On this episode I’m back with Luke Hodgson, co founder of Commerce thinking and high cohesion and we’re debating whether system design is a luxury or a necessity for modern brands?

Before jumping into it, we touch on how TikTok is becoming the battleground for Trump’s trade tariffs and whether Strava buying Runna is a playbook for running brands acquiring niche running clubs.

Then we get into system design. We explore the importance of establishing systems from day one, common mistakes brands make, the interplay between data and system design, the impact of AI on system design and why good system design is often a function of an ‘oh shit’ moment.

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