Tharshan S.

Friday thoughts: Business Architect vs Strategic Designer, thoughts? Just watched a passionate, enlightening vlog by a 30 year old Aussie traversing the London and NYC business strategy industry with a Big 3? firm. While I have always seen the intersection and partnership between Business Architecture, analysis and Service Design, HCD this is a new term. While she prosecuted a fantastic end to end pitch of marrying strategy with design thinking for value creation and strategy execution is it yet again enduring and consistent underpinning capability definition, mapping, reuse and optimisation that is missing to ensure true business and client outcomes? She drew me in initially because of the international mobility she was vloging on.

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🚀 I’m excited to share a paper we have published with ATSE: “Unleashing Growth: Australia’s AI Investment Blueprint.”   👉 https://lnkd.in/gFBiA2zg   Here are my favorite highlights: 1) Up to $235bn in economic value could be unlocked through AI with $150bn in at risk if Australia doesn’t accelerate adoption 2) Australia’s public AI investment lags peers by 10x; Australia has invested just over $300m to date with other countries investing billions 3) SMEs drive 55% of the potential, so a strong enablement ecosystem (skills, tools, standards) is critical 4) A $5bn in public funding could catalyse close to $50bn in private investment 5) Sectors with the highest upside include professional services, healthcare, and education --> AI presents a real opportunity to make our lives better and cut admin drudgery, advance preventative & diagnostic medicine and help us learn better   Big thanks to all collaborators: Anshuman Sengar, Sue Keay, Shazia Sadiq, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, Peter Derbyshire, Dr Natasha Abrahams, Emily O'Neill #ATSE #Kearney #AI #AIPolicy #Australia #EconomicGrowth #SMEs #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Innovation

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🇦🇺 Thrilled to share this piece in the The Australian Financial Review by Tess Bennett about Sovereign Australia AI and the journey we're embarking on to build Australis - Australia's own foundational language model. I couldn’t be prouder to be building this alongside my mate and Co-Founder Simon Kriss This isn't just about building another AI model. It's about ensuring Australia maintains its digital sovereignty and voice in an increasingly AI-driven world. We shouldn't be dependent on decisions made in Washington, Silicon Valley, Beijing or Europe about how AI understands and represents our Australian culture, values, and way of life. Yet to achieve this isn’t easy and it takes scale to compete, so we’ve made a massive investment in compute and have acquired 256 NVIDIA Blackwell B200 GPUs hosted in NEXTDC's secure Australian data centre in Melbourne, and managed by our colleagues at SHARON AI What makes me particularly proud of what we’ve done so far: ✅ Ethical from the ground up - We're committing $10M to compensate copyright owners, working WITH creators rather than against them ✅ Built for Australia, by Australians - From the ground up, built, trained and inferenced onshore, here in Australia, and compliant with our privacy and copyright laws ✅ Customers & Partnerships In Place - We partnering with some amazing Aussie organisations to help them solve some of Australia’s AI challenges. The partnerships we can speak about include ACS (Australian Computer Society), UNSW Canberra & GT Systems Australia, with more to follow! The path to digital sovereignty doesn't require billions, it requires vision, ethical principles, and the determination to ensure Australia's voice isn't lost in the global AI conversation. We're proving that sovereign AI can be built responsibly, affordably, and with respect for the creators whose work makes it possible. Australia's digital future should be in Australian hands. Let's build it together. 🚀 Special thanks to Craig Scroggie, Andrew Leece, Kieran Habojan, Dan Mons, Sudarshan Ramachandran, Rhod Brown, Brett Bonser, Melissa Hamilton, Josh Griggs, Rhett Sampson and so many more. #ai #sovereignai #llm #gpt #innovation #australia #australian https://lnkd.in/gnF8N3mR

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Well said Leigh Jasper. This echoes a common sentiment in Silicon Valley: • Network effects • Proprietary data assets • Deep industry-specific workflows • Regulatory and risk-compliance barriers tapestry® delivers all four: • Marketplace economics • Real-time commerce data (including compliance data) • AI workflows (HANK) • POS distribution and compliance reporting 4/4. Nice.

