities that are hard to quantify can lead to creating a holistic impact. He further advocates for businesses to use technology intentionally for optimization while ring-fencing spaces for human creativity, cultural diversity, and the exploration of “what cannot be measured.” Key Highlights 👉 Beauty in business is not just aesthetic but a way to reconnect with truth, humanity, and the best of what we are capable of, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. 👉 Organizations must move beyond binary thinking, embracing ambiguity, complexity, and decentralized systems to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 👉 The poly-crisis we face demands a shift toward poly-opportunity—amplifying positive, interconnected forces like regenerative leadership, planetary citizenship, and emotional diversity. 👉 Businesses are inherently political as they shape relationships, value creation, and labor organization; denying this limits their potential to foster meaningful change. 👉 Technology, especially AI, risks driving homogenization and transactional relationships, but businesses must protect spaces for diverse human creativity and imagination. 👉 Feminist philosophy offers a path for businesses to operate in alignment with life, focusing on seasonality, ambiguity, and resistance to systems of control and violence. 👉 Rituals, storytelling, and emotional experiences are essential tools for building resonance, fostering cultural transformation, and generating hope within organizations. Topics /chapters (00:00) Finding the Beauty in Business - intro (00:57) Introducing Tim Leberecht (10:17):47 How can Organizations enact positive change? (18:36) Imbibing a “Beauty in Business” mindset (25:02) Bringing Diversity in Homogenized Research (29:54) Feminism and the Complexity Mindset (37:33) Building Organizations that Decentralize Power (41:13) Poly-Opportunity to tackle the Poly-crisis (45:12) Closing Thoughts and Breadcrumbs Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/leberecht-tim Episode recorded on Dec 03, 2024 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#111 - The Power of Making and Remaking with Immy Kaur 1:05:14

31 weeks ago1:05:14

1:05:14

A visionary community leader and co-founder of Civic Square, Immy Kaur, joins us on this episode, to drive home some ground breaking thoughts on systemic transformation in our everyday living. With deep insights drawn from over a decade of experience, Immy challenges conventional thinking about organizing at scale and highlights the urgent need to reimagine how we live, work, and relate to one another. Touching on the power of unlearning assumptions about systems and authority, she simplifies it for us stating, "we as people build our systems and processes, and to change them, we don’t need permission." Known for her ability to connect systemic thinking with tangible, participatory action, Immy Kaur helps us visualize how neighborhoods are a strategic site for change—"big enough and small enough" to demonstrate value creation, while fostering agency in communities. In this episode, she explores critical themes like the fragility of existing systems, and why outdated economic models require a shift. Drawing from frameworks like Doughnut Economics, she unpacks how local, modular prototypes can demonstrate pathways toward systemic change. She takes us through rethinking value and metrics beyond financial systems, prototyping of modular solutions to tackle systemic lock-ins and so much more. Tune in and discover how we can reimagine everything through participatory systems to navigate the complex challenges of our times. Key Highlights 👉 Neighborhoods are strategic sites for change as they are small enough to demonstrate deep systemic transformation while being large enough to inspire scalable solutions. 👉 Unlearning systems is the first step to fostering collective agency and unlocking new possibilities for civic innovation. 👉 Effective transformation requires balancing systemic redesign, practical action, and radical imagination. 👉 Material scarcity and ecological limits become opportunities for creativity, pushing us to innovate within planetary boundaries. 👉 Organizations and communities must rethink value, moving beyond financial metrics to embrace multi-capital approaches that prioritize social, environmental, and care-based economies. 👉 Genuine change involves shifting agency to communities, empowering them to co-lead their transitions and transformations. 👉 Modular, tangible prototypes can demonstrate what systemic alternatives look like, enabling practical steps toward change while inspiring imagination. Topics /chapters (00:00) The Power of Making and Remaking - intro (00:49) Immy Kaur’s introduction (02:03) Immy Kaur’s Journey and Building Civic Square (21:23) What defines a civic body? (32:18) New frameworks, metrics, and institutional forms for creating value (47:19) New Upcoming Collaborations and Institutional Agreements (57:32) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/kaur-immy Episode recorded on Nov 12, 2024 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#110 - Decisions, Not Data: Why Research needs Organizational Readiness with Erika Hall 56:24

33 weeks ago56:24

56:24

One of the most revered names in research and design, Erika Hall, Co-founder of Mule Design, joins us on this podcast to challenge the role of research as we know it. In this episode, she shares deep insights into the challenges of navigating research in complexity, and, on the backbone of systems thinking, offers thought-provoking perspectives addressing the growing tensions between investor-driven narratives and evidence-based practices. She brings forth some hard truths on how organizations cherry-pick data to justify decisions; and uses this to help us understand why a genuine research mindset is one where you’re comfortable being proven wrong. This conversation is a powerful reminder that organizations need to embrace curiosity, to stay grounded and relevant. As the author of ‘Just Enough Research’, Erika, has been a revered design consultant, specializing in asking the hard questions to find the right answers. She takes this episode to show that speed does not equate to better decision-making, emphasizing the need for organizations to focus on thoughtful alignment and genuine learning. She explores themes such as the performative nature of modern business practices, the disconnect between financial storytelling and real-world impact, the difference between delegation and democratization, and how organizations can navigate all this in an interconnected ecosystem. Tune in and learn how to ask the right questions and build an organization that’s based on evidence. Key Highlights 👉 Organizations need to embrace research as an anti-authoritarian practice that fosters curiosity and challenges assumptions. 👉 Speed in decision-making is often performative. Slower, thoughtful preparation can lead to better outcomes and long-term agility. 👉 Modularity and decentralization in organizations require clarity in decision-making and alignment. Delegation of tasks is not the same as true democratization of power. 👉 Financial narratives often drive organizational behaviors, leading to misaligned incentives and decision-making that prioritizes appearances over reality. 👉 Systems thinking and psychological safety are crucial for fostering functional, adaptive teams that can navigate complexity and uncertainty effectively. 👉 Organizations should prioritize incremental improvements and long-term value creation over chasing trends and disruptive innovation for its own sake. Topics /chapters (00:00) Decisions, Not Data: Why Research needs Organizational Readiness - intro (00:43) Introducing Erika Hall (01:50) Evolution of Research (08:06) Impact of Portfolios, Modularity, and Ecosystemic Approach on Research (13:04) Organizational Structure, Coherence, and Control (18:39) The right approach for building capabilities (26:06) Pillars of designing a research-backed organization (32:05) Functioning in complexity with coherence (42:47) Researching an Ecosystem of Interactions (49:38) Synthetic User Interviews (53:31) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/hall-erika Episode recorded on Nov 22, 2024 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#109 - Beyond Existing Business Model Frames with Jen van der Meer 51:32

35 weeks ago51:32

51:32

A popular practitioner of the systemic approach to business, Jennifer van der Meer, founder of Reason Street, joins us on this episode to explore the intersection of business models, capital structures, and ecosystemic value creation.Highlighting how “in business, the challenge is to move beyond the constraints of financial logic and design for broader, systemic impacts that prioritize the health of ecosystems, communities, and bioregions,” Jen challenges to think beyond the existing frames. While tracing the evolution of business models through distinct eras, she reiterates her belief that business modeling is a creative process where new narratives need to be created that redefine how value is created and distributed.It’s an eye-opening conversation and an important one to remember in an age when businesses are designed to merely meet investor expectations of financial returns rather than take a holistic approach.Starting from Netscape’s IPO in the 1990s, Jennifer highlights the pivotal moments that shifted the focus from static business plans to the dynamic models of today.As an Assistant Professor at Parsons School of Design and an advisor and consultant, Jen always advocates designing purpose-driven systems aligned with larger societal and ecosystemic goals. In the conversation, we touched upon multiple themes, such as the inheritance that financial logic projects on business models, how to look beyond financial capital (and the constraints making it difficult), and the new perspectives likely needed to start designing for a regenerative future. Tune in and join us as we stretch existing business model thinking frames. Key Highlights 👉 Business models should be seen as dynamic, narrative-driven frameworks that evolve with societal and technological shifts rather than static plans. 👉 Designing for surplus rather than value capture allows organizations to prioritize contributions to ecosystems and communities over financial returns alone. 👉 Integrating multiple forms of capital—social, environmental, and intellectual—creates a more holistic business strategy. 👉 Platform cooperatives and alternative ownership structures demonstrate how shared value creation can reduce reliance on traditional financial logic. 👉 AI and blockchain technologies offer transformative opportunities, but their true potential lies in enabling community-driven innovation and operational efficiencies. 👉 Organizations must embrace bioregional learning ecosystems to address complex challenges and tailor strategies to their unique social, cultural, and ecological contexts. Topics /chapters (00:00) Beyond Existing Business Model Frames - Intro (00:44) Introducing Jen (02:05) Evolution of Business Models (07:34) Orientation into ages, frames, and types of Business Models (17:31) Capital Structures and it’s impact on Business Models (21:09) Beyond Financial Capital and Measuring Investments (25:55) Impact of Digital Public Infrastructures (28:16) New Business Approaches and Key Innovations (33:45) Driving Other Forms of Capital (39:14) Speeding the adoption rate of concious business models (43:13) Bringing Diversity in Systems of Value (48:12) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions. Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/jen-van-der-meer Episode recorded on Oct 23, 2024 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#108 - Doing Strategy in a World of Ruthless Change with Roger Martin 1:01:32

