FOLLOW US:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inside-commerce/

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

In this podcast, James Gurd interviews Jon Cleaver, CTO of a prominent sports shoe brand, about the challenges and strategies involved in digital transformation within the company.

Jon shares his extensive background in retail, and discusses the importance of resilience and adaptability in project management. He outlines the key challenges he faced upon joining the company, including team morale, technology issues, and stakeholder engagement. Jon emphasizes the need for quick wins and effective communication to build trust and drive change, while also addressing resistance to change and the importance of customer feedback in the redesign of their ecommerce stack.

In this conversation, Jon discusses their iterative approach to launching ecommerce platforms, emphasising the importance of learning from mistakes and customer feedback. He highlights the challenges of SEO during replatforming and the decision-making process behind choosing BigCommerce as a flexible ecommerce solution.

The discussion also covers the impact of these changes on the engineering team dynamics and the transition from project management to product management, showcasing the need for adaptability and continuous improvement in a fast-paced digital environment.

Key takeaways:

• Digital transformation requires resilience and adaptability.
• Building team morale is crucial for project success.
• Addressing complex areas early can mitigate project risks.
• Strong engineering teams are essential for successful project delivery.
• Building a headless architecture allows for greater customisation.

• Creating a flexible toolset empowers teams to work efficiently.

• Identifying quick wins can drive momentum in change initiatives.
• Incremental delivery helps manage change effectively.
• Involving cross-functional teams in discovery fosters collaboration.
• Using a headless CMS can streamline operations and reduce bottlenecks.

• Understanding customer needs is essential for successful redesigns.

• Transitioning to product management requires a shift in mindset and processes.

FOLLOW US:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inside-commerce/

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, James Gurd, Liam Quinn and Paul Rogers discuss the current state of AI in ecommerce, exploring its adoption, opportunities, challenges, and the future of AI agents.

They delve into the importance of creative direction, data strategy, and the role of third-party tools in enhancing AI capabilities for brands. The conversation highlights the rapid advancements in AI technology and its implications for customer service, visual content generation, and overall brand strategy.

Key takeaways:

• AI adoption in ecommerce is still in its early stages.
• Customer service is a key area for AI implementation.
• Brands must ensure quality data for effective AI use.
• Creative direction remains crucial alongside AI technology.
• AI can significantly enhance visual content generation.
• Data structure is essential for leveraging AI effectively.
• AI agents could revolutionise user interactions with brands.
• Brands need to be agile in their AI strategies.
• The legal landscape around AI-generated content is evolving.
• Third-party tools are emerging to support AI integration.

Stay connected with the leading ecommerce platforms. In this episode, we interview leaders and visionaries from Shopify, BigCommerce, Centra, Commerce Layer, Remarkable Commerce, Scayle and Shopline for a fireside chat on what’s happened in Q3 and Q4 2024.

Every 6 months, we catch-up with the leadership teams of leading ecommerce vendors so you can hear directly from them about their strategic and product focus.

For this episode, we’re discussing key product updates, go-to-market focus, major new wins and what the roadmap focus will be for the next quarter.

Timings:

02:05 > BigCommerce

18:50 > Centra

38:35 > Commerce Layer

52:55 > Remarkable Commerce

1:11:35 > Scayle

1:22:45 > Shopify

1:37:40 > Shopline

Contact details for all vendors are on the landing page on insidecommerce.fm