Unbundling the Enterprise • Stephen Fishman, Matt McLarty & Erik Wilde • GOTO 2025

This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club. #GOTOcon #GOTObookclub http://gotopia.tech/bookclub Read the full transcription of the interview here: https://gotopia.tech/episodes/350 Stephen Fishman - Field CTO at Boomi & Co-Author of "Unbundling the Enterprise" Matt McLarty - CTO at Boomi & Co-Author of "Unbundling the Enterprise" @mattmclarty4669 Erik Wilde - Principal Consultant at INNOQ @ErikWilde RESOURCES Stephen https://x.com/fistsOfReason https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenhfishman https://github.com/StephenFishman Matt https://bsky.app/profile/mattmclartybc.bsky.social https://x.com/MattMcLartyBC https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmclartybc Erik https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikwilde https://github.com/dret Links https://itrevolution.com/articles/ooops-a-science-of-happy-accidents https://youtu.be/dcp6YMAmI3M https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6417 https://youtu.be/FPfjHon2tFY DESCRIPTION How can businesses thrive by embracing optionality through digital transformation? Authors Matt McLarty and Stephen Fishman talk about their book “Unbundling the Enterprise” with Erik Wilde. They highlight the power of APIs and flexible systems in enabling companies to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities, or "happy accidents," and how low-cost experimentation can drive long-term success. The conversation emphasizes that optionality is crucial not only in tech but also in business strategy, urging organizations to view their digital capabilities as part of a broader platform that supports both developer empowerment and revenue growth. With insights on optimization, platform engineering, and the importance of aligning technology with business objectives, the authors offer a roadmap for companies to navigate the future with agility and resilience. TIMECODES 00:00 Intro 02:04 Embracing uncertainty with the OOOps Process 11:11 Applying the OOOps Methodology beyond digital business 17:30 Overcoming resistance to optionality 20:16 Make option value part of your organizational math 23:22 Decompose by default (but think about the cost) 25:20 Identifying & creating valuable APIs for business option value 29:54 Optimizing option value: From experimentation to business strategy 35:47 The platform's role in supporting business strategy & optionality 41:22 Outro RECOMMENDED BOOKS Stephen Fishman & Matt McLarty • Unbundling the Enterprise • https://amzn.to/3W2EcXw Carliss Y. Baldwin • Design Rules, Vol. 2 • https://amzn.to/4hdllRr Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • Team Topologies • http://amzn.to/3sVLyLQ Forsgren, Humble & Kim • Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps • https://amzn.to/3tCz1xO Kim, Humble, Debois, Willis & Forsgren • The DevOps Handbook • https://amzn.to/47oAf3l Mik Kersten • Project to Product • https://amzn.to/4fSH6Fe Andrew Harmel-Law • Facilitating Software Architecture • https://amzn.eu/d/5kZKVfU https://bsky.app/profile/gotocon.com https://twitter.com/GOTOcon https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto- https://www.instagram.com/goto_con https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences #UnbundlingTheEnterprise #OOOps #OOOpsProcess #OOOpsMethodology #Optionality #API #APIs #OptionValue #BusinessStrategy #PlatformEngineering #DevOps #SoftwareEngineering #Programming #StephenFishman #MattMcLarty #ErikWilde #BookClub CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join Looking for a unique learning experience? Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket at https://gotopia.tech SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL - new videos posted almost daily. https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1