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This is big. Three things NSW’s IT outsourcing overhaul got right (that most of us get wrong): 1. They admitted their current model was built for yesterday’s problems 2. They chose flexibility over efficiency 3. They are treating vendors like a portfolio, not a marriage The old model: Two big contracts, traditional service management, legacy thinking. The new model: Six specialised capabilities, multiple providers, built-in competition. Great stuff👌! It is basically the difference between putting all your money in one stock versus diversifying your portfolio. Same risk management principles, applied to vendor relationships. Sometimes the ‘riskier’ approach (or I call it building antifragile systems) is actually the safer long-term play. Thoughts? #VendorManagement #DigitalTranformation #ITStrategy https://lnkd.in/gxgdK2XR

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Accessibility is no longer optional. It’s a responsibility. In Australia, digital accessibility is increasingly tied to compliance, user experience, and brand trust. Most organisations are expected to meet WCAG 2.1 (or higher) at Level AA not just for government, but across industries. Yet, many businesses still treat accessibility as an afterthought. Here’s the reality: If your digital platform is not accessible, you are potentially excluding users, limiting reach, and exposing your business to compliance risks under the Disability Discrimination Act. WCAG 2.1 goes beyond checklists. It’s about building digital experiences that are: 1. Perceivable 2. Operable 3. Understandable 4. Robust And most importantly - usable by everyone. At KiwiQA Services , we are seeing a clear shift: Accessibility is becoming a business differentiator, not just a technical requirement. The question is no longer “Do we need accessibility testing?” It’s “Can we afford to ignore it?” If you’re building or scaling digital products in Australia, this is a must-read: https://lnkd.in/gcnY_sCx #Accessibility #WCAG #DigitalInclusion #SoftwareTesting #AI #UserExperience #KiwiQA

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After years of leadership across different environments, companies, domains, and people the thing I wish I’d had more of along the way was a voice like the one I have grown. Someone to guide, mentor, and help individuals grow authentically, without losing themselves. I’ve been lucky to experience great mentorship. But there is always a different mentor need for every season you’re in. A wise mentor introduced me to MentorSub, and it sparked a new idea and pathway as I navigate my own season of change. 🌱 If you’re navigating the leap from IC to leader, or from manager to executive — I’d love to be that person for you.

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I recently published "Enterprise Design for Agile Coaches" at https://lnkd.in/g2bDrCe7. The article explores in detail my advice that I shared last autumn about one option for agile coaches who are hoping to move their career forward would be to move into the enterprise design space. This is a multi-year journey, and this article shares some ideas how to go about it. #enterprisedesign, #agile, #agilecoaching, #futureofagile

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Evening Australia, Nuage has partnered with a large enterprise that is needing 3 Senior Boomi Developers supporting a large federal government integration program. - 12 month initial contracts - Baseline Clearance Needed - 50% Hybrid working from any major Australian City (Preference being Melbourne) - $1000-1200 a day depending on experience These roles sit between platform building and deploying integration services across enterprise systems, APIs and Cloud platforms. You’ll be working across: - Boomi integration development - REST / SOAP APIs (JSON / XML) - Data mapping & transformations - API design (Swagger) - CI/CD and cloud integrations (AWS / Azure environments) This is a senior hands on role with design input, working alongside architecture and platform teams to deliver scalable integration services.

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Our time at AgileAus 25 (Agile Australia) was full of connections, fresh perspectives, great conversations, and positive energy! Our expert, Narinder (Naz) D., alongside our training partners Mike Boutel (PM-Partners) and Fred Caranese (Lumify Group (formerly DDLS Group) shared real-world examples on the common challenges organizations face when trying to scale agile, including: ✅Lack of Unified Vision ✅Cultural Resistance ✅Inconsistent Agile Practices ✅Cross-Team Dependencies ✅Governance & Compliance Constraints When we asked for a show of hands, it was no surprise that a majority of the audience related to these same issues. 💡This led to a fruitful discussion on how the latest PRINCE2 Agile (Version 2) is designed to help organizations effectively address these challenges. By providing practical guidance to overcome these roadblocks, PRINCE2 Agile is able to combine structure with agility to achieve outcomes that remain. And of course, we couldn’t leave without having a little fun - we gave the iconic Aussie Tim Tam Slam a try, and it was gooood! #PRINCE2 #AgileAus #AgileAus25

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Great to spend time with the Auckland D365 Business Central User Group last week. Thank you to Ararat Nalbantoglu, Tharanga Chandrasekara, Steve G., and the wider community for such a welcoming session 🙌 It was refreshing to have practical conversations around what actually works when delivering AP automation in Business Central, rather than running through a standard demo. A few themes that resonated: Treat AP automation as part of the core BC project, not “phase 2” Design for real-world finance complexity Keep solutions aligned to BC to avoid unnecessary customisation Really appreciated the engagement and questions during and after the session. If we spoke on the night (or if you’d like to continue the discussion) feel free to connect or send me a message. Always happy to swap delivery experiences with fellow BC practitioners. #BusinessCentral #D365BC #BCCommunity #APAutomation

