This is part 2 of our conversation with guest Kate O’Neill, CEO of KO Insights and author of the award-winning book “What Matters Next.” We dig deeper into the challenges and opportunities for making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions under pressure, and conclude with three immediately useful ideas for ethical decision-making.
Kate O’Neill, widely known as the “Tech Humanist,” is a digital innovator, author, and global speaker. As CEO of KO Insights, Kate advises on data-driven, human-centered strategy. A former early Netflix employee, she’s worked with top organizations including Google, IBM, and the UN. Her insights appear in major media, and her books guide leaders on solving human problems at scale. Her latest book is “What Matters Next: A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That’s Moving Too Fast.” It’s an International Book Awards finalist, and Thinkers50 named it “One of the top 10 best new management books of 2025.”
In this second part of our conversation with Kate, we discuss the leadership challenges of making complex technology decisions in accelerated environments. We dig deeper into the challenges and opportunities of making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions, despite the pressure to accelerate, using a story from Kate’s early years as one of the first 100 employees of Netflix. Kate also shares her current views about ethical decision-making. We conclude with three practical ideas for making human-friendly tech decisions in your own company.
 For more insight, listen to Episode 377: Part 1 of our conversation with Kate O’Neill
Kate shares how the uncertain, accelerated environment amplifies the challenges of making complex technology decisions.  She shares how her “Now–Next Continuum” can provide a practical framework for integrating the past,  present, and future. We also speak about how focusing on “what could go right” can amplify human potential while managing risks.
“Purpose” can be more than a fluffy, feel-good esoteric thing, but rather a very aligned principle about what it is you’re trying to do — Kate O’Neill
This week on Growth Igniters Radio:

* Kate’s story of her experiences in the early days of Netflix that influenced her approach to making human-friendly tech decisions
* Kate’s views on ethical decisions around technology and balancing the relative harms of action vs the harms of inaction
* Three guidelines and immediately useful ideas for making human-friendly tech decisions in your own company.

Resources for This Episode:

* Read more about Kate O’Neill and connect with her on  “LinkedIn“
* Read about Kate’s  book, “What Matters Next“
* Listen to Episode 377, Part 1 of our conversation with Kate O’Neill
* Find out more about Pam’s keynote “Break Orbit: Achie...