On today’s podcast, we host someone who - has been at the forefront of the Agile revolution, and, at the same time, became one of Agile movement's most vocal critics, to the extent, that he dared to say: “R.I.P Agile”.

Cliff Berg, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Agile 2 Academy, and a leading figure in Agile and DevOps advising joins our podcast bringing his fresh perspectives on the decline of Agile. He also gives us a peek into the story of a book he recently co-authored, ‘Agile 2: The Next Iteration of Agile’.

Cliff takes us through what it means to re-imagine organizational practices and challenges the conventional framework-oriented approach, that often needs more contextualization and grounded action-based research.

Join us, as we discuss balancing leadership and self-organizing, and explore pragmatic approaches to operating successful businesses with agility and accountability. 

This episode goes through a journey - we talk about Cliff’s viral post on the demise of Agile, and what he and a team of co-authors have done to consciously course-correct it, and publish a whole set of new ideas on how to approach Agile with a more contemporary and less ideological stance: Agile 2. 

Cliff dismisses the narrative of “You don’t need managers”, and challenges why it’s important to reel our thoughts back in when it comes to decentralization of organizations. 

He lays it out as it is: structure is not a bad thing per se, and the conversation goes through healthy ways of administering structure in organizations.

Tune in, if you’re interested in non-ideological ways to embrace agile practices, mixed with some of Boundaryless's staple topics: building optionality, entrepreneurial organizations that go big with skin in the game, and more.

Key Highlights

👉 Critical intersection between human behavior and technology, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of our digital coexistence.
👉 Calm Technology as an essential way to creating designs that respect human attention without overwhelming users.
👉Building tools that help users focus on the task and not the tool.

👉 Complexities of governance in technological and organizational contexts, with a focus on the potentials and pitfalls of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).
👉 Ways to bring a shift towards innovations that serve humanity and contribute to a more equitable future.
👉 Developing a questioning mindset for driving meaningful technological advancements.

Topics /chapters
(00:00) R.I.P. Agile, Long Live Agile 2 - Intro
(02:09) The transition from Agile 1.0 to Agile 2.0
(10:36) Solving Limitations of Agile 1.0
(18:26) Frameworks as a means to an end
(31:23) Increasing Optionality and Designing for Problem Solving
(38:16) Finding a Balance in Beauraucracy
(44:43) The transformation that sticks

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

Episode recorded on February 23, 2024

Get in touch with Boundaryless:

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

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 

#boundaryless #PDT #3EO #Agile2 #FutureOfWork #AgileTransformation #DevOps #OrganizationDesign #FutureOfTechnology #DigitalWellbeing

The Boundaryless Conversation Podcast: Season 5

#97 - R.I.P. Agile, Long Live Agile 2 with Cliff Berg

What separates organizations that thrive in uncertainty from those that struggle? In this episode, Luca Dellanna - management consultant, researcher, and author - explores how companies can move beyond theoretical decision-making to ensure real-world execution and resilience. 
In this episode, Luca unpacks key concepts like ergodicity, antifragility, and the role of behavioral dynamics in shaping organizational effectiveness. Stating how “Decision-making is only as good as execution,” he emphasizes the need for organizations to create systems that surface problems early and drive real adaptation.
He also challenges the notion that architecture alone can ensure antifragility, suggesting that qualitative insights, cultural alignment, and leading by example are all essential in building adaptable organizations.

In this episode, Luca provides a reality check on common management approaches, indicating why many organizations fail to turn strategy into action. 
He highlights why leadership by proclamation is ineffective without visible commitment, how organizations often create misaligned incentives, and why cultural shifts require more than just top-down mandates. Drawing from real-world examples, he also shares how true organizational change comes from daily, repetitive micro-level decisions.
Tune in, as we discuss how to avoid the cost of irreversible consequences, and instead structure for long-term wins that build anti-fragile organizations prioritizing survival over performance. 


Key Highlights
👉 Decision-making alone isn’t enough, organizations must ensure that strategies translate into real execution and adaptation.
👉 Ergodicity matters because businesses that fail to consider irreversible consequences risk long-term failure by optimizing for short-term gains.
👉 Leadership signals shape culture, as policies and incentives alone won’t drive change.
👉 Antifragility requires surfacing problems early since organizations that proactively address challenges become stronger.
👉 Cultural transformation happens through action, not communication, since top-down mandates fail unless reinforced with direct engagement and behavioural consistency.
👉 Small, deliberate interventions drive systemic change, as focusing on a single key habit can transform an entire organization.
👉 The best organizations blend structure with human insight, as architecture and incentives provide a foundation, but qualitative understanding and direct engagement ensure real impact.


Topics /chapters
(00:00) Building Antifragile Organizations Through Daily Action - intro
(00:59) Luca Dellanna Introduction
(02:45) Ergodicity Overview
(05:54) Creating Constraints and Excelling through Friction
(07:45) Designing Systems that are Anti-Fragile
(10:18) Enabling Ergodicity
(27:45) Cultural Truths about Anti-Fragility in Modern Organizations
(48:35) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

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

Episode recorded on Feb 10, 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

#OrganizationDesign, #DecisionMaking, #Ergodicity, #Antifragility, #BusinessStrategy, #CulturalTransformation, #FutureOfWork

#117 - Building Antifragile Organizations Through Daily Action with Luca Dellanna

What does it take for organizations to truly harness the power of AI - not just as a buzzword, but as a transformative force for strategy, culture, and execution? In this episode, Anindya Ghose - Professor at NYU Stern, and one of the world’s leading voices at the intersection of AI, economics, and platforms - joins us to explore what it means to adopt AI intentionally and ethically.
Anindya presents his “House of AI” framework to cut through the AI hype. This grounded, end-to-end framework helps organizations align their data, models, and ethics for meaningful impact.
He also shares his insights on how AI is shifting the nature of management itself - and why the true differentiator in an AI-enabled world will be people, not technology.

