Business Ecosystem Development

The real gap between digital leaders and laggards isn’t just in technology—it's in mindset. The 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 isn’t about who has the best tools; it’s about who knows how to wield them. The difference between average and excellent isn’t in the number of systems implemented but in the strategic intent behind them. True digital transformation isn’t just an IT initiative—it’s a company-wide movement, a reimagining of what’s possible when leadership, innovation, and agility align. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲-𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: CIOs and CTOs leading the charge, with an inward focus on IT infrastructure. • 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Tracking efficiency and business performance without a broader view towards future capabilities. • 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: Proceeding with digital steps without the urgency to outpace the evolving market demands. • 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Maintaining the status quo in operations, favoring predictability over agility. • 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Providing employees with collaboration tools without fostering a culture of digital innovation. • 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Concentrating on backend upgrades before considering the customer-facing aspects of the business. • 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Using data for routine business operations rather than as a cornerstone for transformation and innovation. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞: • 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐩: Transformation championed by CEOs, integrating digital priorities within the company’s vision. • 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Measuring success through the lens of innovation and digital proficiency. • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Not merely adapting but actively advancing digital initiatives, even in challenging economic climates. • 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: A culture that embraces operational efficiency as a path to competitive advantage. • 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Investing in employee engagement and digital literacy, recognizing that technology amplifies human potential. • 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫-𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Prioritizing the customer experience with a strategy that adapts proactively to their needs and behaviors. • 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Leveraging AI and data analytics not only to inform decisions but to foster a culture of continuous improvement. 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eU_Cc3ga ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

Where is crypto going next? Analysis of 1,000+ job postings from 17 crypto unicorns signal evolution from a retail playground and monkey jpegs into institutional-grade financial infrastructure. Here's what the industry is hiring for: 🏦Enterprise roles underscore paths to becoming B2B infrastructure ↳Enterprise product teams: CoinTracker building "0-1 initiative" for enterprise with dedicated engineering teams ↳ProServ channels: Multiple companies targeting CPAs, law firms, and financial advisors ↳Sales armies: Hiring of institutional sales managers across major markets ↳Self-custody infrastructure: Anchorage is developing solutions that let institutions maintain control while using crypto rails 🤝Partnerships become the new moat ↳Banking relationship managers at Bitpanda and Gemini to "manage relationships with global institutions" ↳Partnership roles at CoinDCX focus on "sourcing, acquiring, and onboarding business partners" ↳White-label infra teams at Paxos are building systems to power enterprise stablecoins 🌎Geographic expansion and cross-border frontiers building payment corridors via stablecoins ↳Regional stablecoin teams: Bitso is building dedicated teams for peso (MXNB) and real (BRL1) backed tokens ↳APAC expansion: Nearly every unicorn is establishing Singapore/Hong Kong presence ↳Regulatory navigation: Country-specific compliance roles (Bulgaria for Bitpanda, Australia for KuCoin) enable market entry ↕️Vertical specialization signals maturation as horizontal platforms move into offering tailored, industry-specific solutions ↳Institutional trading: Fireblocks and Matrixport are building specialized prime brokerage capabilities ↳Government services: Chainalysis is creating teams with security clearances for law enforcement ↳Real estate: Multiple companies hiring for tokenized property initiatives 🔒Security & compliance underpin adoption ↳Regulatory strategy roles: Ledger's "Head of Regulatory Affairs Americas" tasked with "influencing favorable digital asset regulation" ↳Fraud prevention infra: Trust & Safety teams at Gemini focused on APP fraud and UK banking requirements ↳Compliance automation: Multiple companies hiring for AI-powered AML and KYC systems The most interesting signal? Most of these roles don't even mention "crypto" in their titles or descriptions anymore. They're hiring for "payment specialists," "institutional sales," and "banking relationships." Crypto is moving from trying to replace the financial system to becoming the upgrade path for it. P.S. CB Insights August launch just 10x'd our hiring insights coverage. Uncover insights about companies’ strategy and product investments based on their job openings. Check it out.