37 weeks ago1:01:32

1:01:32

Roger Martin, one of the world’s most influential business thinkers and former Dean of the Rotman School of Management, joined us on this episode to talk about all things strategy. He breaks down how organizations can keep up with the dynamism and complexity of it all: the evolution of strategy across the decades, digital transformation, decentralization’s impact, and the latest frontier, the rapid adoption of AI and LLMs. He challenges traditional approaches to strategy and impact measurement metrics like OKRs, stating, “Strategy is what you do, not what you say." In this candid conversation, he also dispels the angst surrounding AI taking over strategy roles in organizations, highlighting why AI and LLMs are valuable for rapidly synthesizing information but lack the capacity for generating unique, strategic insights that require human judgment and creativity. Join us for this conversation filled with insights.Known for his practical approach, Roger Martin—who’s authored many bestselling books, including “Playing to Win”—has guided thousands worldwide to make clear, actionable choices that drive competitive advantage. In the conversation, we also touch upon themes of risk-taking and the importance of empowering leaders to think strategically at every level of the organization. He argues that teams should be able to challenge ideas and push boundaries, all of which are vital for sparking real innovation. Key Highlights 👉 Leaders should act as strategic coaches, guiding teams to align with bigger goals and fostering a culture of proactive decision-making. 👉 Finding the right balance between centralization and decentralization empowers teams with autonomy while maintaining a unified direction. 👉 Constructive tension within teams drives innovation by encouraging open challenges to ideas, leading to breakthrough solutions. 👉 Embracing intelligent risk-taking is crucial; it allows organizations to grow and adapt rather than playing it safe and missing out on opportunities. 👉 Avoiding one-size-fits-all frameworks is crucial; each organization’s strategy should be uniquely tailored to its specific context. 👉 AI and LLMs serve as powerful tools for rapid analysis and synthesis but cannot replace, human strategic judgment. Topics /chapters (00:00) Doing Strategy in a World of Ruthless Change - intro (00:55) Roger Martin introduction (02:48) Strategy Evolution over 20 Years (07:21) Centralization vs Decentralization: Where to Apply in the Organization? (16:03) Fragmented Decision Making and Creating Boundaries in Strategy (24:20) Building Entrepreneurship in Organizations (35:09) Collaboration vs. Competition in a High Resource Environment (39:37) Creating Shared Value (46:37) AI, LLMs, and the future of Strategy (57:52) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/martin-roger Episode recorded on Oct 18, 2024 Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#107 - Understanding Design Fiction with Fabien Girardin and Nicolas Nova 50:52

39 weeks ago50:52

50:52

Have you ever wondered how visualizing complex futures can help you take actions and decisions today? Fabien Girardin and Nicolas Nova, pioneers of the practice of Design Fiction, take us on a journey into it to explain what it is for and what comes beyond it. This episode reveals what it means to create tangible expressions of potential futures while considering its complex relationship with technology, global trends, and societal implications. They share real-world examples of scenario building and discuss how to operationalize future thinking in organizations through the use of co-creation, AI, and other tools. Fabien and Nicolas have spent decades guiding small and large organizations to envision and prepare for future scenarios. They are now working to expand the design fiction practice beyond its initial decades of practice. Their work has helped organizations move beyond abstract predictions by engaging with diegetic and relatable prototypes, creating thousands of tools for strategic reflection.Taking the example of the “IKEA Catalog for the Future,” they highlight how everyday objects can become evocative representations that make future concepts more accessible. This episode will serve as a comprehensive guide to visualizing imagination, including insights into AI's potential role as a creative accelerator in building such prototypes. Tune in to discover actionable methods to help you navigate the complexities of the future before it happens. Discount Code for Listeners! Fabien and Nicolas have been kind enough to offer all our listeners a 20% Discount for the Manual of Design Fiction Book (Paperback Edition): Discount Code: BOUND-7BDS4 Link to the shop with discount: https://books.girardinnova.com/discount/BOUND-7BDS4?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fthe-manual-of-design-fiction Disclaimer: this is not an affiliate link, Boundaryless doesn’t monetize your book purchase. Key Highlights 👉 Design Fiction shifts future thinking from abstract complexities to tangible prototypes, making it easier for organizations to grasp the potential impact of future scenarios. 👉 Using mundane, everyday objects is important to bring complex technological and societal changes to life while making it more relatable. 👉 Building a "Design Fiction muscle" involves integrating future thinking as a regular practice within organizations rather than relying on occasional workshops. 👉 AI is transforming future prototyping by accelerating the process and providing a larger perspective for creative explorations. 👉 To stay ahead of disruption through continuous improvement, it’s important for organizations also to involve diverse perspectives. 👉 Design Fiction can go beyond product and service prototypes to also reimagine organizations themselves. Topics /chapters (00:00) Understanding Design Fiction - intro (00:53) Fabien Girardin and Nicolas Nova Introduction (02:17) Introduction to Design Fiction (06:12) Changes of Design Fiction over the decades (10:56) Methods in deploying Design Fiction (15:36) Being “Diagetic” (18:27) Use Cases, Competitive Advantage, and Motivations for Design Fiction (21:03) Operationalizing Design Fiction Capabilities (27:05) What’s the hard part in adopting Design Fiction (30:56) AI in Design Fiction (37:09) The Implications of Design Fiction (41:52) Future of Design Fiction (45:00) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/Girardin-Nova Episode recorded on Oct 01, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#106 Keeping Humans in the Loop: The Key to Successful AI Integration with Philippe De Ridder 53:51

41 weeks ago53:51

53:51

Philippe De Ridder, co-founder and CEO of Boards of Innovation joins us for a conversation on the Autonomous Age and the Age of Creative AI. In this episode, he discusses his popular opinions on how AI will enable unprecedented productivity gains across industries and impact all business arenas, starting from knowledge work. He also shares his perspectives on the fusion of AI and human creativity and how organizations can leverage it to redefine workflows, product development, customer research and overall business strategies. We explore how yesterday’s creator will become tomorrow’s curator and why it is essential always to keep humans at the core -- especially with AI innovation. As a popular innovation consultant, Philippe is a veteran who has worked with both Fortune 500 companies and agile startups, helping them craft bold strategies for the future. In the episode, he challenges us to think about how innovation, often heralded as a core human endeavor, is increasingly being automated. From using AI to generate product ideas to testing them with synthetic consumers, he highlights the shift towards real-time innovation and its impact on markets and organizations. Talking about how AI is reshaping decision-making in innovation and across various business functions, he highlights the importance of adopting a "future-back" approach, where companies envision their role in a radically changed world and work backward to integrate necessary capabilities today. As leaders face several societal implications and tough decisions due to the increasing integration of AI across the organization, this episode can serve as a backbone upon which they can strategize. Tune in, as this episode will stretch your idea of what AI can achieve already today in your organization. Simply mind blowing. Key Highlights 👉 Innovation, often considered a highly human-driven process, can now be automated mainly with AI, from generating product ideas to testing them with synthetic consumers in real-time. 👉 AI-driven tools enable rapid product development, drastically reducing timelines from months to minutes, allowing organizations to innovate continuously. 👉 In the future, leadership will need to navigate a world where not just teams but even products operate autonomously, requiring a shift in how control and strategy are managed. 👉 Organizational structures must evolve, as traditional, siloed departments will struggle to adapt to a world where processes and decisions happen almost instantly. 👉 The role of humans is shifting from creators to curators, as AI becomes more involved in decision-making. 👉 As AI revolutionizes business functions, companies must move beyond efficiency gains and focus on reimagining their workflows and operating models from the ground up. Topics /chapters (00:00) Keeping Humans in the Loop: The Key to Successful AI Integration - intro (00:58) Philippe De Ridder Introduction (02:14) Can Innovation be automated? (11:23) AI in Qualitative Research (14:28) Autonomous AI integrating in Organizations (22:19) AI Systems guiding Organizational Strategy (33:25) Autonomous Functions and the Age of Abundance (38:23) Consumer Participation in Autonomous Products (41:55) Socio-Technical Impact (47:54) Perception of Value Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/ridder-philippe Episode recorded on Sep 12, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#105 – Understanding why the Company is the Product with John Cutler 55:38

