Weeknote 344: the power of gathering

This week I have learned: Some small businesses are being diddled by "cloud" providers providing sub-standard private hosting... ... but illusions of control hold them back from plunging fully cloudward. It's great to have a conversation with people who really understand the value in robust data modelling. Those people are very rarely self-identified Data Scientists. … Continue reading Weeknote 344: the power of gathering

The power of people

We'd like to do something really innovate. Can you show us how you've done that before? If I had a pound for every time that I'd heard that from clients, prospects and elsewhere over the last few years, then I'd be a richer man. Well, at least a couple of months of Amazon Prime subscription-richer. As … Continue reading The power of people

Weeknote 343: fond farewell

This week I have learned: That is perfectly possible to say goodbye to people without religion getting in the way. Farewell Great Aunt Joyce. Your wicked giggle will stay with me forever. Big management consulting firms are war. In the Edwin Starr sense of the term. Openness is key to innovation. Open innovation programmes aren't … Continue reading Weeknote 343: fond farewell

The myths of disruption

A fascinating evening last night at the Hidden Edge Club's networking event at the rather lovely Soho Hotel. The theme - Competing with Digital Natives - and I was honoured to be part of the panel discussion exploring themes around digitization, and how traditional companies can react to competition from pure-play digital businesses (and particularly the big … Continue reading The myths of disruption

Providing platforms for work

A week tomorrow brings the Minimum Viable Workplace workshop in London, a piece of collaboration that started with a conversation with Anne Marie Rattray in the Spring. We've got a dozen or more people from all sorts of organisations and background coming together to discuss and explore the ways in which organisations provide the platforms for … Continue reading Providing platforms for work

Weeknote 342: getting up to speed

This week I have learned: how excited I am starting my new engagement... ... and the opportunity to work with some great people including @OOconnors, @maltbyps and @garylawUK ditto for the Minimum Viable Workplace workshop coming up a fortnight yesterday how occasionally I can read but a few paragraphs of a book and be left thinking … Continue reading Weeknote 342: getting up to speed

Working remotely

I've just re-read the book Remote: Office Not RequiredRemote: Office Not Required published a few years back by the founders of software company 37 Signals. A guide to good and bad experiences of remote working, it seemed timely given the project I'm just kicking off looking at how technology can enhance working practice in one of the … Continue reading Working remotely

7 Reasons to App Redux

A little over four years ago I wrote a post that explored what, at the time, appeared to be some reasonably good reasons why a business might want to produce a native mobile app over and above delivering their services through a web browser. The context of my writing that post were a bit different … Continue reading 7 Reasons to App Redux

Another golden triangle

This week I've wrapped up another engagement working for the Common Technology Services programme in the Government Digital Service. With two stints working in the pan-Government group now under my belt, I'm left wondering a few things about how technology is managed not only within the public sector, but in big organisations more generally. To … Continue reading Another golden triangle

Metathesiophobia

In one of those literary side alleys of which I occasionally turn, I'm currently reading Keith Johnstone's seminal work Impro, which came recommended by theatre produced Phelim McDermott with whom I had a fascinating conversation a few months ago. Fairly early on in the book, Johnstone talks about his own discovery of the work of Joseph Wolpe … Continue reading Metathesiophobia