Manyone

Is it just my feed, or does it seem like everyone is making software these days and sharing their creations here on LinkedIn? There's an impressive amount of experimentation going on. Over the past few months, I've built a presentation platform that my colleagues across Manyone now use daily. And the experience has brought back a feeling I haven't had since the late 1990s. It's also made me think about what happens when software becomes something we can shape ourselves, rather than simply adapt to. A few thoughts on rediscovering the joy of making things, and why software might never be quite the same again:

You see the idea clearly right in front of you, but you can’t get people to understand the opportunity. Frustrating, right? I’ve been there myself many times, and also watched many smart leaders pull their hair out over the exact same thing. The natural reaction is usually to try to explain harder. Another slide deck. More talking. It almost never works. What actually cuts through is making it tangible. Something people can look at, hold, twist around, and start testing out. Even if it’s just a rough sketch or an ugly prototype put together in an afternoon. Most of the time, the reason we don’t do that isn’t a lack of time. It’s just our own fear stopping us. What if it isn’t as good as it sounds in my head? It’s uncomfortable to put something unpolished in front of other people. But the moment you give them something real to react to, the dynamic changes. You stop trying to defend an idea, and people start helping you figure out whether it actually works. The image is an old sketch from a workshop we hosted together with a bunch of awesome creative kids. We would never have thought about the possibilities with a fridge in that way if they didn’t get it down on paper.

Having user data used to be a competitive advantage. Today, it’s just table stakes. In a world where everyone has access to the same analytics, platforms, and AI tools, knowing who your customer is won't differentiate you anymore. Real differentiation comes down to what happens next. Having the speed, design judgment, and internal alignment to respond the moment they show you what they want. We’ve all experienced personalization that misses the mark, like my grocery app suggesting prinsesstårta (green Swedish cake) when I’ve never bought one and don't even like it... 😅 The dynamic has flipped. Customers, and increasingly their AI agents, are no longer waiting for us to guess what they need. They’re arriving with a clear brief. The companies that win here are not playing guessing games, they listen and react instantly. Here is what it actually takes to turn personalization into an edge: It’s a dialogue, not a pitch. Stop trying to convert on every touchpoint. Exchange real value for data, listen to the response, and pivot. Speed and adaptability beat initial perfection every time. Data can’t design the experience. Data tells you what’s happening, but it can’t imagine a better way forward. Crafting an experience worth responding to still takes human design judgment, instinct, and real-world testing. Structure teams to act as one. Personalization usually breaks because it fragments across different teams. Winning requires an experience vision that sets clear guardrails, like a design system, so teams can move fast on their own without creating bottlenecks. Knowing your customer is the easy part now. Having the nerve, structure, and speed to respond well is where the advantage is won. We just published a deeper dive on this at Manyone - link in the comments! 👇

Designing the future of warehouse robotics ✨ UNIT AI is developing an affordable, end-to-end automation system that helps retailers store, pick and move products more efficiently. Together, we helped bring a new micro-fulfillment system to life – connecting robotics, engineering, digital interfaces and brand into one cohesive experience. Read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/et58TtPf

AI can scale what you do and do it at speed. But speed only helps if you’re headed somewhere worth going. The thinking still comes first: framing the problem, asking why, defining the outcome. Manyone gets that right, then uses AI to make it happen faster than ever. See how Manyone turns AI into real business outcomes 👇

When everyone builds with the same models, the experiences start to blur, and the goosebumps get rarer. What you create is still felt by humans in the end. That’s why human creativity and strategic design matter more now, not less. Manyone pairs AI’s superpowers with the craft that makes an experience land. See how Manyone helps brands stay human in an AI world 👇