43 weeks ago55:38

55:38

John Cutler, a veteran thought leader and practitioner in product management, joins us for the first episode of Season 6 of the Boundaryless Conversations podcast. John is popularly known for his work on product development, collaboration, and systems thinking, and has worked with some of the most advanced product-centric organizations like Toast, Amplitude, and Zendesk. Based on his wealth of experience, John runs a thought-provoking newsletter, “The Beautiful Mess”, where he shares deep insights and revolutionary ideas in product and organizational development. During this podcast, we touched on how a founder’s belief systems shape product strategies and organizational structures, the differences between single-product versus multi-product companies, and how it’s important to consider the various frames through which one designs an organization’s dynamics. John also covers the implications of rapid growth versus maturity in organizations and how technology, particularly AI, is reshaping product and organizational thinking. Throughout the conversation listeners will also get some special nuggets on what he looks for, when he first meets with leaders and entrepreneurs and this shapes the work in the related organizational context. This episode - one of the best ones yet - is full of insights on the challenges faced by organizations as they scale, and it’s a precious reminder to avoid being elitist in driving organizational change. Tune in for a rich discussion and don’t miss out on the shifting paradigms in organizational structure and product leadership. Key Highlights 👉 Successful product management requires navigating diverse leadership belief systems and adapting to organizational messiness. 👉 In organizational design, we often get stuck in certain perspectives, such as treating teams like architecture. To build a better organization, it’s crucial to challenge these and explore different frames—such as the political or community dynamics. 👉During rapid growth, efficiency often takes a backseat to speed. As companies plateau, introducing standardization and modularization becomes essential for achieving agility. 👉AI can remove cognitive limitations, enabling teams to recontextualize data and serve customers in a more personalized manner, thus breaking traditional barriers in product management. 👉Autonomy must come with accountability to ensure teams remain aligned with organizational goals. 👉In B2B SaaS companies, it's important to shift from viewing individual features as separate products and understand that the entire company is the product. Topics /chapters (00:00) Understanding why the Company is the Product - Intro (00:40) The Beautiful Mess (01:57) Onboarding Entrepreneurs (11:15) Managing Organizational Messiness (23:09) Alignment in a broad portfolio (30:25) Where do you start designing an organization? (39:56) Modulating a customer-centric approach (44:09) Tech Impact on Organizational Design (50:53) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/cutler-john Episode recorded on Sep 6, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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Trailer: The Boundaryless Conversations Podcast Season 6 is coming up! 0:58

45 weeks ago0:58

0:58

We want to invite you to listen to our show, the Boundaryless Conversations Podcast, on its upcoming Season 6. On this podcast, tech insights meet deep dives into geopolitics, culture, and policymaking, exploring the fabric of tomorrow's world. Here you can listen to stories from people at the forefront of innovative product and platform development and learn about building resilient and adaptive organizations that can stay ahead through change. The Boundaryless Conversations Podcast will help you stay informed, avoid echo chambers, and be the change-maker in your organization. The new series of the podcast is coming up on October 1st. Subscribe to our channel on Youtube @Boundaryless-pdt-3eo and drop us a review In the meantime, remember to think Boundaryless!…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#104 - Season 5 Wrap-Up: Thinking and Doing Inside and Beyond the Platform 23:06

1 year ago23:06

23:06

We reviewed all the 20 episodes from Season 5, and shared some much needed look back and key highlights. While the learnings are an abundant treasure trove, we handpicked a few and categorized them into 4 sections: Dystopian aspects of current socio-technological trends with Sangeet Paul Choudary, James Currier, John Robb and Jeremiah Owyang Visions that resist the dominance of powerful technological forces with Alex Komoroske, Kelly Sarabyn and Scott Brinker, Jesse Walden , Jason Fried and Arvind Gupta Doctrine and organizing for a multiplicity of teams and products with Craig Strong, Teresa Torres, Charles Betz, Susanne Kaiser and Cliff Berg Visionary perspectives that think beyond the rules and push boundaries with Yolanda Martin, João Rosa and Trond Hjorteland, Indy Johar, Milica Begovic and Giulio Quaggiotto, Mark Lambertz and Amber Case This wrap-up is a quick look back into what happened all season, and will give you a peek what to expect for the next one. We hope that these episodes have brought you value in re-imagining ecosystems as you know it, and trust that you will continue to support us in the seasons to come. Topics /chapters (00:00) Season 5 Wrap-Up - Intro (00:43) Dystopian aspects of current socio-technological trends (05:11) Visions that resist the dominance of powerful technological forces (10:52) Doctrine and organizing for a multiplicity of teams and products (15:41) Visionary perspectives that think beyond the rules and push boundaries (22:50) What's Next: Embrace a Boundaryless Future Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/season5-wrap-up Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#103 - Funding Ventures through the GenAI Age with James Currier 44:41

1 year ago44:41

44:41

James Currier, co-founder of NFX and veteran venture capitalist, joins us as our final guest for Season 5 of the Boundaryless Conversations podcast. In this gripping discussion, we go through the current and future states of Venture Capital and startups, the role and impacts that AI will have in these ecosystems, and the incumbents' seemingly dominating position in this market. James takes us through NFX’s investment strategy and breaks down what it means to be living in a world of AI omnipresence. He covers how AI impacts investment size and deals and shares key ideas about integrating startup solutions into the customer’s workflow as a key defensibility - and thus value - driver. Tune in for fascinating and deep insights into the future of ventures. Currier is a five-time Founder and an angel investor in companies such as DoorDash, Lyft, and Patreon. Before becoming an investor, he co-founded Tickle, one of the internet’s first successful user-generated companies. With his deep understanding of the mechanisms driving innovation and growth in the tech industry and his passion for mentoring founders, he shares a wealth of knowledge on this podcast episode. One of the key elements of our conversation is the significant advantages that incumbents hold in the future of markets impacted by AI in various industries. He touches upon some tried and tested strategies that help startups create sustainable competitive advantages, whether they operate in traditional or emerging industries. James also shares his thoughts on the risks and opportunities of emerging markets such as China and India. This episode is really packed with strategic insights. Key Highlights 👉 AI is not a revolutionary new platform but a powerful addition to existing technologies, driving productivity and creativity. 👉 If incumbents leverage their established infrastructures and resources, they have a significant upper hand in the AI race. 👉 Incumbents are likely to capture a much greater share of the AI-driven market than they did during the mobile revolution. 👉 True defensibility of a startup lies in embedding products into customer workflows and creating network effects rather than relying on intellectual property. 👉 The future of venture capital is shifting towards smaller and more frequent exits rather than billion-dollar unicorns, challenging traditional investment models. 👉 A government’s increased involvement in tech industries could potentially stifle innovation, leading to slower progress and bureaucratic challenges for startups. 👉 Looking beyond the glamour of being a startup founder or a VC is realizing that it involves a significant emotional and financial sacrifice. Topics /chapters (00:00) Funding Ventures through the GenAI Age - Intro (00:59) Introducing James Currier (06:10) Protagonists of the Investment Market (09:38) AI impacting the consumer and business landscape (12:52) What’s the Investment Strategy for AI companies? (18:47) The Consumer Side (24:07) Changes in incumbents (26:38) Global Transitions in VC Investments (32:10) Invariant Heuristics in a company’s fund-raising capability (41:55) Breadcrumbs from James Currier Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/currier-james Episode recorded on May 10, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#102 - Decoding the Viable System Model with Mark Lambertz 52:10

1 year ago52:10

52:10

“Viable System Model” expert Mark Lambertz joins us on today’s podcast to help us unfold organizing in complex ecosystems. Mark, a long-time Agile practitioner and a renowned expert on the Viable System Model has a deep understanding and a curious mindset toward all things organizing. We met Mark as an Organizational Coach at Bosch, where he’s driving the adoption of key concepts of the VSM. From his extensive experience, Mark has helped us understand how to use the VSM lens to build autonomous and self-sustaining organizational systems. He takes us through the model’s components and practical applications and compares it with other organizational frameworks that we use widely, more specifically, Boundaryless’ Rendanheyi-inspired implementation of the Platform Organization with the 3EO Framework. The conversation - where we discover a lot of resonance between the two perspectives - is filled with valuable insights from the ground and helps you move towards a more inclusive model that balances operational efficiency with strategic adaptability. Tune in, and don’t miss out. As one of the first attempts to use cybernetics in organizational management, the Viable System Model was conceived by Stafford Beer in his book - “The Brain of the Firm” in the 70s. Mark connects the dots in this podcast and explains why cybernetics is important for building adaptive organizations. The podcast highlights the importance of viewing organizations as adaptive, complex ecosystems emphasizing decentralization, coordination, and collective and emergent strategic planning. He takes us through the depths of VSM, explaining how it starts with an outside-in perspective, focusing on the environment, and then further breaks down the 5 systems within VSM. In this conversation, you get practical insights into incorporating a VSM informed perspective in your organization, helping you stay dynamic and ever-evolving. Key Highlights 👉 The Viable System Model (VSM) is crucial for understanding and designing organizations that sustain themselves through complex environments. 👉 VSM emphasizes starting with an outside-in perspective, focusing on the environment, customers, and markets first. 👉 VSM incorporates a form of hierarchy based on responsibility and inclusiveness, aiming to preserve the whole while allowing for local interests and self-organization. 👉 VSM includes five key systems to ensure organizational adaptability: operational units, value production, tactical management, future planning, and organizational identity. 👉 VSM has a fractal nature meaning each operational unit contains its systems, mirroring the larger organizational structure. 👉 The Rendanheyi/3EO model complements VSM by emphasizing decentralized decision-making and enabling constraints. 👉 The future of organizational design is evolving, with an increasing emphasis on creativity, optionality, and diversity. Topics /chapters (00:00) Decoding Viable System Model - Intro (01:27) Introducing Mark and VSM (13:12) Hierarchies and Structures in VSM (16:13) Fractal Structure of VSM (22:12) Orchestrating the organization, market, and VSM (27:20) Culminating learnings from VSM, Rendanheyi, and 3EO (39:46) Using the VSM Framework (44:09) Coming of Age of Organizational Design and Development (47:45) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/mark-lambertz Episode recorded on May 10, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠ Website: ⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#101 - Navigating Platform Transitions with Yolanda Martin 52:35