Too often, companies think that adopting the latest tools or automating a few processes makes them “digitally mature.” But the reality is different. A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study found that only 35% of companies actually achieve their digital transformation objectives. Meanwhile, McKinsey & Company reports that organizations with higher digital maturity outperform their peers by 20-50% in EBIT growth. Digital maturity goes beyond tech upgrades. It’s about embedding digital capabilities deep into your strategy, operations, and culture, reshaping how your organization thinks, operates, and creates value. So, how can organizations and governments get there? 1. Start with a clear assessment. Many businesses overestimate their progress. A structured maturity assessment reveals where you truly stand across strategy, capabilities, technology, culture, and leadership. 2. Build a tailored roadmap. Digital maturity isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your priorities, whether CX, operations, or product innovation, should shape your investments. 3. Focus on people, not just tech. The most advanced tech means little without an agile, innovation-ready culture that upskills and engages teams. 4. Measure, learn, adapt. Digital transformation isn’t a project but a continuous journey. Set clear KPIs, track them, and evolve as customer needs and markets shift. This is where most organizations get stuck. They dive into tech upgrades without aligning them to strategy or culture, or fail to connect investments back to tangible outcomes. That’s why true digital maturity demands a more intentional, integrated approach that ties every initiative to business goals and stakeholder impact. At X-Shift, we help organizations across sectors move beyond surface-level tech adoption by: ■Establishing robust digital foundations that enable scalability, support long-term growth, and adaptability. ■Optimizing operations through intelligent automation, streamlining processes for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness. ■Transforming customer and employee experiences to drive loyalty, engagement, and competitive advantage. ■Unlocking data-driven decision-making, giving leaders the insights they need to act with speed and confidence. ■Designing tailored digital roadmaps aligned to unique business goals, so investments deliver maximum impact. ■Embedding cultures of innovation and agility, ensuring your organization doesn’t just keep up with change, but leads it. This way, you’re not just adopting new tech, but building a connected, future-ready ecosystem that drives growth and resilience. With digital maturity now a national priority, Saudi Arabia leads the MENA region at 96% in digital government services, setting a powerful benchmark for both public and private sectors. Wondering where your organization stands on the digital maturity spectrum? Connect with our experts at X-Shift to find out. #DigitalTransformation #DigitalMaturity #Leadership #Innovation

Crypto in travel is much more than innovation, it’s damage control. If you're still calling this a "trend," you're not paying attention. The most broken parts of Web2 finance? Travel feels them first. The travel industry is undergoing a transformation, with crypto payments emerging as a significant option. Companies like AirBaltic, Travala, and CheapAir are leading the way, accepting various cryptos for bookings. A recent report from CoinsPaid highlights a significant shift: Around 11.5% of travel agencies now accept cryptocurrency payments, the highest adoption rate among surveyed sectors. This trend is showing that companies are looking at crypto for much more than just “convenience”, they are seeking ways to reshape the travel industry's financial landscape. Here are my 5 Key Takeaways from the report: ▪️ Rapid Adoption: Travel agencies lead in crypto payment adoption, with 11.5% integrating digital assets into their payment systems. ▪️ Payment flexibility: 89% of travellers would choose one airline over another if given the option to pay in their preferred currency, indicating a strong demand for flexible payment methods. ▪️ Cost Efficiency: Traditional payment methods often involve high transaction fees and delays. Crypto, specially stable coins, transactions can reduce these costs significantly, offering faster and more economical alternatives. ▪️ Competitive Advantage: Early adopters of crypto payments position themselves as innovative and customer-centric, potentially attracting a broader clientele and setting themselves apart in a competitive market. ▪️ Market Expansion: Accepting crypto payments allows travel industry companies including Airlines & Private Aviation, Train & Bus Travel, Luxury Cruise Companies, Travel Agencies & Booking Platforms to cater to a broader, tech-savvy audience, opening doors to new market segments. Most businesses think accepting crypto comes with complexity or risk. But in this case, there’s no upfront cost, no monthly commitment, and no surprise fees, just a simple transaction fee when a payment happens. More importantly, there’s no exposure to volatility as the business always receives the exact fiat amount for the product or service, regardless of what currency the customer pays in. The conversion happens instantly behind the scenes. It’s a way to open the door to a new customer base without taking on new risks. As the travel industry embraces crypto, how are you adapting your business strategies to meet this evolving demand? LFGrow ❤️🔥 #RightClickSaveAs

