Cristina Caffarra | On power and the digital colony, and why sovereignty is reason not sentiment | Episode #92

Cristina Caffarra | On power and the digital colony, and why sovereignty is reason not sentiment | Episode #92

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Cristina Caffarra - top competition economist, UCL professor, and founder of EuroStack. After 25 years at the top of the antitrust world, she walked away to power up European tech, and she makes a sharp, unapologetic case that Europe is a "digital colony" with everything it needs to change that - if only it would stop admiring the problem and start building. Main topics they discuss include: * Why big tech is pouring money into AI, and why "AI is cloud" - the same hyperscaler stack souped up * Europe as a digital colony, sovereignty washing, and why the real case for European tech is growth, not values or kill-switch fears * How public procurement can favour European solutions without "discriminating" - and why the mercantilism and protectionism charge is a strawman * Where the money actually is and why private demand, not 15 years of regulation, is what will move the dial If Europe's place in the AI race is something you wrestle with, this conversation will both provoke and energise you.   Do you want to know more about Cristina Caffarra? Dr Cristina Caffarra is a globally renowned competition expert who had a 25-year career as a leading economic consultant. She headed for 17 years (between 2006 and 2022) the Competition Team of Charles River Associates (CRA) in Europe. She then set up Keystone Europe as Managing Partner in July 2022, which she left in 2023.    She co-founded the EuroStack movement in 2024 and is she is co-founder and Chair of the EuroStack Initiative Foundation e.V. EuroStack | Building Europe’s digital future [https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feurostack.eu%2F&data=05%7C02%7Clrindom%40basico.dk%7C6462658df5014f494e5908deaa8de4ca%7C9eac0b1892914dd28dd9bffedcb67bd7%7C0%7C0%7C639135723585934466%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3PZD%2B9Njm3egj67dOMKVXQqfgDhQnQodl4dBO3A1WXw%3D&reserved=0], a non-profit organization to pursue European resilience and asset-building in European tech and digital.   She is recognised as a thought leader in antitrust enforcement, regulation, tech policy, the interface between tech, competition, industrial policy and trade.  She is sought after as a public speaker and /regularly keynotes at top events on competition, regulation, digital and industrial policy.  She is also a convener with the ability to gather senior agency, policy and academic speakers for the most high-profile policy events in Europe on tech and related economic policy.  She hosts and produces the Eacape Forward podcast, and her Annual Escape Forward Brussels Conference is the highest-profile event on economic and regulatory policy in Europe. She has written multiple contributions to the field of competition and regulation of digital markets, lectures in competition economics. She is an Honorary Professor at UCL, she is also Associate Fellow of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in London and Deputy Chair of the CEPR Competition Research Policy Network. She is also a 2026 Fellow at DG Grow.

Brian Evergreen | On hype and strategy, and the difference between the synthetic and relational | Episode #91

