Aidan and David Rogers, the author of ‘The Digital Transformation Roadmap’ delve into the significant challenges and strategies for digital transformation within organisations. Key topics include overcoming psychological and organisational debt, technical capabilities required for transformation, the importance of suitable technology, retaining key talent, and evolving organisational culture. David also shares insights on governance and iterative funding, emphasising the need for smart shutdowns and resource allocation. The episode is packed with practical examples, including successful digital transformations at Walmart and Netflix. David’s profound experience and practical tools make this essential listening for business leaders and innovators.
Unlocking Successful Digital Transformation: Insights from David L. Rogers
In this episode, David L. Rogers, author of ‘The Digital Transformation Roadmap’ and ‘The Digital Transformation Playbook,’ joins Aidan to discuss the critical steps and challenges businesses face in their journey towards digital transformation. Rogers emphasises the importance of transforming not just products and business models but the organisation itself.
He outlines five major barriers to success: vision, priorities, experimentation, governance, and capabilities.
Through insightful case studies such as the New York Times and CNN+, Rogers illustrates the pitfalls and successful strategies for driving meaningful innovation.
Additionally, he highlights the need for iterative funding and continuous adaptation in the face of uncertainty. This episode is packed with practical advice and lessons drawn from two decades of research and real-world examples, aimed at helping leaders navigate and thrive in the digital age.
00:00 Introduction to Digital Transformation
00:57 Meet the Author: David L. Rogers
01:47 The Evolution of Digital Transformation
02:36 Challenges and Misconceptions
07:48 Defining Digital Transformation
09:56 Barriers to Success
22:26 Case Study: The New York Times
31:33 Setting Realistic Expectations for Change
32:21 Defining a Clear Vision for Change
34:03 Empathy and Resistance to Change
34:53 Challenges of Corporate Innovation
36:15 Addressing Uncertainty in Innovation
39:27 Paths to Innovation and Growth
41:41 Case Study: The Failure of CNN Plus
49:55 Iterative Funding and the Facebook Example
54:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Find David here:
Substack: http://davidrogersdigital.substack.com
Website: https://davidrogers.digital
The Missing Link Between Strategy and Innovation article David mentioned:
https://hbr.org/2024/03/the-missing-link-between-strategy-and-innovation
The episode we mentioned with Steve Blank:
The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company
https://youtu.be/JbPRE2oCjnY?si=S0ULzjFLdnsU-1Ix
Aidan McCullen, David Rogers, digital transformation roadmap, digital transformation playbook, corporate governance, iterative experimentation, Facebook, CNN Plus, startup funding, media industry, New York Times, Steve Blank, Bob Dorf, Rita McGrath, Stefan Tompkin, Peter Thiel, Jason Keillar, Jeff Zucker