1 year ago52:35

52:35

Yolanda Martin Olivas, Global VP of Design, ClearScore, joins us on this episode to talk about the challenges and strategies involved in building platform capabilities within organizations. From her experience of building platforms at companies like Farfetch, Hearst, Canonical, Kaluza, and ClearScore etc., she takes us through the realities (sometimes difficult) of what it’s like to enable platform transformation and growth. She argues for organizations to rethink the “growing through acquisition” approach while reiterating the need to focus on a strong infrastructure layer. As a passionate learner, practitioner, and enabler of platform design; Yolanda is one to take tune into. Being one of the earliest learners of the Platform Design Toolkit, Yolanda has been a staunch practitioner of the platform business model and has played a pivotal role in enabling it in several organizations. In this episode, we talk about organizational motivations to shift towards platform design models, primarily driven by the need for economies of scale and new growth opportunities, and why focusing on your “why” is important. From her experience as a Design Director, she further shares practical advice on fostering a broader ecosystem perspective among design teams. She underscores the need for strong leadership commitment to enable this. In this conversation we get insights into what made organizations “make it or break it”, so tune in, and get ahead of the curve. Key Highlights 👉 Building platform capabilities is complex, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. Organizations, need to make a special commitment to platform design and implement exclusive strategies targeted toward this, not simply extending their existing practices. 👉 Successful platform transitions often start with integrating internal operations before enabling it to external partners. 👉 Design leaders play a crucial role in guiding organizations through platform transitions by fostering a broader, ecosystem-wide perspective; which does not look at design problems in a silo, but as a cog in a larger ecosystem. 👉 The lack of a mature platform infrastructure can make growth efforts expensive and inefficient. 👉 There is a high risk in prematurely diverting investment from platform infrastructure to other growth avenues, such as acquiring and creating brands. 👉 Effective platform transitions require targeted education and training for different parts of the organization, tailored to their involvement in the platform’s development stages. Topics /chapters (00:00) Navigating Platform Transitions - Intro (00:58) Introducing Yolanda Martin (02:50) Building platform capabilities inside organizations? (11:05) Adapting to platformization changes (15:55) Design Leadership for Platformization (20:53) Stories of Transition (27:23) What did not work for Farfetch platform? (32:35) Building or Buying the Ecosystem? (37:05) Looking beyond User-Centered-Design (43:34) What helps the organization re-arrange? (48:19) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/yolanda-martin Episode recorded on March 20, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#100 - Learning Centered Organizations for the 21st Century with Indy Johar 58:03

1 year ago58:03

58:03

Indy Johar, Mission Steward of Dark Matter Labs, joins the podcast to help us rethink how we organize ourselves and our systems, addressing inadequacies of traditional business models that are no longer sufficient for managing complexities. Bringing light to how “risk management should be localized, with decision-making power and accountability being as close to the problem as possible,” Indy argues for an organization that encourages participants to be citizens rather than employees and fosters continuous and accountable learning among individuals. Tune into this episode and learn from Indy, a veteran in building mission-driven organizations, who has always stayed ahead of the curve. Indy - who joins the podcast for the 3rd time - besides stewarding the mission at Dark has also recently joined RMIT University, teaching no less than “Planetary Civics”, a testament to his influence in the space of social innovation. As always, Indy comes with a profound understanding of designing complex organizations for the 21st century, from his hands-on experience in creating radical innovations in governance, architecture, and social systems, particularly in sustainability and collaborative economy. He starts the podcast with philosophical considerations about the nature of complex organizations and then highlights the need for a radical shift toward a learning-centered organization. In the conversation, we question the traditional metrics of productivity and value, and further advocate for new metrics that account for collective intelligence and systemic contributions rather than individual output. There was no better way to celebrate our 100th episode because this one is a landmark. Grab a notepad and pick a pen, because there’s much to pin down. Key Highlights 👉 Organizational structures in a complex world, and a shift from command-and-control to systemic learning and adaptability. 👉 Decentralized risk management and the need to localize decision-making to enhance responsiveness and effectiveness. 👉 Dark Matter Labs' mission-driven approach, emphasizing partnerships over traditional consultancy to enable sustainable change. 👉 Need for a paradigm shift in how value is defined and measured within organizations, moving towards incorporating multi-dimensional success indicators. 👉Redefining organizational roles to encourage craft and citizenship, where individuals contribute to the organization's decision-making processes. 👉 Rethinking legal structures governing organizations, moving towards frameworks that support distributed risk and empower collective action. Topics /chapters (00:00) Learning Centered Organizations for the 21st Century - Intro (01:40) Introducing Indy Johar (10:31) Value of Learning as a Strategic Advantage (14:41) Accelerating Learning and Modifying Organizational Agendas (19:23) Structure in a post-managerial economy (24:46) The Design of Dark Matter Labs (34:50) Citizenship inside Organizations (42:25) Citizen or Employee? (47:56) Money making machine to avenues of value (55:47) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/indy-johar-2 Episode recorded on March 19, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#99 - The State of Platforms in 2024 with Kelly Sarabyn and Scott Brinker 55:54

1 year ago55:54

55:54

Kelly Sarabyn and Scott Brinker from HubSpot take us through their latest report on the State of Platforms in 2024. HubSpot has always considered industry education as central to developing its business and brand, and - in combination with some of its partners - released this great report earlier this year. The report profoundly covers how firms now adopt platform strategies to thrive in a digital economy ranging from app ecosystems to services marketplaces. Having spearheaded this, Kelly and Scott shared some insider information with us. During the conversation, they highlight the evolution of platforms, from mere technical infrastructures to complex ecosystems, and then further delve into how understanding the intricacies of platform models is crucial for tech companies and all businesses looking to leverage the interconnected nature of modern markets. Some of our ardent followers will know that this is the 2nd time we have Scott, Vice President of Platform Ecosystem, at HubSpot. Kelly, instead, works as a Platform Ecosystem Advocate, at the same company. We are thrilled that they wanted to share the key learnings from co-authoring the “State of Platforms 2024” report - a tremendous piece of work that examines the evolving dynamics of the platform businesses, with a keen focus on the B2B SaaS industry. In the conversation we explored the implications of evolving platforms for business strategy and operations, emphasizing the necessity for companies to continuously adapt and leverage these opportunities effectively, regardless of the role and business model. Our guests further touch upon how companies need to modulate around proliferation and nichification, integrations across sectors, and even look into these retributions' ethical and social aspects from a community-building perspective. Key Highlights 👉 Deep Dive into B2B SaaS Platforms by analyzing the top 50 SaaS companies’ adoption of platform business models. 👉 Integration as a critical strategy for enhancing user experience and the platform's value proposition. 👉Industries that have fallen short in their platform game, and where their future is headed. 👉The challenges with outsourcing integration, and why the quality of integration makes or breaks your product’s market fit. 👉The platform industry as a continuously evolving ecosystem, and its implications on business. 👉How companies need to adapt their structure to support platform models. 👉Analysis of the broader implications of platform strategies on society and ethical considerations in platform management. 👉The potential of using ecosystems as a distribution strategy, and why even non-tech companies should consider integrating digital services into their offerings. Topics /chapters (00:00) The State of Platforms in 2024 - intro (00:58) Introducing Kelly Sarabyn and Scott Brinker (01:58) State of Platforms Report 2024 (10:09) Patterns of Platforms in 2024 (13:19) Outdated Metrics and Practices of Platforms (16:10) Who should be thinking about Platforms today? (20:24) Being a part of ecosystems as a distribution strategy (23:57) Organization Structures Designed for Platforms (27:31) Who should understand platforms in your organization? (33:15) Proliferation and Nichification (38:43) What is the key to unlock the future? (45:17) Transformation in the Services Ecosystems (51:29) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/kelly-scott Episode recorded on August 7, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#98 - Sandwich Economics: a New Era of Competition with Sangeet Paul Choudary 1:04:08

1 year ago1:04:08

1:04:08

We have a three-time returning guest on the podcast today, Sangeet Paul Choudary - certainly one of the most influential minds in the world of modern business. Sangeet, an advisor and best-selling author, known for his work on platform economics and network effects, joins us to take us through the next era of competition in business: Sandwich Economics. He speaks on the principles of the new phenomenon and shares insights into how organizations are now increasingly "sandwiching" markets vigorously consolidating profits and power. As this happens, Sangeet argues, it’s not always a driver of quality improvement in services and products. Sangeet’s episodes are always packed with insights on the future, and this conversation is no different - in the closing, we even walk through AI agents, AGI, societal and ethical considerations, and much more. Tune in, this is not an episode to miss. As our close followers and general practitioners of Platform Ecosystems know, Sangeet is not only one of the most distinguished thought leaders, renowned for his pioneering work on platform economics but also someone who can spot the intricacies of the impacts that such phenomena have on society. He has authored two bestselling books, "Platform Scale" and "Platform Revolution," and comes with over a decade of expertise in advising global firms and governments on crafting effective platform strategies through his organization, “Platformation Labs”. Sangeet always has golden insights, and this episode is packed with them. He takes us through the new term he coined to describe dangerous market dynamics that key players use to “sandwich” value across multiple layers of value chains and grounds them on examples from various industries. He further challenges conventional thinking and brings fresh perspectives on the ongoing dynamism and complexity of the market. Key Highlights 👉 Transition from platform-based business models to Sandwich Economics 👉 Dominating multiple layers of the value chain, transforming competition and power dynamics in digital markets through Sandwich Economics. 👉 Case studies on organizations that implemented Sandwich Economics: Reliance's strategic maneuvers in India, and Amazon’s creation of their own value assets. 👉Difference between vertical integration and sandwich economics - and the importance of dominating horizontal layers at an industry scale for capturing profits and exerting control. 👉 Broader societal implications of shifting economic models, and the role of digital transformation in redefining value creation, capture, and distribution. 👉 The emergence of Artificial General Intelligence, and how it makes digital economics, organizational structures, and the essence of competition even more complex. 👉 Leadership methods (decentralized/ centralized) in an era of Sandwich Economics Contrary. Topics /chapters (00:00) Sandwich Economics: a New Era of Competition - Intro (00:58) Introducing Sangeet (02:23) All things Sandwich Economics (10:26) Why is Sandwich Economics different from Vertical Integration? (18:17) New Ways of Competing (24:08) Playbook of Sandwich Economics and how is it different from enshittification? (38:28) What are the antibodies? (46:14) Where’s this evolving to? (49:45) The emergence of AGI and the shape of markets (55:41) Value Creation vs. Value Capture Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/sangeet-choudary-3/ Episode recorded on August 7, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠…