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Bank of New Zealand. Xero. Arlo Training Management Software. Abbie Stevens has spent 20 years building and scaling tech teams — most recently as Chief Engineering & Information Officer at Arlo. She's made the transitions that most people are still trying to figure out. IC to engineering leader. Managing code to managing people who manage people. "I'll just do it myself" to building the culture that means you don't have to. Abbie is especially sharp on: → The IC-to-leadership jump (and why most people aren't ready for it) → Building confidence when the decisions get bigger than the technical problems → Navigating the politics that show up the moment you get direct reports → Scaling engineering culture without losing what made it work No theory. No platitudes. Two decades of real leadership experience applied to whatever you're facing right now. You know the drill 👉 https://lnkd.in/egMrWDyi

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This one really stuck with me. It’s not just about better data, it’s about what you do with it. Seeing ANZ use Agentforce to power intelligent action is a great example of the Agentic Enterprise in motion. More of this, please.

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Scrum Podcast I recently had the pleasure of joining Vasco Duarte on the https://lnkd.in/gUjP7zp4 - Check out my episodes here https://lnkd.in/gTJnqp_g I once made someone genuinely upset... by praising them in front of 100+ people. 🎯 That phone call taught me more about servant leadership than any certification ever could. Here are 3 lessons from my week on the @ScrumPodcast with Vasco that changed how I work with teams: 🔍 Recognition without consent isn't always a gift – I learned that introverts and quiet team members might experience public praise as unwanted spotlight. Now I always check preferences before calling anyone out. Not everyone thrives in the limelight, and great coaching means respecting HOW people want to be celebrated. ⏸️ Sometimes the best intervention is a pause – When a Product Owner and dev team were escalating into heated conflict, I stepped in with just five words: "We're on the same team." That break let everyone reset. Both sides thanked me later for creating space to cool down and refocus on shared outcomes. 📊 If your team isn't thriving, nothing else matters – I measure success with mid-sprint "vibe checks" and use MIRO boards as a living history museum of our retrospectives. Survey scores and velocity charts mean nothing if the people aren't flourishing. Ask yourself: is your team truly thriving? What's your approach to recognition, conflict, and measuring team health? #Agile #ScrumMaster #ServantLeadership #TeamHealth

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We’re excited to welcome Ravi G. to the stage at Testing Talks Conference Melbourne on Thursday, 9th October 2025! As the Head of Quality Engineering Practice at Adactin, Ravi brings over 17 years of expertise in software development, intelligent automation, and AI-led quality assurance. He’s a recognised thought leader in AI-driven testing and intelligent validation strategies, speaking at both national and international conferences. 🎤 His talk: From Chaos to Clarity: Orchestrating AI for Intelligent Testing In this session, Ravi will tackle the challenges of modern testing, faster release cycles, complex integrations, and shifting UIs, and show how AI can bring order to the chaos. Using LLMs and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), he’ll demonstrate how to build an intelligent, adaptive testing ecosystem. What you’ll learn: 1️⃣ Transform natural language into executable test scenarios 2️⃣ Auto-generate ready-to-run test scripts 3️⃣ Adapt instantly to UI/UX changes with zero manual effort 4️⃣ Deliver actionable insights for both business and tech teams Don’t miss this chance to see how AI can power scalable, resilient, and future-ready testing practices. For more details and to secure your tickets, visit: https://lnkd.in/g8N_xfp #TestingTalksConference

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I've been working through our quarterly expense audit and something blew my mind. Australian tech companies are continuing to win more and more of our business. Why? The consumer experience and price point. Loom (acquired by Atlassian) -> converted to a business account this morning after finally getting to the point where we need >5 min videos and download capabilities. Whole team can access for $15 / month. Canva -> have been a paying subscriber for years. Our entire team is on a plan for $150 a year. Cake-> switched over from Carta last year. It's a super intuitive product, great support, and was significantly less. Compared to the US, the Australian venture capital market is tiny. Sure, the companies that I'm talking about did raise VC dollars eventually, but it was after figuring out initial product market fit and building in PLG triggers. The reality is that SaaS models are changing more now than they have in the last 20 years. The days of charging companies exorbitant per seat license fees and expecting customers to pay premium support fees to get over the adoption curve are over.

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