Karl A L Smith

And the America Britons Are Becoming Afraid to Visit. Something strange is happening to the relationship between Britain and America…. read more The Imaginary of Britain Being Sold to Americans is a lie

Firstly I’m writing this article as a centrist and fiscal conservative. I’m not arguing for higher taxation. I’m arguing for… read more The UK’s Tax and Millionaire Exodus Narrative Is Nonsense

Every organisation wants customers to engage. That seems entirely reasonable. We want people to: Use the service. Find what they… read more When Does Customer Engagement Become Customer Engineering?

For much of the period after the Second World War, the American economic story was relatively straightforward. Businesses became more… read more America Did Not Stop Becoming Richer. It Changed Who Participated in Becoming Richer

You open an application. You search for something. You read something. You buy something. You talk to someone. Then you… read more Who Has the Power in a Digital Relationship?

Who are you online? It sounds like a simple question. But the answer depends on where the question is being… read more Who Decides Who You Are Online?

Technology does more than enable transactions. Over time, it shapes expectations. What we consider normal. What we believe we must… read more Designing Technology That Leaves People in Control

Much of the digital economy has been built around a powerful assumption: Understanding people’s behaviour creates economic value. Observe more…. read more Creating Value Without Exploiting Behaviour

For years, organisations and governments have treated data as a strategic asset. More information creates greater insight. Greater insight improves… read more What Happens When Data Stops Being Strategic Power?

For much of the digital economy, the customer relationship has expanded far beyond the original transaction. Someone buys something. But… read more What If My Customer’s Behaviour Wasn’t Part of My Business Model

Modern organisations have built much of their governance around visibility. We monitor activity. We maintain records. We analyse behaviour. We… read more Governing Without Surveillance

Organisations need accountability. Someone needs to make decisions. Someone needs the authority to act. Someone needs to own the outcome… read more Does Accountability Require Everyone to See Everything?

Most organisations respond to complexity in familiar ways. More reporting. More approvals. More controls. More governance. More management visibility. When… read more Does Organisational Control Really Require More Oversight?

Open almost any digital service and something is competing for your attention. Click this. Watch this. Buy this. Read this… read more Why Does Everything Online Seem to Want Something From Me?

Risk management has traditionally depended on information. Collect more. Monitor more. Retain more. Analyse more. Identify patterns. Spot anomalies. Create… read more Do We Really Need to See Everything to Manage Risk?

Most organisations don’t set out to create surveillance systems. They set out to understand customers. What do people want? What… read more What If Watching Me Had No Commercial Value?

Think about an ordinary day online. You open an app and something has already been selected for you. You visit… read more Why Is Technology Constantly Trying to Influence My Choices?

Most digital systems are designed around the needs of the organisation. They collect information, observe behaviour, measure engagement, create profiles… read more Designing for Human Autonomy

Most digital services are built on an assumption that the provider needs to see the customer, their activity, or information… read more Building Trust Without Visibility

For decades, digital business has been moving in one direction. Know more about the customer. Collect more data. Build richer… read more What If Knowing Less About Me Was Better for Business?

Think about how permissions work in everyday digital life. You download an app. You create an account. You accept the… read more Why Does Saying Yes to One Thing Mean Saying Yes to Everything?

Most digital platforms think about ecosystems in terms of access. They provide APIs, developer accounts, application marketplaces and integration frameworks…. read more The Vision Building a Third-Party Ecosystem on ICCA

Every organisation makes promises. We will protect your data. We will respect your privacy. We will only use your information… read more Why Should I Have to Trust Your Promises?

We leave information behind almost everywhere we go online. Not necessarily because we deliberately provide it, but because our interactions… read more Why Should My Activity Reveal More About Me Than the Interaction Requires?