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#97 - R.I.P. Agile, Long Live Agile 2 with Cliff Berg 58:49

1 year ago58:49

58:49

On today’s podcast, we host someone who - has been at the forefront of the Agile revolution, and, at the same time, became one of Agile movement's most vocal critics, to the extent, that he dared to say: “R.I.P Agile”. Cliff Berg, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Agile 2 Academy, and a leading figure in Agile and DevOps advising joins our podcast bringing his fresh perspectives on the decline of Agile. He also gives us a peek into the story of a book he recently co-authored, ‘Agile 2: The Next Iteration of Agile’. Cliff takes us through what it means to re-imagine organizational practices and challenges the conventional framework-oriented approach, that often needs more contextualization and grounded action-based research. Join us, as we discuss balancing leadership and self-organizing, and explore pragmatic approaches to operating successful businesses with agility and accountability. This episode goes through a journey - we talk about Cliff’s viral post on the demise of Agile, and what he and a team of co-authors have done to consciously course-correct it, and publish a whole set of new ideas on how to approach Agile with a more contemporary and less ideological stance: Agile 2. Cliff dismisses the narrative of “You don’t need managers”, and challenges why it’s important to reel our thoughts back in when it comes to decentralization of organizations. He lays it out as it is: structure is not a bad thing per se, and the conversation goes through healthy ways of administering structure in organizations. Tune in, if you’re interested in non-ideological ways to embrace agile practices, mixed with some of Boundaryless's staple topics: building optionality, entrepreneurial organizations that go big with skin in the game, and more. Key Highlights 👉 Critical intersection between human behavior and technology, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of our digital coexistence. 👉 Calm Technology as an essential way to creating designs that respect human attention without overwhelming users. 👉Building tools that help users focus on the task and not the tool. 👉 Complexities of governance in technological and organizational contexts, with a focus on the potentials and pitfalls of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). 👉 Ways to bring a shift towards innovations that serve humanity and contribute to a more equitable future. 👉 Developing a questioning mindset for driving meaningful technological advancements. Topics /chapters (00:00) R.I.P. Agile, Long Live Agile 2 - Intro (02:09) The transition from Agile 1.0 to Agile 2.0 (10:36) Solving Limitations of Agile 1.0 (18:26) Frameworks as a means to an end (31:23) Increasing Optionality and Designing for Problem Solving (38:16) Finding a Balance in Beauraucracy (44:43) The transformation that sticks Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/cliff-berg/ Episode recorded on February 23, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠…

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#96 - Building Calm Technology and Organizations with Amber Case 1:06:19

1 year ago1:06:19

1:06:19

We rarely (if ever) get to host a cyborg anthropologist on our podcast, so we are thrilled to have Amber Case join us as a special guest for this episode. Amber, who works at the intersection of human and technology interactions, shares her journey into envisioning what a calm technology is. Calm Technology is a design philosophy that advocates for technology to integrate into our lives, enhancing our ability to focus rather than distracting us. She takes us through everyday objects that have been designed this way and leaves us challenging what’s really “transparent technology”? We stretch the boundaries to include a conversation on organizations and governance: a leading thread is that of keeping asking questions and not drinking the kool-aid of truthiness in how we think about tech and organizing. Tune in to this provocation that leaps into the future of technology, its impact on society, and how you can navigate these landscapes with mindful intent. This podcast started on a personal note - Amber shared her experience being a child of engineers, and also having early exposure to the natural world - both of which she believes set the precedence for what she does today. She takes us through a wealth of experience she gained in her multifaceted career - having been a renowned book author, TED speaker, serial startup founder, advisor, co-founder of DAOs, Research Director at the Meta Governance Project, and most recently the founder of the Calm Tech Institute. Amber advocates for a future where technology "gets out of your way and lets you live your life."This episode will elicit new questions for you and your career. This episode has been occasionally recorded as “sound only”. Key Highlights 👉 Critical intersection between human behavior and technology, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of our digital coexistence. 👉 Calm Technology as an essential way to creating designs that respect human attention without overwhelming users. 👉Building tools that help users focus on the task and not the tool. 👉 Complexities of governance in technological and organizational contexts, with a focus on the potentials and pitfalls of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). 👉 Ways to bring a shift towards innovations that serve humanity and contribute to a more equitable future. 👉 Developing a questioning mindset for driving meaningful technological advancements. Topics /chapters (00:00) Building Calm Technology and Organizations - Intro (02:09) The start of a cyborg anthropologist (11:19) What happens as Technology fades into the background/ disappears? (19:55) Technology as facilitator vs. distractor (31:06) How to limit and grow technology (48:53) Organizations shaping itself to build better technology (59:37) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/Amber-Case/ Episode recorded on February 22, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#95 - Avoiding the Agile Bureaucracy with Rosa and Hjorteland 1:02:16

1 year ago1:02:16

1:02:16

In today’s episode, we are joined by João Rosa and Trond Hjorteland, two organizational consultants with a unique point of view, who take us through the depth of Open Systems Theory, and what it means to be socio-technical practitioners, passionate about transitioning democratic organizations to fast-flowing operational models. With many years of experience in large and complex contexts, they delve into what it means to create a collaborative and democratic organization, and how to balance mission, business outcomes, and cognitive load. Join us on this episode, as we debate the role of “purpose”, entrepreneurship, and autonomy and learn how to avoid the creation of agile bureaucracies. Tune in, and get inspired. In the conversation with Rosa and Hjorteland we started from an original question that Simone threw out at a small conference recently: how do we avoid building Agile Bureaucracies? What does it mean to develop a business that achieves agility without having to exert total control on flows and processes? With increasingly complex and dynamic environments, it becomes pivotal for organizations to recognize and adapt to change, if not stay ahead of it and rigidities are more than dangerous - even the cultural ones. Emphasizing learnings from different methodologies like Open Systems Theory, Domain Driven Design, and Team Topologies; our guests advocate a team-centered, and democratic approach over industrial and hierarchical practices. A unique episode to look out for. Tune in. Key Highlights 👉 Evolving socio-technical systems to enhance organizational resilience against complexity and unpredictability. 👉 Integrating agile practices, Open System Theory, and collaborative sense-making to navigate complex organizational challenges. 👉 Participatory culture for enabling team autonomy and fostering ownership practices. 👉 Balancing strategic focus with adaptability, by leveraging external technologies for organizational evolution. 👉 The role of Team Topologies in creating effective communication and collaboration structures within organizations. 👉 Encouraging the shift towards a micro-entrepreneurial mindset within teams to promote innovation and autonomy. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Avoiding the Agile Bureaucracy with Rosa and Hjorteland (00:59) Guests Introduction (02:37) Status Quo: Socio-Technical Systems (10:38) Aligning organizational design and business outcomes (20:52) Enabling entrepreneurship and building optionality (39:25) Disruptions in Industrial Organization Thinking (50:28) Theory of Organizations for a Complex World (58:40) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/Rosa-Hjorteland/ Episode recorded on February 6, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#94 - Susanne Kaiser on Building the Right Things (& Building Things Right) 54:04

1 year ago54:04

54:04

An independent tech consultant with over 20 years, Susanne Kaiser joins the podcast and shares her insights on what makes a robust socio-technical system. Integrating takeaways from different approaches like Wardley Mapping, Domain Driven Design, and Team topologies, she helps the listeners understand how to mold systems into ones that are adaptable to change, how to invest in the right things, and how to avoid wasting resources on things that do not make a competitive advantage. We further touch upon topics like building in bounded contexts and unbundling the right way. This episode has an ocean of information, which can help listeners achieve better strategic awareness of their company, products, and initiatives. Grab a coffee cup and a notebook and listen. In this episode, Susanne takes us through what it means to operate a business with a strategic perspective. An organization’s evolutionary journey goes through high levels of change and uncertainty. With insights on bounded contexts and evolution, Susanne takes us through how you can enforce modularity and cohesion among the different parts of the system, to deal with such a journey. With significant experience working as a consultant in the software development world, Susanne shares real-world examples of how organizations can create architecture and team structures that are dynamic and play to an organization's competitive advantage. Key Highlights 👉 A holistic approach to building adaptive socio-technical systems optimized for rapid change 👉 Integration of business strategy, software design, and team organization methodologies such as Wardley mapping, Domain-Driven Design, and Team Topologies. 👉 Organizing strategic investment in core domains to maintain competitive advantage while leveraging off-the-shelf solutions for generic/peripheral subdomains. 👉 Identifty bounded contexts for enabling modularity and cohesion in software systems, supporting faster adaptation to change. 👉 Insights on cultural shifts within organizations, promoting autonomy, trust, and a micro-entrepreneurial mindset. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Susanne Kaiser on Building the Right Things (& Building Things Right) (01:22) Bridging three methodologies for Holistic Socio-Technical Systems (16:19) Looking into Domain Driven Design (24:32) What are Bounded Contexts? How do they play out for products and portfolios? (35:35) Unbundling for a functional model/ Unbundling the right way (41:20) Integrators & Competitive Advantages (49:12) Closing Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/susanne-kaiser/ Episode recorded on December 29, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#93 - Beyond the Code: Jeremiah Owyang on the New Era of AI 48:37

