ParadigmShift 2023: Lead the way: Turn challenges into triumphs

As the curtains close on this year’s ParadigmShift event in Hollywood, LA, the resounding message that reverberates is clear: in the face of limitation, lies boundless opportunity.

The past few days were a testament to the transformative power that lies within challenges. Attendees were immersed in a whirlwind of insights, discussions, and revelations, leaving them with a newfound perspective on leveraging AI, integrating product thinking seamlessly into their operations and optimizing engineering organizations for maximum effectiveness.

Shaping the future of technology

Rachel Laycock, Thoughtworks' CTO and Kara Swisher, Contributing Editor at New York Magazine, led an insightful discussion on the opportunities and challenges presented by transformative emerging technologies. “What calculated risks can you take to move forward quicker,” Kara challenged the audience. The duo explored the potential — and risks — of EVs and autonomous vehicles, as well as modern tech-driven cities, which Kara predicts will be key areas of focus in the near future.

Creating exceptional experiences

Joe Murray, Head of Customer Experience Product and Design at Thoughtworks, revealed the transformative power of a product-thinking mindset. This approach not only drives innovation but also fosters alignment across teams, resulting in extraordinary experiences for customers, employees and partners. By placing products at the core of business operations, companies can harness their potential as revenue generators, effective marketing tools, talent attractors and distinctive brand identifiers. Furthermore, Joe underscored how product thinking acts as a unifying force between Business and IT functions, unlocking previously untapped dimensions of value.

This was exemplified by FirstAlt: a groundbreaking startup-within-enterprise initiative led by Sean McCormack, CIO of First Student, who delved deeper into a product-centric approach that not only revitalized First Student's operations but also revolutionized the educational transportation sector. This innovative strategy swiftly introduced groundbreaking solutions to the market in just nine months, establishing a new and lucrative revenue stream, but more importantly, creating a real impact for special needs children and their families.

Darren Smith, CTO at MYOB, explored the essence of customer-centricity, including the crucial interplay of responsiveness and authenticity in serving customers. Sometimes, that means not chasing every trend, or addressing every customer request that doesn’t align with your vision. “The more successful you are, and the longer you have been around, the more opinions there are about who you are and should be,” Smith explained. The discussion revolved around Actuality, Ambition, and Authenticity as key principles for grasping customer needs and objectives. Challenging circumstances were repositioned as opportunities for reflection and targeted prioritization. Authenticity emerged as a foundational pillar, underscoring the necessity for leaders to uphold their commitments and decisions.

A revolution driven by AI and Data

Mike Mason, Chief AI Officer at Thoughtworks and Allie Miller, an AI leader, advisor and investor, illuminated the profound impact of AI in today’s technological landscape. Mike explored the game-changing potential of Generative AI (GenAI) in software development, showcasing its immediate relevance and wide-ranging applications throughout the Software Development Life Cycle. He offered practical steps for integration, highlighting the continued responsibility of individuals for quality and results.

Allie provided insights into how leading businesses are harnessing AI, pointing out its accelerated evolution and integration into core operations. The focus has shifted towards loss reduction, rather than revenue generation, as a first step, signifying a fundamental transformation in business strategy. She outlined key approaches for identifying AI use cases (by industry, role or task) and highlighted the need for AI literacy and familiarity with AI tools in the evolving workforce. Both speakers emphasized the crucial role of AI in shaping the future of industries and offered valuable guidance for harnessing its potential.

Central to the success of all the initiatives discussed so far, is the strategic collection, curation and application of precise data within your organization. The buzz around Data Mesh as a tool for maximizing data's potential remains strong. It goes beyond a technological fix; a comprehensive shift in operational and data management approaches. Led by John Spens, Director of Data and AI, North America, Thoughtworks, our panel of business leaders, Jeremy Forman, Seagen, Amy Grace, Pratt & Whitney and Omar Khawaja, Givaudan shared their adoption journeys, following a phased approach: a “Show” phase to demonstrate its value, a ”Shift” phase for a seamless transition from proof of concept to an integrated operational model and a “Scale” phase to extend these practices enterprise-wide. 

Engineering effectiveness: Do more with less 

Ryan Murray, Executive Technical Director at Thoughtworks and Anaf Durrani, VP of Product Engineering at Grainger, provided insights into two pivotal aspects of technology leadership. Ryan shed light on the critical concept of Engineering Effectiveness, underscoring its leadership-driven nature and the ongoing difficulty of measuring developer productivity. To address this, leaders must empower their teams to address challenges and remove waste and friction from the engineering process. Ryan outlined key impact zones for enhancing engineering efforts to increase their capacity. Additionally, he highlighted the broader application of AI in software development beyond coding acceleration.

Anaf explored Grainger’s customer-centric approach, emphasizing the company’s mission to support essential workers and the paramount value of trust in customer commitments. He detailed Grainger’s successful efforts in Engineering Effectiveness, resulting in a significant rise in engagement scores among engineers. The alignment of technology and tools with business objectives emerged as a critical strategy for resilience and growth.

Transformation at scale

OTTO’s journey from stagnation to success, as shared by Knut Talman and Matthias Wlaka, exemplifies a strategic overhaul of operations, business models and technology platforms. Embracing a culture of transparency and startup-like agility, OTTO expanded from three  to 150 product teams. Their foray into the banking sector with OTTO Payments, built from scratch, stands as a testament to their adaptive approach. This transformation serves as a powerful example of the potential unlocked through strategic technological and business evolution.

Leading with head and heart

Kirstin Ferguson, a distinguished leadership expert, shared insights on modern leadership in her keynote address. She highlighted the importance of recognizing moments for growth and emphasized that leadership transcends formal titles, impacting all aspects of life. Effective leadership hinges on how one makes others feel, underscoring the significance of compassion and capability. This entails leading with both the head and heart, blending curiosity, wisdom and perspective with humility, empathy and courage. Kirstin’s talk provided invaluable tools for self-assessment and challenged leaders to embody the qualities needed in today’s world.

As we bid farewell to ParadigmShift 2023, we do so with the knowledge that the lessons learned here are not confined to the event itself. They will reverberate through boardrooms, teams and projects, shaping the trajectory of technology and purposeful leadership. We hope that these valuable insights enable you to navigate your own organizational challenges with understanding, inquisitiveness and unwavering courage in the year ahead.