Boundaryless Conversations Podcast

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 [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 ⁠boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠ [https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/] Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠ [https://x.com/boundaryless_] Website: ⁠boundaryless.io/contacts⁠ [https://boundaryless.io/contacts/] LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo/] Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmM3czBKZDU5OFhMT2QyYV9fS0djZG9PMlpjd3xBQ3Jtc0ttX3pLX0swY1FTVWY1LW95dDdkNlJQdmthRnZVTnJXNzBOWjRPTTZhTUc4VHl4N2hHbG9RQVFKdDlIR0tSRWh0LXE5YzBnczFHQW16Vjgwa1d6WTFVYXZFa1BFRnVJRjVSNnZrWlhJUTB6cW5vMHJDOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fblss.io%2FPodcast-Music&v=9yi7Enc-I9w]

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 (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 [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 ⁠boundaryless.io/resources/podcast⁠ [https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/] Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/boundaryless_⁠ [https://x.com/boundaryless_] Website: ⁠boundaryless.io/contacts⁠ [https://boundaryless.io/contacts/] LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo/] Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: ⁠blss.io/Podcast-Music [https://audiojungle.net/user/liosound/portfolio]⁠

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 [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 boundaryless.io/resources/podcast [https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/] Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: twitter.com/boundaryless_ [https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fboundaryless_] Website: boundaryless.io/contacts [https://boundaryless.io/contacts/] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo [https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo] Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: blss.io/Podcast-Music [https://audiojungle.net/user/liosound/portfolio]

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 (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 [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 [https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast] Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ [https://twitter.com/boundaryless_] Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts [https://boundaryless.io/contacts] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo [https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo] Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music [https://blss.io/Podcast-Music]

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 [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 [https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast] Get in touch with Boundaryless: Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_ [https://twitter.com/boundaryless_] Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts [https://boundaryless.io/contacts] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo [https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo] Music Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music [https://blss.io/Podcast-Music]