1 year ago48:37

48:37

Jeremiah Owyang, a veteran with a vantage point of Silicon Valley and current General Partner at Blitzscaling Ventures joins us for the second time on the podcast. While he is now working on identifying and nurturing AI startups, this episode reflects his art of captivating audiences. He takes us through the exponential growth of AI startups, its implications on creativity, health, wellness, and productivity, the ethical considerations surrounding its adoption, and the potential of AI to democratize professional skills. We even touch upon what’s next with AI in this thought-provoking discussion, so tune in and get listening into the future. In this episode, Owyang demystifies complex technologies - a skill that has made him a sought-after speaker, capable of creating context and setting standards for the adoption of advanced technologies in Business, globally. Jeremiah takes us on a journey from the inception of predictive AI to the emergence of ChatGPT the moment it was made ubiquitous. This episode is special since we go beyond the technology - through the socio-economic impacts of AI - with a bonus live demo of scenario-based voice interaction with an AI. This episode is a deep dive into the future of AI and the sheer power of its technology from one of Silicon Valley's most influential voices. Don’t miss out. Key Highlights 👉 AI's role in reshaping creativity and digital content, with digital influencers. 👉 Democratization of AI technology beyond the Silicon Valley - its global adoption. 👉Addressing the balance between technological advancement and the preservation of human values and rights, with Ethical AI. 👉 Consumer interaction with AI, and what the future will hold - mobile-first or wearables? 👉 A step towards artificial general intelligence (AGI) - The emergence of AI agents as autonomous systems enhancing personal and professional productivity. 👉 The role of AI in health, creating accessibility, affordability, and overall improvement in general wellness. 👉 Harnessing AI for Global Betterment - elevating health and education, paralleling the Industrial Revolution's transformation; akin to trading human cognitive efforts for computational prowess. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Beyond the Code: Jeremiah Owyang on the New Era of AI (02:29) Picture of the white-hote core of AI (12:27) AI’s Creativity and Human Creativity (18:51) Monetizing the future of AI (27:46) Authenticity of AI (39:01) AI and it’s human implications (43:07) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/jeremiah-owyang2 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#92 - Why Enterprise Architecture is not (just) about Technology: with Charles Betz 53:11

2 years ago53:11

53:11

Join us on this episode as we sit down with Charles Betz, a leading authority in enterprise architecture-related research. With a career dedicated to understanding how digitally enabled organizations (should) operate at scale, Charles is the VP and Research Director of Enterprise Architecture at Forrester. Tune in as he discusses the evolution of technology, the challenges faced by enterprises as they integrate digital, and the critical and evolving role of enterprise architecture in modern business. This is an all-encompassing episode featuring Charles Betz, the VP and Research Director of Enterprise Architecture at Forrester. With over two decades of experience in the field, Charles is a seasoned expert in enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and organizational strategy, making this a perfect episode for those looking to operate digitally enabled organizations, at scale. With his wealth of knowledge, Charles takes us on a journey through the historical evolution of computing, tracing the path from the early days of digital challenges to the present era of cloud computing and platform capabilities. He shares perspectives on the evolving and pivotal role of enterprise architecture, a once technical role now increasingly in charge of facilitating technology alignment with product portfolios and business goals. He introduces the concept of Outcome-Driven Architecture, emphasizing the principles of adaptability, creativity, and resilience, and prepares us as we explore together the digital landscape. Key Highlights 👉 Distinguishing hardware and software in digital technology and the unifying capabilities of computing machines. 👉 Challenges faced by enterprise architecture - the risk of bureaucracy and the need to adapt to modern platform thinking 👉 Managing multiple PNL units in organizations, and the requirement for a balance between shared governance and shared services for efficient scaling. 👉 Effective portfolio management needs to meet architectural considerations. 👉 Outcome-driven architecture for achieving higher-level values such as adaptability, creativity, and resilience through architectural capabilities. 👉Engagement models for architecture groups and their cultural values, including value, accountability, and agility. 👉 Shift from a top-down approach to a value-driven perspective in managing technology portfolios. 👉 Systematic and rational management of digital portfolios to optimize investments and minimize redundancy and sprawl. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Why Enterprise Architecture is not (just) about Technology (08:20) Balancing Business Logic, Products, and Technology (11:28) Enterprise Architecture in a Decentralized World (18:39) Creating Coherence in Constraints (34:10) Shifting Roles of Enterprise Architects (39:33) Outcome-Driven Architecture Model at Forrester (46:00) Shift from top-down to value-driven perspective (49:07) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/charles-betz Episode recorded on November 17, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

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#91 Rethinking Development: UNDP’s Journey from Projects to Portfolios 57:28

2 years ago57:28

57:28

Join us as we delve into a thought-provoking conversation with Milica Begovic and Giulio Quaggiotto, current and former Head of Strategic Innovation at the UNDP, as they shed light on how they are reshaping the approach to global development by transitioning from traditional project methods to a portfolio approach. Tune in as we unpack the need for this systemic change and recognize how deep organizational shifts are required to the complexities of today's most pressing challenges. At Boundaryless, we always believed in the power of learning from parallel avenues, and this episode with Milica Begovic and Giulio Quaggiotto sharing their experience in the development sector, is a testament to that. Milica, known for her innovative drive, and Giulio, with his extensive experience in public sector innovation, share their insights on UNDP’s recent shift from a project-based to a portfolio approach in tackling global challenges. They explore how to address systemic changes, emphasizing the importance of broadening strategies to create sustainable impacts. Taking practical examples from the ground, they discuss the role of cities in driving community-focused innovation, demonstrating the power of portfolio governance in achieving shared goals. This episode is a compelling call to action for rethinking not just development work, but also what startups and corporates alike could learn to imbibe, in an increasingly complex ecosystem. Key Highlights 👉 Embracing a complex systemic approach over a linear project approach can ensure impactful response to the unpredictable ways of nature. 👉 The quest for coherence and the need for optionality have to co-exist while addressing dynamic complexities. 👉 Organizational agility and deep structural changes are crucial to drive systemic innovation. 👉 Skin in the game through co-ownership of risks and success can lead to improved sustainability of solutions. 👉 Coherence attracts leverage when multiple independent entities come together to solve a problem, and this ensures an increase in an individual's accountability towards the outcome. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Rethinking Development: UNDP's Journey from Projects to Portfolios (01:31) Guests Introduction (02:35) Transition from Project approach to Portfolio approach (14:23) Trickling down of Optionality (19:26) Generating Outcomes in Emergence (23:57) Role of Skin in the Game (33:13) Building Narratives in a Portfolio Switch (40:30) Uptake of Portfolio Approach (44:27) Composability and Modularity in Portfolio Approaches (48:36) Arriving at common census in a fragmented world (55:58) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions (57:00) Closing episode Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/milica-giulio Episode recorded on October 18, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#90 - Enjoying Building Simple Products with Jason Fried 53:20

2 years ago53:20

53:20

We are truly honored to host Jason Fried, co-founder of 37Signals and the mastermind behind Basecamp, and Hey for one of our deepest episodes. A leading critical voice in startup culture and product design, Jason delves into challenging conventional business approaches with a focus on simplicity, enjoyment, and nimbleness. In the second part of the conversation, Jason also hints into what he calls a Post-SaaS era that he intends to kickstart with a new suite of products called Once. This is a landmark episode for us, as we're joined by Jason Fried, co-founder of 37Signals and the creative force behind Basecamp and Hey. A true critical thought leader in startup culture, product design, and organizational development, Jason shares his deep insights into the transformative power that comes from challenging traditional business norms - be it bootstrapping, subtracting, restraining, or creating shorter cycles - in a world where increasingly, “more” is considered better. As an acclaimed author of International Bestsellers - like “Rework”, “Remote” and “It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work” - Jason offers unique perspectives on customer and product strategies, intuition in decision-making, and the importance of human touch in technology. He also shares insights on 37Signal's multi-product strategies and touches on their upcoming product "Once", which promises to be the first post-SaaS product. This episode has got it all, and speaks on untouched conversations like never before. Don’t miss out. Key Highlights 👉 A deep dive into approaches that challenge traditional startup culture and product design principles - bootstrapping, subtraction, simplified metrics etc. 👉 Restraints as powerful enablers organizational strategy. 👉 A centralized product editor vs. a decentralized structure approach in an organization. 👉 Understanding the dynamics and strategies behind managing and growing a multi-product company. 👉 Short term vs. long term goals and getting buy-in from the organization. 👉 Why AI isn’t a magical duct tape, and how do you tackle leveraging AI's capabilities and preserving a product's unique identity. 👉 Understanding how friction can be either incorporated or overcome in the creative and development process. 👉 The Next in SaaS and what is “Once” building Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Enjoying Building Simple Products (03:17) Navigating constraints and restraints (10:39) Getting buy-in from your team (16:04) Being empathetic with customers (21:16) Building purpose in an organization (28:04) Modularity, Composability, and Integration (33:32) AI is a universal duct tape (38:45) Path to Multi Product (43:01) What “Once” was (and will be) (49:53) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/jason-fried Episode recorded on November 16, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠ Website: ⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#89 - Why Building On Chain: The Case for Web3 with Jesse Walden 49:29

