You can build software over Zoom, but it doesn’t come close to the magic of in person meetings.
For over a year, I’ve been working in the trenches remotely with the incredible teams at Victoria Beckham and Crocus. We’ve shared dashboards, Slack messages, emails, and strategy calls across time zones.
But this week, we met in person, instead of a computer screen, I was reminded why I love what I do.
It wasn’t just about the food or the wine; it was about finally connecting with the humans behind the screens. These are the trailblazers who didn’t wait for “perfect conditions” to innovate. They fought massive organizational hurdles to power through.
Inevitably, the conversation turned to why so many other brands are still sitting on the sidelines while these teams are racing ahead. We realized it usually comes down to two very human emotions:
Fear: The worry that the AI will “go rogue” (a fear that feels bigger than it is).
Disbelief: The numbers look so good that they feel impossible to trust.
It was refreshing to talk about these challenges face-to-face, not as vendors and clients, but as partners navigating a massive shift in retail together.
To the teams leading the way: thank you for the trust, the partnership, and for a wonderful evening.
The tech is exciting, but the people are what make it worth it.