We are thrilled to have Prof. Daniel Trabucchi and Prof. Tommaso Buganza from the School of Management at Politecnico di Milano join us today. In this episode, they share valuable insights from their innovation-driven book, Platform Thinking: Read the Past. Write the Future.

Platform Thinking is the ability to center platform-based mechanisms in digital business transformations. From Uber to Airbnb, platforms have reshaped millions of lives, yet their true potential often goes unrecognized. This episode demystifies platform ecosystems, offering a step-by-step guide to creating value through platform models. Backed by a decade of research, the faculty members provide practical tools and a clear framework for driving digital transformation, making it essential for anyone curious about the power of platforms.

Please join me in warmly welcoming Prof. Daniel Trabucchi and Prof. Tommaso Buganza to our podcast.

This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com.

Disclaimer:

A. The background music used in this video is the property of its respective developer and is protected by Copyright. Although it is a free version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy and Deepak Bhatt do not hold the rights to this music.

B. Prof. Daniel Trabucchi & Prof. Tommaso Buganza has granted permission to share insights from their book, “Platform Thinking: Read the past. Write the future”, on Business Talk Podcast Channel. The uploaded video contains copyrighted material; therefore, any modifications to graphics, music, or the presence of the author or host are strictly prohibited.

Revolutionizing Innovation: Prof. Daniel Trabucchi & Prof. Tommaso Buganza on Platform Thinking

Lee Bryant, founder and director of Shiftbase, and a leading thinker at the intersection of organisational design, digital transformation, and value creation, joins us on this episode. 
Lee discusses on how capability mapping, automation, and systems thinking can free human potential, while translating large organisational purpose into tangible outcomes.
He explores how agentic AI and Platformization can enable humans in today’s organisational contexts, and shares his thoughts on why the most powerful innovations have always been combinatorial. 
For anyone curious about how technical, social, and strategic elements come together to create value in ways that are both human and technological, tune in.

Lee delves into the idea of “world-building” within organisations, showing how leaders can design not just processes, but larger value systems, setting constraints, and unleashing experiences that create lasting impact.
He also touches on the roles of leadership - in tying technology with purpose, cultivating distributed design, and creating environments where talent is empowered to innovate.
This episode offers practical guidance on building organisations that are resilient and competitive for the 21st century.


Key Highlights
👉 Organisations are evolving beyond rigid hierarchies as transaction costs fall and capabilities expand.
👉 Building a resilient organisation requires focusing on platforms that enable value creation, not just managing people.
👉 The “platform philosophy” allows organisations to extend beyond formal boundaries, inviting external talent and partners to participate.
👉 World-building in organisational design creates a compelling culture and environment that attracts talent, fosters engagement, and drives innovation.
👉 Automation, orchestration, and composability can empower employees to focus on high-value work rather than repetitive tasks.
👉 Leaders need to act as architects of the workplace and navigators of uncertainty, rather than bureaucratic monitors.
 👉 Mapping organisational capabilities and continuously developing them is essential for strategic advantage, especially in knowledge-based and customer-facing work.
 👉 Agentic AI and other emerging technologies can become subsidised enablers, helping organisations build “machines that create machines.”
 👉 Employees can act as distributed designers: automating repetitive work and contributing to the evolution of the organisational platform.


Topics /chapters
(00:00) Organising as World-Building: How AI & Platforms unlock Human Flourishing - Intro
(01:37) Introducing Lee Bryant
(03:10) Thinking about Organisational Design from the edge
(13:48) The Agent and Human Interaction
(20:17) Composing Capabilities Across Boundaries
(29:42) Balancing Humanity and Automation: Rethinking AI in organisations
(36:04) Rethinking the idea of an organisation as transaction costs reduce
(42:17) Building platforms that enable Value: Rethinking an organisation’s Core
(51:24) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

Remember that you can always find transcripts and key highlights of the episode on our website: https://www.boundaryless.io/podcast/bryant-lee

Episode recorded on Oct 2, 2025

Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/

Get in touch with Boundaryless:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boundaryless_
Website: https://boundaryless.io/contacts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boundaryless-pdt-3eo

Music
Music from Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://blss.io/Podcast-Music

#127 - Organising as World-Building: How AI & Platforms unlock Human Flourishing with Lee Bryant

Welcome to Business Talk, your go-to podcast for the latest trends, insights, and thought-provoking discussions in the business world. Whether you're a business professional, entrepreneur, researcher, or academic, our episodes will challenge you to rethink conventional wisdom and inspire actionable ideas.

Brought to you by Global Management Consultancy, we are committed to driving innovation and excellence in the business community. All content Copyrighted 2024 by Global Management Consultancy.

For more information about our past and upcoming podcasts, please click here:https://www.deepakbbhatt.com/businesstalk

Boundaryless helps global customers with Business Strategy and Organization Design for the age of Ecosystems.
We do it by creating openly accessible frameworks and by supporting a community of organizations, institutions, and individuals through workshops, training, and consulting services. 

In this space we host all our audio recordings, including the Boundaryless Conversations podcast, a show focused on exploring the future of large scale organising by leveraging on technology, network effects and shaping narratives. We explore how platforms can help us play with a world in turmoil, change, and transformation: a world that is at the same time more interconnected and interdependent than ever but also more conflictual and rivalrous. 

We used to be online at platformdesigntoolkit.com... now find us on our new website: www.boundaryless.io!

Email: hello@boundaryless.io

New tracks tagged #PlatformThinking