2 years ago49:29

49:29

We talked Web3 with Jesse Walden, a true veteran in the crypto and blockchain space. All the conversation revolves around a deep question: why should we build on chain? Join us as Jesse shines a light on the path forward - and on the key outstanding questions for Web3. In this episode, we discuss the future of the internet with Jesse Walden - Founder of Variant Fund and Web3 legend. Jesse - is one the most pivotal shapers of the landscape of user-owned internet - and an early-stage crypto funding pioneer - and we are truly honored to have him speak with us. Before spearheading Variant Fund, Jesse had a notable tenure as Program Director at Crypto Startup School—one of the earliest startup accelerators in Crypto and Web3. Before this, he pioneered work at Mediachain Labs, later acquired by Spotify, which underscored his foresight in harnessing blockchain's potential. In this deep discussion, we riff with Jesse around the fundamental elements of the question: “why should we build organizations and products on the blockchain”? Among the depths discussed, he spoke to us on how crypto isn't merely about currencies but rather about owning a slice of the internet. He helps us revise the structural shifts that this technology affords: from independent digital asset ownership to the idea of complete contracts, and we stretch the surface of what’s only possible to build if we embrace this new perspective. Towards the end of the conversation, we also dive into what’s the role of venture capital in a different landscape such as that of web3. Tune in to this engaging conversation as Jesse navigates the realms of crypto, blockchain, and ownership, unveiling their profound implications for the future of the internet. Key Highlights 👉 Redefining Digital Ownership: Exploring the shift from traditional internet usage to owning a piece of the internet through blockchain and smart contracts. 👉 Complete Contracts in Web3: the importance of specifying outcomes in smart contracts amidst dynamism. 👉 New Economic Value in Web3: Bottom-up innovation in Web3, and enabling economic value creation. 👉 Rebuilding Protocols in Web3: Exploring why developers are keen on rebuilding protocols rather than building upon existing ones. 👉 Modular Components in Web3: Building extensive and valuable networks through composability and modularity. 👉 Convergence of Technologies: Exploring the intersection of blockchain computing, zero-knowledge cryptography, and AI. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Why Building On Chain: The Case for Web3 (02:04) Why should you build on blockchain? (06:55) Complete contracts versus incomplete contracts (19:37) Rebuilding a platform vs. Building atop platforms (26:47) Modularity and Monetizing Web3 (42:08) Role of AI in composing products and experiences (45:39) Breadcrumbs and closing suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/jesse-walden Recorded on November 10, 2023. Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#88 - Pioneering Digital Public Infrastructure in India with Arvind Gupta 49:54

2 years ago49:54

49:54

We discuss India's digital evolution with Arvind Gupta, exploring the country's unique approach to digital inclusion and decentralized networks. Arvind shares his experiences from academia to the key ideas behind Digital Public Infrastructure, emphasizing digital empowerment. Tune in, and discover how India's digital model is not only redefining technology as we know it, but also setting a precedent for the global landscape. In this episode, we sit down with Arvind Gupta, Head and Co-Founder of the Digital India Foundation and deep dive into India’s recent bubbling digital story. As a key shaper of the India Stack, he shared his insights on the country’s unique approach to digital inclusion, and its unwavering commitment to serving the bottom of the pyramid He reinstates India's position as the "data capital of the world" and the transformative power of data in the nation's journey and its crucial potential for empowerment.But what makes India's journey so unique? Well, India's approach has been about innovating building open networks and decentralized systems - something that we’re learning to call Digital Public Infrastructures and Arvind has been instrumental in shaping such a strategy. Arvind Gupta has held several roles, ranging from being an Adjunct Professor at IIT-BHU, to serving as the CEO of MyGov, a platform championed by PM Modi for inclusive digital governance. His writings have been featured on platforms like the Harvard Business Review and the World Economic Forum, and his accolades, such as the Eisenhower Global Fellowship for Innovation, speak volumes about his commitment to the digital realm. In this thought-provoking conversation, Arvind calls for a reimagining of the internet's original promise—to empower every individual and truly sparks a sense of deep hope. Join us for this deep dive with Arvind Gupta, as we explore the intricacies of India's digital revolution, its global implications, and the future of technology. Key Highlights 👉 India's digital stack - a deep dive into the UPI, EKYC, Aadhar etc. 👉 How India shifted from traditional models to innovative platforms for societal empowerment. 👉 How India is working towards decentralizing the internet through initiatives like ONDC, OCEN etc. 👉 How the government utilizes the digital infrastructure investment to significant economic savings and market value creation. 👉 What does it mean to be the data capital of the world? 👉 Emphasis on collaborative and open consultations for policy and technology development. 👉 The "Solve for India, Share with the World" approach towards solution building. 👉 The future - Voice Tech, Ethics and Responsibilities of AI, Non Weaponization of Technology etc. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Pioneering Digital Public Infrastructure in India (00:45) Introduction of Arvind Gupta 02:12) Overview on Digital India, policy, infrastructure (13:03) Moving up the Value Chain (21:29) Breaking down the ONDC (24:22) Governance of Data and Citizen Participation (30:36) Capability Building and Go To Market (37:33) Private Sector Reactions to Open Networks (40:04) Policy Enforcement (41:16) Future of India’s play in global ecosystems (45:50) Other Mega Trends (46:44) Crypto Ledgers (47:51) Breadcrumbs and other suggestions Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/arvind-gupta/ Episode recorded on October 17, 2023 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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#87 BeyondFrames: Living the Networked Society with John Robb 1:04:26

2 years ago1:04:26

1:04:26

John Robb, an expert in networked societies and tribal dynamics, returns to the podcast after more than three years, with some thought-challenging discussions. In this episode, Robb takes us through the inherent destructive nature of networked tribes and provides a unique perspective on our global civilizations trajectory. He touches on dissent dynamics driven by social media, the danger in the concentration of power due to the transformative effect of AI, all while resonating its impact on business and organizational operations. This is a special episode, and Robb leaves no leaf unturned. Tune in. In today's open world, managing networked politics has become increasingly complex for brands, requiring proactive measures from the outset. John Robb, a renowned author and expert in the field of global security, networked societies, and tribal dynamics, helps us unlock this and other topics on our podcast. Through popularizing concepts like "Global Guerrillas", where small, loosely connected groups use modern technology to disrupt traditional power structures; he has influenced several entrepreneurs and decision-makers with his thought-provoking insights and predictions. He discusses the importance of cultivating a corporate culture rooted in civility, introduces profound perspectives on global civilization, and even urges us to consider where we want to be in 200 years, given the limitations posed by Earth’s energy and social entropy. This podcast episode offers a deep exploration of such critical themes, providing valuable perspectives on the future of society and the influence of networks. Listen in, and join the conversation. This episode also introduces a new format: #BeyondFrames, occasional podcast episodes where we’ll extend the view beyond product and org design, to look at the context of our work and organizations Key Highlights 👉 Networked Tribes: how they affect markets and organization 👉 Importance of Early pattern recognition and intervention for managing complexity in organizations. 👉How can organizations adapt to tribes and maintain brand coherence? 👉 How to establish corporate civility and neutrality 👉AI’s impact on concentration of power, wealthand feudalization of warfare 👉The Permacrisis: how can we manage and prevent it at a societal level? 👉What is deindividualization, and how does it affect your organization? Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - BeyondFrames: Living the Networked Society (01:01) John Robb Introduction (04:01) The Last 3 years for John Robb (07:23) Structure, Culture, and Strategy (10:23) Decentralized Tribes vs. Hierarchical Corporates (16:33) Future of Organizations and the Coherence of Brands (18:53) Positivity of Network Tribes (24:57) Entropy Growth and Organizations (32:11) De-individualization and Group Dynamics (35:44) Keeping Markets Free (44:52) The Next Cycle (58:43) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions (01:03:06) Closing Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/john-robb2/ Episode recorded on January 11, 2024 Get in touch with Boundaryless: Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#86 Scaling Continuous Discovery in Product Portfolios with Teresa Torres 48:43