The report is out: State of the Crypto Industry 2026. If you want to understand where the industry is heading, here are my main take-aways. 𝟭. Crypto platforms are being evaluated on their ability to run compliant, reliable systems at scale, where onboarding, monitoring, and transaction controls are expected to work together consistently under regulatory pressure - and not as separate functions. 𝟮. Identity verification is no longer a one-off check but a continuous capability embedded across the full user lifecycle, influencing risk decisions, conversion, and regulatory outcomes. 𝟯. Performance improvements are coming from how verification flows are structured, with platforms reducing unnecessary steps, limiting retries, and routing users based on risk. 𝟰. Fraud activity is becoming more organized and persistent, with automated attacks, synthetic identities, and coordinated behavior targeting weaknesses in verification and monitoring, requiring systems that can detect patterns and isolated events. 𝟱. AI is being applied to connect identity data, user behavior, and transaction activity into a single decision process, allowing platforms to identify risks in real time and adjust controls dynamically. 𝟲. Most platforms are combining internal decision-making with external verification capabilities, keeping control over risk logic and user experience while relying on specialized providers for document verification, biometrics, and screening. 𝟳. Regulatory frameworks such as MiCA and the Travel Rule are directly affecting how products are built and how transactions are processed, with many firms still facing challenges in implementation, data sharing, and cross-border requirements. 𝟴. Transaction value is increasingly driven by businesses rather than individuals, reflecting the growing use of crypto for treasury management, cross-border settlement, and day-to-day movement of funds. 𝟵. Stablecoins are increasingly used as a transaction medium where stability and efficiency matter, shifting activity toward payment and settlement use cases rather than trading. 𝟭𝟬. Platforms are redesigning onboarding so that the level of verification matches the level of risk, reducing unnecessary steps for low-risk users while applying deeper checks only where needed, as both over-checking and under-checking create direct commercial and regulatory costs. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: As crypto matures, the focus is moving away from simply enabling access to assets toward managing how transactions are executed in practice, including who is allowed to participate, how those decisions are made, and how risk and compliance are applied throughout the lifecycle. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲-𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆? Opinions: my own, Source: Sumsub 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

Your brilliant work doesn't guarantee a promotion. One key stakeholder can block your entire path. "I deliver exceptional results, but the CTO just doesn't see my potential." A Sr. Director at a Fortune 500 tech company from Silicon Valley shared this during our coaching call. Her track record? Impeccable - she’d led teams of 100+, managed $120M in budgets, and delivered consecutive years of double-digit growth. But the path to VP remained blocked. ⚡ Here's what we uncovered in our first session: The blocker wasn't performance. It was influence. If you're doing great work but still feeling blocked, you're not alone. Here are 3 stakeholder mistakes that keep leaders stuck - and how my client shifted (and how you can too): 1️⃣ Treating all stakeholders equally The mistake: Overlooking who really controls your next move. ✅ What she did differently: She mapped her stakeholders by influence. She identified the CTO and 2 others as critical influencers and focused on their priorities and pain points. 💎 One strategic champion outweighs ten casual supporters. 2️⃣ Speaking your language, not theirs The mistake: Drowning leaders in technical details, hoping volume equals value. ✅ What she changed: She translated her impact into business outcomes the CTO valued. → "Our automation initiative cut costs by 23% and scaled to 3 new markets" 📊 3️⃣ Avoiding difficult conversations The mistake: Hoping time will fix misalignment. ✅ Her shift: She stepped into the tension with purpose: "What does success look like to you, and how can I deliver that?" → This wasn't just a question - it was a commitment. 🔄 The breakthrough In 90 days, the CTO became her biggest advocate. And his inner circle followed. ✨ The result: VP role + 19% raise in 7 months. Excellence gets you noticed. 👑 Strategic influence gets you promoted. 🎯 Want the full Stakeholder Influence Blueprint? Join 9,100 leaders getting it in this Saturday's issue of my weekly newsletter. Sign up below to make sure you don't miss it.

