“We live in a time when the institutions that run society are struggling to cope with the complexities of the real world, and so they retreat into simplified versions of it.” Adam Curtis, HyperNormalisation 2016 Complexity makes people nervous. And when institutions get overwhelmed, they don’t reach for transparency — they reach for control. Or...
I used to work with someone who had a saying that drove some colleagues mad. He’d ship early. Launch things that weren’t quite ready. Roll out tools that still had visible rough edges. And every time someone pushed back, he’d say: “Let’s fix forward.” At the time, it felt uncomfortable. Risky, even. People wanted the...
Daniel Kahneman’s research on System 1 and System 2 thinking helps explain why some workplace decisions — especially around technology like AI — feel rushed or oversimplified. His model shows that we don’t always think in one consistent way. Instead, we alternate between two systems: In busy work environments filled with deadlines and pressure, System...
“Every abandoned tool in your tech stack tells a story about a decision no one made” Most tech stacks aren’t pristine ecosystems. They’re haunted houses. Dig a little and you’ll find zombie applications no one uses, tools from vendors long forgotten, and shadow workflows left behind by employees who no longer work there. These aren’t...
Transforming procurement and supply chain operations requires more than just the right tools—it demands a clear strategy, strong leadership, and seamless execution. Hear from Adam Lalani, Chief Technology Officer, and Biju Raman, Procurement Director, at Alliad, on how YCP supported us in our Source-to-Pay (S2P) implementation and led a strategic procurement and supply chain optimization...
Explore how established enterprises can fall into the trap of their own success, using Barnes & Noble's response to the eBook revolution as a case study, and learn strategies to foster innovation and avoid disruption.
Introduction:The historical application of game theory during the Cold War unveils strategic principles that offer a distinctive advantage to today’s Chief Technology Officers. This exploration draws parallels between the intricacies of managing nuclear threats during the Cold War and the strategic considerations inherent in leading technology teams. By adapting lessons from historical analysts like Herman...
Quite often, teams can unwittingly fall into a state of “tech hypernormality,” a condition where the team operates in a seemingly stable environment despite underlying issues and the need for innovation. Much like the societal dynamics of hypernormalisation explored by Alexei Yurchak, tech hypernormality in a team setting occurs when the status quo is maintained,...
In the vast expanse of technology leadership, challenges often arise that mirror the infamous Kobayashi Maru scenario from Star Trek—a test designed to assess the resilience and creativity of Starfleet officers in the face of a no-win situation. Similarly, Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) find themselves navigating their own versions of the Kobayashi Maru, where tight...
After a recent optimisation workshop with one of our business units I realised that propinquity theory takes center stage as a guiding principle that can significantly impact organizational dynamics. If you are a CTO, understanding and strategically leveraging propinquity can lead to transformative improvements in people, processes, and products within the company. What is Propinquity...
