During a recent MediaGrowth Excellorator interview, Michael shared key insights on how B2B media companies can effectively manage digital transformation. He emphasized that organizational resistance to change—not technology itself—is often the main barrier to progress.

Michael advocated for applying product management principles, focusing on desired outcomes (like improving advertiser and sales team experiences) rather than just outputs (such as new tools or workflows). This outcome-oriented mindset helps reduce budget overruns, project delays, and misalignment.

A major theme was product-led growth (PLG), where companies prioritize customer value and product experience across departments—similar to the approaches of Canva and Slack—to drive engagement and reduce churn.

Michael also detailed BridgeTower Media’s structured AI integration, including cross-departmental committees that ensure responsible adoption and innovation, improving both internal operations and customer-facing products.
 

Finally, Michael highlighted the need to simplify fragmented tech stacks, ensuring that technology serves the customer experience rather than departmental silos. Tools like the RICE prioritization framework help balance innovation with organizational objectives.

Key Takeaways:

• Overcoming resistance to change is essential for transformation success.
• Product-led growth drives sustainable engagement through customer-centric design.
• AI initiatives should be structured, outcome-focused, and collaborative.
• Streamlined tech stacks improve customer value and cross-department alignment.
• Prioritization frameworks like RICE help balance innovation with business goals.

Michael will expand on these strategies at MGES'26.