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Brian Evergreen - leading AI strategist, author of Autonomous Transformation, and founder of The Future Solving Club. Brian brings a refreshingly grounded enterprise lens to cut through the AI hype cycle and challenge the narrative that AI agents will replace white-collar workers, become our "coworkers," or magically transform organizations through prompt workshops and democratized tools. Main topics they discuss include: * Why the loudest voices predicting an AI-driven jobs apocalypse all have a vested interest in that narrative * The relational layer of organizations and why it can't be replaced by synthetic networks * Why "ChatGPT is not your AI strategy" - and the difference between adding a new piece to the board and rewriting the whole game * Future Solving as an alternative to "future-proofing" - choosing the future you want and reverse-engineering it * The trap of quarter-by-quarter incrementalism and why real value creation needs a longer horizon If you've been overwhelmed by the daily "CEO said something" cycle and want a grounded, honest conversation about what AI actually means for enterprises, leadership, and life - this one is for you.   Do you want to know more about Brian Evergreen? Brian Evergreen is one of the most respected voices on strategy and AI as a leading author, advisor, and speaker. He teaches leaders and organizations how to take the future into their own hands and create value with it. From small businesses to corporations like Microsoft and Mastercard, from Hollywood to NASA to Wharton, he has presented his ideas and a new system of leadership called Future Solving, which has supported over $20B of investment. He has written one book, Autonomous Transformation, and co-authored two books, Driving Sustainable Innovation and Agentic Artificial Intelligence and is quoted frequently and regularly contributes to national publications.   Brian is the founder and CEO of The Future Solving Company, an advisory, training, & events company serving a global community solving for the future. He is the host of the popular podcast Future Solving, which has featured Rita McGrath, Kim Scott, Alex Osterwalder, and other top thinkers. He is also the President of The Future Solving Club, a private group of senior executives shaping the future who dialogue with world-renowned thought leaders and executives weekly and at exclusive dinners and events throughout the year. His work has been featured on Bloomberg, Forbes, Fast Company, CIO, VentureBeat, the Next Big Idea Club, and Thinkers50.   You can learn more about and connect with Brian on LinkedIn, at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianevergreen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianevergreen]

Nikki Barua | On cognitive atrophy and enterprise metabolism, and the resilience of craftsmanship | Episode #90

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Nikki Barua [https://www.nikkibarua.com/], serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and co-founder of FlipWork [https://www.flipwork.ai/about]. Named Entrepreneur of the Year and one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Most Influential Women, Nikki has spent 25 years at the intersection of people, technology, and transformation. Drawing on her own journey from Mumbai to building businesses in America, she brings a rare mix of optimism, pragmatism, and cultural depth to a sprawling conversations spanning agentic AI, identity, urban conformity, and what it really takes for humans to stay relevant. Main topics they discuss include: * Why agentic AI is already reshaping management, culture, and trust inside enterprises — even before scaled adoption * The difference between chasing efficiency (a race to the bottom) and reallocating freed capacity into real competitive advantage * Why cognitive atrophy, not AI slop, is the real danger - and why originality, depth, and craftsmanship become more valuable when average is free * How "strategic metabolism" and trust, not technology, are the true bottlenecks for enterprise transformation * The Darwinian shake-out ahead for C-players, B-players, and short-term-thinking executives - and why lazy layoffs destroy institutional knowledge Tune in for a wide-ranging, surprisingly personal conversation that moves from AGI ethics to hillbillies, from Manhattan's density of talent to the elephant in every boardroom. Do you want to know more about Nikke Barua: Nikki Barua is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and globally recognized expert on transformation. She is the CEO & Co-Founder of FlipWork, the transformation partner helping organizations reinvent their culture, capabilities, and competitive edge for the AI age. For over 25 years, Nikki has worked with some of the world's most iconic brands, guiding them through digital transformation, workforce reinvention, and organizational change at scale. She knows firsthand that technology is only half the equation; the real breakthrough comes from building the people and culture ready to use it. As a tech entrepreneur who has built and scaled high-growth businesses, Nikki brings both the strategic lens of a leader and the hard-won wisdom of someone who has navigated disruption herself. Her personal journey from humble beginnings to building global companies has made her a sought-after voice on resilience, reinvention, and what it actually takes to lead through change. Her story has been featured in CNBC, Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes. Nikki has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by ACE, honored as an EY North America Entrepreneurial Winning Woman, included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Women, recognized as one of the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century, and celebrated as a Woman of Influence by The Business Journals, and Top Entrepreneur by Comerica Bank & LA Lakers. Nikki Barua Links: Newsletter: https://www.nikkibarua.com/newsletters/reinvention-roadmap/subscribe [https://www.nikkibarua.com/newsletters/reinvention-roadmap/subscribe] Personal Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com/ [https://www.nikkibarua.com/] Company Website: https://www.flipwork.ai/ [https://www.flipwork.ai/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibarua/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibarua/] Twitter: https://x.com/NikkiBarua [https://x.com/NikkiBarua] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/ [https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua [https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua]

