IMS · Main stage · Adobe Summit 2026
Dismantling
the broken
world of work.
Ian Daniels · IMS Consultancy · IT MAKES SENSE
KIRSTY — cold open. Video plays first (37s). This is the beat they land on. Does the title land hard enough? Should 'broken' be bigger?
The truth
The tools
have never
been better.
The people
using them
have never
been more broken.
Peter Drucker · 1963
Efficiency is doing
things right.
Every AI system, every platform, every consultancy is selling you efficiency. Faster. Cheaper. More output.
KIRSTY — pause here. Let the efficiency definition land before flipping it.
Peter Drucker · 1963
Effectiveness is doing
the right things.
Nobody in this room is selling you effectiveness. Nobody is selling you the operating model that makes sure the machine is pointed at the right problem.
Efficient
at the wrong
things.
Nobody
fixed the
people
supply chain.
KIRSTY — this is the line. Hold it. Is it the right length? Does it need a beat before it?
CEDF Intelligence · April 2026 · AI OS Race Tracker
People OS is the entire gap.
| Player |
AI OS |
People OS |
Adobe |
Total |
| IMS CEDF ★ |
9 |
10 |
9 |
34 |
| Brainlabs ◆ new · partnership candidate |
8 |
7 |
3 |
26 |
| Accenture Song |
8 |
4 |
9 |
30 |
| Publicis ↑ Microsoft 8 Apr |
9 |
5 |
6 |
29 |
| Omnicom + IPG |
8 |
3 |
5 |
26 |
| WPP |
7 |
4 |
6 |
25 |
| Stagwell / The Machine |
7 |
3 |
4 |
19 |
| Havas / AVA |
6 |
3 |
3 |
18 |
The metaphor
Nature already
solved this problem.
Thousands of years ago. Under the forest floor.
KIRSTY — this is the pivot. Science to nature. Does the transition feel earned or jarring?
The internet
under the
forest.
Mycelium. Fungal threads thinner than a human hair. No central command. No hierarchy. Just an intelligent network that makes everything more resilient by connecting it.
Three scales · one system
From the cosmic
to the quantum
to the mycelium.
01
As above, so below
The macro forces shaping work are not problems to solve. They are the conditions we design for.
02
The smallest things matter most
Effectiveness is built at the level of individual interactions, daily decisions, real human behaviour.
03
Connection compounds both
Once the human layer is effective, AI amplifies it. Neither alone is sufficient.
The method
Effectiveness
before
efficiency.
Always in that order. Never the reverse.
Three things · in the right order
01
Design for effectiveness
Map how people actually work. Redesign around real human behaviour. The Schema Librarian, Data Steward, and Change Steward are load-bearing — not compliance overhead.
02
Amplify with efficiency
AI-assisted workflows that remove friction without removing people. The 30% throughput gain is the floor, not the ceiling.
03
Connect the network
Teams become nodes. Knowledge propagates. The whole becomes more capable than the sum of its parts — the mycelium effect.
KIRSTY — this is dense. Does this need to be three slides instead of one panel? Or does the visual rhythm work as a beat?
ClearCourse · Aquiline PE-backed · live and referenceable
76%
Operational efficiency increase
15%
Calls diverted to self-service
Effectiveness by design first. Efficiency gain as the measurable output. CEO and COO will speak to it.
KIRSTY — are these numbers the right hero stats? Is 76% the one to lead on, or does the story need a human outcome stat too?
Infrastructure
without a
human layer
is a platform
looking for
a soul.
The People Supply Chain
is the one thing
none of them can
copy quickly.
Because it requires believing the human layer is the engine, not the overhead. That belief is not in any holdco's business model.
What changes next
Three horizons.
One direction.
H1
Education & workforce
Generating the next people supply chain workforce. Redistribution as the post-AI web redefines what skills the world needs.
H2
Investment & PE
Rapid portfolio reallocation to capture the closing window of first-mover advantage. Open-source agentic protocols becoming infrastructure.
H3
Public sector & protocols
Like mycelium sharing nutrients to struggling plants — the protocol becomes infrastructure. Open source by design.
We thought
we were
building
something
new.
Nature
already
knew.
As above, so below.
The close
Doing things right
is the prerequisite.
Doing the right things is the advantage.
KIRSTY — is this the right close line? Or does it need to be more visceral / felt?
What we are asking
Extend.
Agree.
Name the
next room.
01
Extend
P-for-motion extension. ClearCourse is live. The next organisation is ready.
02
Agree
Partner economics. IMS, LeapPoint, Adobe, Omnicom. The £16M pipeline justifies the vehicle.
03
Name
Who from Adobe, Omnicom, and the wider ecosystem needs to be in the next room?
An
unforgettable
future for the
world of work.
IMS · It Makes Sense · itmakessense.com