Ep.12: The Consulting Dating Game – Hiring for Accountability, The Fixed-Price Trap & Designing a Project Prenup

Ep.12: The Consulting Dating Game – Hiring for Accountability, The Fixed-Price Trap & Designing a Project Prenup

This episode dives straight into the awkward reality of the Microsoft partner ecosystem—asking why, with 8,000 partners globally, so many projects still feel like a regretful one-night stand. It moves beyond the standard sales pitch to explore the critical choice between "marrying" a Microsoft Partner for long-term stability or having a "fling" with an Independent Consultant for speed and niche expertise.  The conversation moves through the complexities of commercial arrangements, debating whether the industry obsession with fixed-price projects is actually driving the lack of accountability versus the reliability of a retainer model. It covers the hidden risks of the "bait and switch"—where stellar CVs are swapped for junior delivery teams—and discusses the provocative "multi-vendor model," questioning how multiple partners can coexist without one sitting in the uncomfortable "cuck chair" watching the other work.  It also draws powerful parallels between contract negotiations and prenuptial agreements. The discussion challenges the client's role, arguing why you need a "project prenup" for when things go wrong and why trusting a "virgin" consultant without experience is a gamble you shouldn't take. It concludes with practical strategies for spotting red flags—like powerless project managers—to ensure you know exactly who you are getting into bed with before the contract is signed.

Ep.11: The Death of the $5 License, The Pay-As-You-Go Trap & Firing Bad Consultants

We go into the controversy surrounding the removal of the $5 Power Apps license and what it means for the future of the platform. It moves beyond the sticker price to explore why Microsoft is forcing a shift toward premium commitment and how this "forced upgrade" actually simplifies the administrative nightmares that plagued the old model.  The conversation moves through the complexities of consumption-based models versus fixed pricing, debating whether "Pay-As-You-Go" is a flexible friend or a financial trap. It covers the hidden costs of AI agents in Copilot Studio—where a simple bot can turn into a budget-busting surprise—and debates Vlad’s frustration on why licensing can’t be as simple as a tax calculator.  It also draws powerful parallels between medical diagnosis and solution architecture. The discussion challenges the industry standard, arguing why partners who treat licensing as an afterthought should be fired, and explains why the answer to "how much will it cost?" is almost always "it depends"—just like diagnosing a patient. It concludes with practical strategies for storage capacity and environment management to keep projects out of the red.

Ep.10: Holiday Special - Corporate Espionage, Ghosts & Facing Fears

This special 10th episode takes a break from technical deep dives to celebrate a milestone and explore the human side behind the professional opinions. It offers a candid look at the hosts' backgrounds, the "accidental" origin story of the podcast, and the chemistry that drives the conversation. The conversation moves through a series of personal and hypothetical questions, ranging from 80s nostalgia and the realities of the Finnish education system to lighter debates about corporate espionage and being stranded at a competitor’s conference. It reveals how unexpected moments and miscommunications (like Antti’s "one-episode" plan) shaped the team dynamic. It also draws powerful parallels between personal life and professional leadership. The discussion explores how parenting creates resilience for managing difficult stakeholders, the importance of emotional regulation in delivery roles, and practical perspectives on facing fears—whether it’s project anxiety or a fear of flying. Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Celebrating Episode 1000:56 The Origin Story: How Antti Was "Held Hostage"02:17 Why We Started a Delivery Podcast03:17 Growing Up in Finland: Education & Freedom05:58 Do You Believe in Ghosts?08:28 Stranded at a Salesforce Conference: What Would We Do?12:18 What Areti Gets Teased About (Being Tiny & Tidy)14:12 Leadership Lessons from Parenting16:29 Managing Stakeholders vs. Managing Toddlers20:03 Vlad’s Theory: The 3 Phases of Life21:12 Window vs. Aisle: The Travel Debate22:36 How to Overcome Fear of Flying24:05 Outro: Facing Your Fears

Ep.9: Why 75% of IT Projects Fail, Big Bang or Phased Rollout?

This episode challenges the idea that speed alone leads to successful implementations and takes a closer look at where enterprise projects really fail. The conversation explores Big Bang versus phased go-live strategies, why go-live moments are often the most nerve-racking part of delivery, and how unverified assumptions made during design and planning can surface as critical issues once systems are live. It also gets practical about real-world delivery risks. Expectation management, adoption challenges, time pressure during go-live, and why “getting to value quickly” doesn’t always mean rushing into production. The discussion draws on ERP and Dynamics CE experiences to highlight when phased rollouts reduce risk, when Big Bang becomes unavoidable, and how teams can better prepare for both. Chapters 00:00 Big Bang vs. Phased Approach: An Overview 12:44 Risks and Rewards of Project Delivery 18:01 Conclusion: Finding the Right Approach

E8: Low Code is Dead? Microsoft Announcements Decoded. Choosing Partners Got Harder.

This episode questions the claim that “low code is dead” and looks at what Microsoft’s latest announcements actually mean for delivery teams, developers, and Power Platform professionals. The conversation explores how AI and vibe coding are changing ideation, accelerating prototyping, and shifting client expectations—without removing the need for governance, quality, and strong pro-code foundations. It also gets practical about the Microsoft partner ecosystem. Size versus capability. Designations versus real delivery experience. And how clients can choose partners more intelligently as the landscape becomes more complex. Chapters 00:00 The Future of Low Code: Is It Really Dead? 03:04 The Impact of AI on Development Processes 06:03 Navigating the Ideation Phase with Vibe Coding 08:59 Understanding Partner Dynamics in Microsoft Ecosystem 12:10 Role Play: Client and Partner Interactions 24:01 Final Thoughts on Technology and Partnerships