📄 New paper: Orchestrating and Designing Data Collaboratives: What Governance Model is Fit for Purpose? I get asked this a lot: 👉 What’s the difference between a data trust, a data union, a data commons…? 👉 And more importantly—when should you use which? Too often, these models are treated as competing “solutions.” But that framing misses the point. In reality, they reflect different governance logics—and each is designed to solve a specific coordination, agency, or collective action problem in data ecosystems. For instance: Data intermediaries → reduce transaction costs Data unions → rebalance power Data trusts → address legitimacy deficits Data commons → enable collective governance Data cooperatives → redistribute ownership and agency Data sandboxes → manage uncertainty Data spaces → enable scaling and interoperability So the real question is not: ❌ Which model is best? But rather: ✅ Which model is fit for purpose—given the problem you are trying to solve? That’s why I wrote this short paper. It proposes a purpose-driven typology and argues for moving beyond “institutional choice” toward institutional orchestration—where multiple models coexist and evolve within the same ecosystem. 👉 Because in practice, mature data ecosystems don’t rely on a single model—they layer and sequence governance arrangements over time. (And that’s where strategic data stewardship becomes essential.) 📖 Read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/eyT9e4gV 🤔 Curious how others are navigating this: What governance model have you seen work—and why? #data #datagovernance #governance #dataspaces #intermediaries

Thrilled to share our new research, co-authored with Annabeth Aagaard and Oliver Gassmann, on how industrial digital platforms are transforming value creation in B2B ecosystems. In many manufacturing settings, platform governance has long been framed as a one-way street: the platform orchestrates, complementors adapt. Our study shows a very different reality. Across five platform providers and five leading manufacturers, we uncover dual orchestration — a dynamic, iterative form of co-governance where both sides continuously adapt roles as digital business models evolve. The paper offers: • A Platform DBM Process Model explaining how value is co-created and co-captured across initiation, proposition design, digital transformation, and revenue sharing. • A Dual Orchestration Governance Framework detailing how transparency, reciprocity, commitment, proximity, and coopetition enable stable collaboration in highly interdependent industrial settings. • Rich case evidence from global platform providers and industrial firms navigating interoperability, data rights, servitization, and emerging AI-driven business models. If you are working on digital transformation, industrial platforms, ecosystem strategy, or B2B business model innovation, I hope you will find the insights useful. Read the open-access article here: Dancing titans: Dual orchestration and governance in industrial digital platforms for B2B value co-creation (Technovation, 2026): https://lnkd.in/dK4_UZpz Happy to discuss the findings or explore collaboration around this line of research. #DigitalPlatforms #IndustrialPlatforms #DualOrchestration #PlatformGovernance #B2BInnovation #EcosystemStrategy #DigitalBusinessModels #Servitization #ValueCoCreation #ValueCoCapture #ManufacturingInnovation #DigitalTransformation #IIoT #PlatformEconomy #EcosystemGovernance #CollaborationDynamics #OpenInnovation #DataDrivenInnovation #Technovation #ResearchPublication

The Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine has sent shockwaves through the environmental community, with potential implications for climate action, pollution control, and the overall regulatory landscape. The Chevron doctrine, a legal precedent established in 1984, allowed federal agencies like the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to interpret ambiguous environmental laws, often deferring to their scientific expertise. This decision, while celebrated by some as a check on regulatory overreach, has raised alarm bells among environmentalists. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), it could undermine the EPA's ability to enforce existing environmental regulations and limit its flexibility to tackle emerging challenges like climate change. Some specific concerns include: 🧑⚖️ Increased legal challenges to climate regulations: Regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles, and oil and gas operations could face a barrage of lawsuits, potentially delaying or derailing crucial climate action. 🏭 Weakened enforcement of environmental laws: The EPA's ability to enforce regulations on air and water pollution, toxic chemicals, and other environmental hazards could be hampered. 🐢 Slower response to emerging threats: The EPA's ability to address new environmental challenges, such as those posed by emerging technologies or pollutants, could be slowed down due to increased legal scrutiny. The overturning of Chevron deference marks a significant shift in environmental law and policy. It raises crucial questions about the future of environmental protection in the United States. Will this decision empower industries to challenge and weaken environmental regulations? Will it hinder the government's ability to respond effectively to the urgent threat of climate change? And how will this impact the health and well-being of communities most vulnerable to environmental hazards? While the future remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the stakes are high. It's now more important than ever for environmental advocates, policymakers, and the public to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the role of government in protecting our planet. We must work together to ensure that environmental protection remains a priority, even in the face of evolving legal landscapes. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gGnNPbds