Dan French | On the productivity illusion, and the importance of asking why | Episode #89

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Dan French, Founder and CEO of Consider Solutions - a specialist consultancy and technology integrator serving some of the world's most recognised brands. With 25 years of experience advising on end-to-end business processes, operating models and finance transformation, Dan brings a sharp, no-nonsense perspective on what technology actually delivers - and what it doesn't. Main topics they discuss include: * Why decades of technology investment have yielded surprisingly little improvement in economic productivity - and why silo efficiencies rarely make it onto the P&L * The data quality blind spot holding back both classical and AI-driven technologies in finance * How LLMs are making knowledge work more intense rather than less - and the real danger of abdicating critical thinking to AI * Why asking "why" before reaching for any technology remains the most powerful move a CFO or finance function can make If you work in finance, technology, or anywhere near the intersection of the two, Dan French will challenge some of your assumptions - and sharpen the ones worth keeping. Do you want to know more about Dan French? Dan French is CEO at Consider Solutions, supporting global businesses with strategies, operating models and data insights to align, optimise and transform “end-to-end” business processes and create the maximum value from digitization. The core focus is delivering measurable business results in P&L, Working Capital, Balance Sheet and Risk Management impact, with a significant focus on Revenue (Customer to Cash), Spend (Demand/Source to Pay) and Financial Accounting (Record to Report) business cycles. With a background of 25 years in strategy, operations, general management, business processes, technology, performance improvement, risk management & compliance, Dan French also enjoys skiing, playing blues guitar and red wine though, for safety reasons, not all at the same time. www.consider.biz [https://www.consider.biz]

Gry Hasselbalch | On human power and machine logic, and the sovereignty of thought | Episode #88

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with Gry Hasselbalch - AI ethics researcher, digital rights advocate, and author of Human Power: Seven Traits for the Politics of the AI Machine Age.  Gry has spent over two decades shaping the European conversation on digitalization, data ethics, and the politics of AI, including contributing to the EU's high-level expert group on AI and co-signing the Cannes Declaration on the sovereignty of human thought. In this wide-ranging conversation, she and Lasse explore what it really means to be human in an age that keeps trying to optimize it away. Main topics they discuss include: * The age-old tension between mechanistic order and human complexity - and why the AI machine age is one of history's most aggressive bids to tip the balance * Henri Bergson's distinction between intellect and intuition, and why AI captures one brilliantly while remaining fundamentally incapable of the other * The homogenization of language and culture - how AI is colonizing human expression before we've even noticed what we've lost * The Cannes Declaration on the sovereignty of human thought, and what it means to legally protect the mind from algorithmic manipulation * EU regulation, digital sovereignty, and the geopolitical asymmetry that threatens to dismantle the very frameworks built to protect fundamental rights If you've ever felt that something quietly important is slipping away in how we think, write, and relate to each other - this conversation is for you.   Do you want to know more about Gry Hasselbalch Gry Hasselbalch is a Danish author and scholar specialising in the politics and power dynamics of technology, with a focus on data, AI ethics, and the historical forces shaping technological development. Her work bridges policy, academia, and public engagement, and she is widely recognised for promoting a humanistic approach to technology. Through two decades, she has contributed to EU and global discussions on digitalisation, AI and data. She was a member of the EU's High-Level Expert Group on AI (2018-2020) which developed the EU's AI ethics guidelines that were transferred into the EU's momentous AI Act. Gry Hasselbalch holds a PhD in data/AI ethics and power and is the author of several critically acclaimed books including Human Power – Seven Traits for the Politics of the AI Machine Age (2025), Data Ethics of Power (2021), and Data Ethics – The New Competitive Advantage (2016). She has advised governments and international organisations, spoken at leading global events, and moderated high-level conferences for the European Commission and others. Her expertise is has been sought by major media, including CNN International, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Euronews, and Wired.