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What If? So What?

What If? So What?

Written by: Perficient Inc.
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What If? So What? is the podcast where we discover what’s possible with digital and figure out how to make it real in your business. Join host Jim Hertzfeld, Vice President Strategy, as he interviews industry experts and veterans to dissect the buzz, challenge the status quo, and translate grand visions into tangible actions. Because it's not just about dreaming big, it's about asking the right questions: 'What If?' 'So What?’, and most importantly, “Now What?”

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Episodes
  • Stefaan Verhulst, PhD, co-founder and chief research and development officer at the GovLab at New York University
    Oct 17 2025

    In this episode of “What If? So What?” Jim Hertzfeld sits down with Stefaan Verhulst, Chief Research and Development Officer at The GovLab, to explore why it’s time for organizations to stop treating data as a private asset and start treating it as infrastructure for innovation.

    Stefaan believes that the future of digital transformation depends on how we organize, govern, and share data across sectors. He discusses how data collaboratives are helping companies and governments tackle complex challenges—from public health to AI governance, and why trust, transparency, and capability building are now the hallmarks of modern data leadership.

    Key discussion topics include:

    • Data as infrastructure: shifting from ownership to enablement

    • Building responsible data ecosystems that balance innovation and ethics

    • The role of trust and governance in scaling AI responsibly

    • How cross-sector collaboration can unlock new business and social value

    Listen to learn how forward-thinking organizations can use data not just to compete, but to contribute.

    Thank you for listening!

    You can also watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/@perficient/podcasts

    Have a question for Jim? AMA - submit questions: podcast@perficient.com

    FOLLOW JIM

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimhertzfeld/

    https://x.com/jimhertzfeld

    FOLLOW PERFICIENT:

    https://www.perficient.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/perficient/posts/?feedView=all

    https://www.instagram.com/perficient/

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    27 mins
  • Jonathan Brill, Futurist and Best-Selling Author on AI, Rogue Waves, and the Octopus Organization
    Oct 15 2025

    this episode of “What If? So What?”, host Jim Hertzfeld sits down with futurist and best-selling author Jonathan Brill to explore how organizations can prepare for disruption and thrive in an AI-driven future. Brill is author of “Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit From Radical Change” and “AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm,” which shares how seemingly unpredictable shocks—pandemics, energy crises, political upheaval—are becoming more frequent as global systems collide.

    In this episode, Brill explains why traditional three- and five-year planning no longer works and instead urges leaders to focus on the real-world constraints shaping the pace of technological change. He introduces the concept of the “octopus organization,” a new model where decision making is distributed rather than centralized, and AI empowers people across the enterprise with better context, insight, and agility.

    He also emphasizes that while technology evolves quickly, cultural transformation can take several years, which means that leaders must start reshaping their organizations now to be ready for 2030 and beyond.

    Get your copy of AI and Octopus Organization today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQK1PXDV?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520

    Thank you for listening!

    You can also watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/@perficient/podcasts

    Have a question for Jim? AMA - submit questions: podcast@perficient.com

    FOLLOW JIM

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimhertzfeld/

    https://x.com/jimhertzfeld

    FOLLOW PERFICIENT:

    https://www.perficient.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/perficient/posts/?feedView=all

    https://www.instagram.com/perficient/

    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • Wally Burchfield, Automotive Industry Expert on AI and Consumer Data
    Oct 1 2025

    In this episode of “What If? So What?”, host Jim Hertzfeld sits down with Wally Burchfield, a seasoned automotive executive with more than five decades of experience with General Motors, Nissan, and beyond. Wally shares hard-earned insights on how data, trust, and customer experience have reshaped the automotive industry, and what other sectors can learn from it.

    From the rise of telematics to AI in marketing, Wally emphasizes the importance of keeping the consumer at the center of every decision. If you're navigating digital transformation, this episode offers a grounded, practical perspective on how to build trust, deliver value, and stay competitive.

    Thank you for listening!

    You can also watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/@perficient/podcasts

    Have a question for Jim? AMA - submit questions: podcast@perficient.com

    FOLLOW JIM

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimhertzfeld/

    https://x.com/jimhertzfeld

    FOLLOW PERFICIENT:

    https://www.perficient.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/perficient/posts/?feedView=all

    https://www.instagram.com/perficient/

    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
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