2 years ago48:43

48:43

We are elated to host Teresa Torres, the renowned product discovery coach behind Product Talk, on our podcast. Drawing from her vast experience, from her collaborations with industry giants like Spotify and Tesco, but also with small, nimble startup teams we discuss about implementing continuous discovery inside organizations, across teams, driven by business outcomes. Together, we explore the intricacies, challenges, and opportunities of coordinating in complex product landscapes and what it means for organizations navigating these rough waters. Teresa's insights are simple, yet profound and that makes this episode a must listen! As the mind behind Product Talk, there's arguably a handful who understand the intricacies of continuous discovery better than Teresa Torres does. Her straightforward style and work has set benchmarks in the industry of product design and development.In our conversation, we venture beyond the usual. We discuss the science of maintaining coherence in a portfolio of products, what it means to ideate within the constraints of an organization, and what are some artifacts and visualization tools that can help product development. She also shares her thoughts on the delicate balance of power, as the scales tip in the age of personal technology, highlighting what GenAI and NoCode could mean for the future of the product. With her foundational education from Stanford University and Northwestern University, combined with her hands-on experience, Teresa brings a unique blend of academic rigor and practical insights to the table. Give this episode a listen, and you are sure to walk away with points to ponder. Key Highlights 👉 Relationship between continuous discovery, and organizational structure, team structures, product design, product portfolios, scaling etc. 👉 How can cross-functional product team be empowered by the product team. 👉 Why every product needs a has a business outcome, and a revenue model formula. 👉 Balancing between what creates value for customers and the business. 👉 How do you achieve coherence and achieve coherence in complexity, when there is a portfolio of products? 👉 How can tools be used to impose enabling constraints? 👉 Shifting power to the customer with GenAI and personal technology. Topics /chapters (00:00) Intro - Scaling Continuous Discovery in Product Portfolios (00:43) Teresa Torres's Introduction (03:08) Scaling and Continuous Discovery (07:31) Accountability, P&L, and Product Centric Organizations (09:57) Managing coherence in portfolio of products (16:27) Coordinating in Complexity (19:26) Artifacts and Visualizations (23:01) Ideation within constraints (29:24) Product Expansions in startups (37:41) Shift of Power from Product Teams to the Consumer // Personal Technology (41:51) Navigating customer focus in a world of GenAI (45:25) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions (48:06) Closing Notes Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/teresa-torres Episode recorded on October 2, 2023. Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://boundaryless.io/contacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blss.io/Podcast-Music⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#85 Product-Centric Organizations (Portfolios, Taxonomies) with Craig Strong 54:55

2 years ago54:55

54:55

In this episode, we explore what a product-centric organization looks like, with our guest Craig Strong. Sharing his experience as a Global Practice Leader at AWS (Amazon Web Services) and seasoned Chief Technology & Product Officer, he helps us dive deeper into the nuances of adopting organizational designs, cultures, and practices that cater to product-customer centricity. A true product operating model specialist, he has helped countless startups and enterprises modernize and evolve to become more customer-centric. From bio-mimicry to hands-on experience, learn what inspires him every day to design some of the most robust and adopted organization structures in the world. This podcast is just not one to miss! In this insightful episode, Craig Strong, co-author of "The Lean Product Lifecycle," explores the future of product-centric organizations. With over 18 years in the tech industry, Craig has worked with startups, SMEs, and global enterprises, guiding them through growth and transformation. Craig shares profound insights on this podcast, emphasizing the importance of life cycles in product development and the dangers of prescribing defined frameworks. We dive into the significance of asking timely questions, what questions to ask, and the necessity of flexible frameworks that cater to the emergent needs of complex organizations. He touches upon his concept of viewing taxonomies and ontologies as products, and so much more. As a Forbes Technology Council member and co-author of "The Lean Product Lifecycle," Craig provides a blend of theoretical and practical insights on this podcast. This episode is a must-listen for those seeking clarity and inspiration in product operations and organizational design. Tune in for a highly engaging discussion with Craig Strong! Key Highlights 👉 Importance of timely contextualization, innovation, and autonomy in ideas. 👉 Relevance of incremental governance. 👉 Removal of “Rigidity of Frameworks.” 👉 Creating a balance between heuristics and cultural tenets of an organization. 👉 Complete breakdown of product taxonomies - its necessity, importance, design structure, etc. 👉 How to build collective intelligence in organizations. 👉 How to use visualization tools for imagining and executing dynamic organization design. Topics / chapters (00:00) Intro - Product-Centric Organizations (Portfolios, Taxonomies) (00:57) Introducing Craig Strong (07:12) Key Tenets and Artifacts of Product-Centric Organizations (12:31) Incremental Governance (15:51) All about Product Taxonomies (19:17) Patterns in Taxonomies (21:06) Dynamism and Complexity in Organizations (23:17) Scalability of Taxonomy (26:55) Alternatives to P&L in Product Development Cycle (29:11) Objectivity and Removing Bias in Development (32:18) Innovation Theatre and Operationalizing Product Innovation (36:20) Skin in the Game (38:54) Hierarchy of Taxonomies (43:03) Building a Taxonomy and Ontology that is Convenient (50:49) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions by Craig (53:38) Closing Points Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/craig-strong Episode recorded on September 18, 2023. Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
#84 Gardening Platforms and the Future of Open Ecosystems with Alex Komoroske 1:03:24

2 years ago1:03:24

1:03:24

In our first episode this season, we dive into the world of open platforms and the future of organizing. With his thought-provoking presentation of “Gardening Platforms,” our guest Alex Komoroske helps create a shift in mindset towards a more achievable and sustainable approach in creating impactful technology solutions. We explore his key learnings from leading products at Google Chrome and how he continues to implement these in his own journey today. Touching on questions of morality, control, and designing for the nefarious users, there’s so much Alex offers in this podcast, and we hope you take from it as much as we did. Alex Komoroske is truly an inspiration when we think of the potential that powerful technology solutions can create. For 13 years, he worked with Google, building some of the most cherished products that came from the organization. Heading product for a company that affects billions of lives is no easy feat, and Alex did just that for Google Chrome. He took his vast ocean of knowledge, and for the last two years has helped shape Stripe as their Head of Strategy. In his flip-book style presentation, aptly titled, “Gardening Platforms,” he discusses the fundamental emergent power dynamics of platforms, how to evolve an existing platform to continuously improve it, and how to create a new platform from scratch. This got us truly hooked, and we are glad that Alex joined us to discuss this and many more mind-tinkering concepts in our podcast. We touch upon the inherently complex and evolutionary nature of platforms, the role of composability and modularity, and what it means to be sensitive to the socio-technical implications of your solutions. Get ready to be inspired by his high-impact journey, brutal honesty, and some remarkable recommendations of books and concepts that have shaped his thoughts and processes. Key Highlights 👉 Platforms can be imagined as a swarm of energy, between multiple entities interacting with one another. 👉 Why you don’t always need a big-bang for product launches; oftentimes, self-accumulating users are what’s best for the platform’s success. 👉 Why a gardener mindset, rather than a builder mindset, is poised to reward a product with more success. 👉 How organizations can prepare and design for open platforms that are resilient and expansive, yet chaotic and hard to control. Topics / chapters (00:00) Intro - Gardening Platforms and the Future of Open Ecosystems (00:39) Simone welcomes the audience (01:26) Alex Introduction (04:28) Platforms as Complex Adaptive Systems and Gardening Platforms (09:08) “Coherence” as an attribute for platform development in Open vs. Closed Platforms (12:22) Rebound from Centralized Platforms (16:36) Translating chaotic and complex ecosystems into actionable initiatives in organizations (29:04) Trust, Organizational Accountability, and Micro enterprises (39:18) Moral implications of building platforms and open source movements (49:08) Design for Participation (53:42) Power of Decision Makers in influencing platform design (01:00:09) Breadcrumbs (Suggested content from Alex) Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/alex-komoroske Episode recorded on September 30, 2023. Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
The Boundaryless Conversation Podcast: Season 5 is coming 1:23

2 years ago1:23

1:23

We’re back at the Boundaryless Conversations Podcast, with an all new Season No. 5. Join us, as we bridge the worlds of technology, geopolitics, culture, and policymaking. We take a dive deep into the fabric of tomorrow's world, sharing inspiring stories from innovative organizations leading the way in product and platform development. Learn how to build resilient, adaptable entities that thrive amidst change. Stay informed, break free from echo chambers, and become a change-maker in your organization. Subscribe to our podcasts on your favorite podcasting platforms, and help us shape a richer, more democratic dialogue about the future of organizing. Explore our vision at boundaryless.io as we bring to you - Platform and Ecosystems, from the edge to the core. For more information: https://boundaryless.io . Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
Season Wrap Up: Emerging Questions on the Future of Platform Organizations 19:52

2 years ago19:52

19:52

In this season wrap up, podcast hosts Simone Cicero and Stina Heikkilä talk about the new research compass of Boundaryless and ruminate on some of the gems of the season.Simone and Stina also share some highlights from the long list of episodes of the Boundaryless Conversations podcast — almost 90 and counting! — and provide some pointers for future research. It’s worth catching up with the ideas in the recent blog A Research Compass: Platform-Ecosystem Thinking in 2023 when listening to the wrap up. Some of the topics that stood out forming the substance of the new compass include: AI and other technological enablers A new product management framing Building Ecosystemically Software-powered Organizational Evolutions A new Organizational Focus on Resilience The wrap up provides a good appetizer for the upcoming season, which will have some novelties and more co-hosts in store. A special shout-out to Stina who won’t be co-hosting the next season of the podcast. It’s been a great ride and we’re sure that she’ll be back co-hosting more episodes in the future! Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music…

Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

1
S04 Ep. 20 Bill Fischer and Lisa Gansky - A Situational Update on our Ecosystemic Future 54:38

2 years ago54:38