‘Change is the process by which the future invades our lives’
Alvin Toffler
Only Dead Fish is a consultancy focused on AI strategy, transformation and leadership, run by Neil Perkin. Neil is the author of three best-selling books on the intersection of business transformation, organisational agility and leadership: Building the Agile Business, Agile Transformation, and Agile Marketing (all through Kogan Page). He curates the Google Firestarters thought leadership series and designs and delivers AI programmes for the IPA.
Neil works with organisations navigating the strategic, cultural and leadership challenges of AI adoption, through keynotes, workshops, training programmes and strategic consultancy. Clients include Google, AstraZeneca, Lloyds Banking Group, Diageo, BBC, the NHS, Imperial College London, and agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and Omnicom.
Latest Posts
-
Why Every Company Needs an AI Philosophy
Posted on
I’ve been thinking a lot this week about that MIT Sloan piece that I shared in FF686 on how ‘Philosophy Eats AI’. The piece argues that three branches of philosophy are already embedded in every AI deployment whether leaders recognise it or
-
The Brodie Helmet Problem
Posted on
When the Brodie helmet, designed by John Leopold Brodie in 1915, was introduced to the British Army in the First World War it was intended to protect the soldiers from flying shrapnel. Until 1915 soldiers went into battle wearing soft cloth caps but
-
Techniques for critical thinking in AI augmented strategy
Posted on
The ever-greater need for critical thinking in the age of AI has been a consistent theme of mine in this Substack. Humans are so-called cognitive misers. It comes very naturally to us to make use of techniques that make things easier for
-
How Data Won the Premier League
Posted on
In 2015, Liverpool Football Club hired Jürgen Klopp as their new manager. It was a decision that was met with scepticism by many pundits. During Klopp’s last season at Borussia Dortmund the side had dropped to the bottom of the Bundesliga. But
-
Are we having the wrong conversation on AI and jobs?
Posted on
Given all the hype you’d be forgiven for thinking that we’re on the cusp of an AI-driven apocalypse in the jobs market. But are we? Last year Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, described what was called at the time a ‘white-collar bloodbath’. Up to
-
When efficiency is not enough
Posted on
I suspect that this point of view may be somewhat against the current zeitgeist towards AI-driven productivity, but I do believe that there is such a thing as too much efficiency. A good example of this happened in 2011 when the Tōhoku
My books
Agile Transformation
Now on its second edition, Agile Transformation sets out a blueprint for a different type of organisation which is characterised by continuous change and adaptability. Covering approaches to organisational design, operations and culture, this book reveals how leaders can catalyse far greater responsiveness and apply agile principles at scale.
Agile Marketing
Published in 2022, Agile Marketing is the definitive guide to redesigning marketing structures, processes and culture for the digital age. It covers how to put data at the heart of agility and performance, how to empower fast-moving teams and decisions, and how to catalyse a culture of collaboration and learning in marketing strategy and execution.
Building the Agile Business through Digital Transformation
Also on its second edition, Building the Agile Business is designed to be a comprehensive guide to transforming organisations to be fit-for-purpose for the digital-enabled world. This book defines a roadmap for digital transformation setting out the key principles, strategies and tools that leaders can use to create lasting change.