The unseen architect

The hardest problems I’ve solved in 30 years weren’t technical — they were human. After decades in the professional world – from the pioneering days of internet banking to the dynamic media industry, launching ventures in Norway, India, and Lithuania, and steering projects from small teams of two to large international groups of 300 people from 17 nations – I've come to one firm conclusion: the true challenge in any project is never the technology.

Technology, for all its complexity and power, is just a tool. The real architects, the people who determine success or failure, are the team members. It’s all about how we connect, communicate, and ultimately, whether we can truly work together.

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Beyond the Code: The Human Element

This became even clearer to me when Google's "Project Aristotle" findings were published. For years, I had an instinct for what made teams click. Project Aristotle didn't just confirm this feeling; it provided a solid foundation for it. The most critical factor for high-performing teams isn't individual talent or a perfect structure. It's psychological safety.

Think about it: you can gather the most brilliant minds on the planet, carefully structure their tasks, and give them the best tools. But if those individuals don't feel safe to suggest a new idea, admit they made a mistake, or question a decision without fear of being judged, their collective potential is never fully realized. Without psychological safety, even the most skilled people in the world will struggle to work together and succeed.

Beyond safety, there’s another deep human need that drives us: the desire to grow and for our work to have meaning. We spend so much of our lives at work; it's natural to want it to be for a purpose.

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Brain and Heart: The Padeia Philosophy

When I was involved in hiring at Miles, we simplified this down to two core qualities we looked for: Professional Authority and Warmth. Or, as we often said, Brain and Heart. We looked for people who had the technical skill to do the job well (the "brain") but also the empathy and desire to be a good, collaborative colleague (the "heart"). This combination, we found, was the key to building a strong culture.

My international career has only strengthened this belief. Working with diverse teams, I’ve learned that, beneath the surface of our cultural differences, people are very much the same. Personality, in my experience, often matters more than cultural upbringing. The basic human needs – to contribute, to be respected, to connect – are universal. I've had the privilege of working with amazing people from all over the world, and what truly united us was always our shared goals and respect for each other.

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The Dream of a Shared Goal

In the consultancy world, creating a deep sense of shared meaning for every employee is a unique challenge. Projects and clients are always changing, and so the common goal shifts. For years, I dreamt of a different way of working. Now, at Padeia, I'm working in pure product development for the first time in my career. And it's everything I hoped for: a common goal, a single product that everyone can get behind, all of us working together to make it a success. This shared mission is a powerful way to bring people together.

Now, you might think it’s a contradiction to emphasize people over technology when leading an AI-first company like Padeia. I see it as the opposite. Our focus on AI reinforces the need for a strong, people-centric culture. Powerful technology is just a potential until it's in the right hands. It takes a team with deep trust, psychological safety, and a shared purpose to harness something as complex as AI and steer it toward creating real, human value. The technology doesn't create the vision; the people do. AI is simply the most powerful tool we have to achieve that vision together.

Building this culture is our focus. We need teams of people who genuinely want to create something together, who value their workplace, and who actively try to be a good colleague.

From my experience, this requires:

• Real Connection: We need to meet and connect. Direct interaction, even digitally, builds stronger relationships.
• Open Dialogue: We must create an environment where everyone feels they can speak their mind and share their perspective, knowing they will be heard and not ridiculed.
• Collective Achievement: And, of course, we need to deliver value together. There’s a special satisfaction that comes from working side-by-side to achieve a shared, meaningful goal.

I remember a huge international project years ago. We worked incredibly hard, often through weekends, to meet deadlines. It was tough. But ten years later, people flew in from around the world for a reunion. The shared feeling wasn't about the hard work, but about the amazing journey we took together. For many of us, it was the best work experience of our careers. We weren’t just colleagues; we were a team that had achieved something great, united by a common purpose and a strong commitment to each other. We forgot the sleepless nights, but never the success we achieved and the friendships we made.

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Ultimately, whether you're building software or a business, the core principle is the same: invest in your people. Create an environment where they feel safe, can grow, and find meaning. Look for the ‘brain’ and nurture the ‘heart.’ If you do this, the technology and the success will follow.

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