We go beyond surface-level AI conversations to explore what it really means to embed it within an organization - not just as a tool, but as a force that reshapes how decisions are made, work gets done, and leadership is defined.
Anindya is a globally recognized AI advisor who has transformed the journey of over 60 companies worldwide. As the author of Tap and Thrive, he also brings a rare blend of corporate insight and academic depth, helping us break down how AI can elevate both business and human potential.

We explore how AI is pushing organizations to rethink core assumptions, what are the cultural and structural implications of AI, how does AI take shape in organizational structure, and why it’s important to also see AI as a powerful positive force. 
This is not an episode to miss, as we explore the tensions around AI and how they can be turned into meaningful opportunities.

Key Highlights
👉 AI transformation starts with intentionality, requiring organizations to align their data, business context, and strategic goals before deploying any tools or models.
👉 Data engineering is 70% of the work, and without clean, structured data, even the most advanced AI will fail to deliver meaningful results.
👉 The House of AI framework provides a step-by-step path that moves from data readiness to modelling and ends with ethical, transparent storytelling.
👉 AI adoption requires organizations to answer four core questions - descriptive (what happened), predictive (what will happen next), causal (why), and prescriptive (what should we do).
👉 AI is evolving from a decision-support tool into a force of production, fundamentally altering how workflows operate and how organizations create value.
👉 Fairness can be built into AI through data debiasing, but ethics largely remains a human responsibility shaped by incentives, governance, and cultural values.
👉 Competitive advantage will depend less on technology access and more on the people, mindsets, and ability to act on insights quickly and responsibly.

Topics /chapters
(00:00) Effective Adoption of AI in the Enterprise - Intro
(00:58) Introducing Anindya Ghose
(03:11) House of AI Framework - Getting Real with AI
(11:16) Intentionality of Adopting AI
(14:07) Changing the conversation around AI’s Positivity
(18:52) AI’s new regime in radical disruption
(23:34) How is AI altering the culture of Management in Organizations?
(29:54) Preparing for AI Dominated Organizations
(33:16) The Future of Competition in an AI-Driven Market: Openness vs. Differentiation
(39:16) How will Organizations Differentiate?
(42:15) Is it a Winner Takes All Market
(44:08) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

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

Episode recorded on Mar 05, 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

#118 - Effective Adoption of AI in the Enterprise - with Anindya Ghose

In this episode, we welcome Tom Nixon, author of Work with Source, to explore the powerful yet often overlooked idea of “source” - as the person who first conceives and commits to a creative initiative - and the impact such a role has on organizations. 
Drawing from his extensive experience advising founders and mission-driven projects, Tom helps us unpack what it truly means to hold the role of source - beyond conventional leadership, and as he puts it, “being the author of the story that unfolds.” 
Together, we explore how organizations can enable a deep human dimension behind all authentic ventures, and work towards a truly regenerative and evolutionary way of organizing.

While many conversations around leadership focus on structure, roles, or decision-making, this episode looks at a deeper assessment of where creative initiatives truly begin - and how they should maintain coherence as they evolve. 
Tom Nixon introduces us to the subtle but powerful idea of “source”  as the unique origin point from which meaning, direction, and integrity flow.
We explore how the source perspective can help us navigate complexity, and why the source is simply not a “genius hero” figure, as we presume.
He also helps us unpack more regenerative, emergent, and resilient ways of working together. So, for listeners looking to understand the creative dynamics that often hide behind hierarchical organizational structures - and why honouring the human in a project is highly strategic - this conversation is a source of guidance. 

Key Highlights
👉 The idea of source reframes leadership as a creative, intuitive role - the one who first sees and commits to a new possibility.
👉 Beneath formal org charts and policies lies the creative field - an energetic structure established by the source, which can’t be captured by governance documents but is deeply felt. 
👉 Many people think the “source” is a visionary genius who always knows what to do - but that’s a myth. In reality, being the source means holding the responsibility for the creative edge, often with doubt and uncertainty. 
👉 Regenerative organizing calls for living systems thinking - where purpose drives structure and growth emerges organically rather than being imposed top-down.
👉 Being the source is not about authority or control, but about holding the original impulse with integrity and enabling others to contribute meaningfully.
👉 Recognizing who holds the source in a project helps clarify roles, resolve tensions, and unlock greater flow and coherence within teams.
👉 Working with source calls for deep listening, intuition, and the courage to protect the original impulse - even when it's not yet fully understood by others.

Topics /chapters
(00:00) Working with Source: Acknowledging the Creative Hierarchy - intro
(00:51) IntroducingTom Nixon
(02:37) Introduction to Source Work
(06:29) Overlapping Creative Hierarchy and Organizational Hierarchy
(09:52) Managing Hierarchy in Evolving Organizations
(16:09) Ownership of the Source
(19:33) Managing system thinkers and complexity mindset to coexist with intelligent creation
(26:34) Shaping a Founders Mindset for a Balanced Business
(37:13) Source’s Impact on a Brand Story
(46:04) Sources and their Ownership
(51:41) Breadcrumbs and Suggestions

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

Episode recorded on Apr 01, 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

BCP_S06_Ep15_Nixon_cut02

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

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