Beyond the CMS - A Content Management Podcast

Chris Bryce | Dotfusion Digital
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We are all about Content Management Platforms. Welcome to "Beyond the CMS," the podcast where big ideas, insightful conversations, and industry-leading voices converge to redefine digital content experiences. Each episode, we sit down with influential thought leaders and innovators from the most prominent CMS platforms—including Contentful, Storyblok, Agility, Magnolia, and more—to explore emerging trends, groundbreaking technologies, and transformative strategies shaping the future of content management. Our guests are industry experts, visionaries, and key executives who dive deep into topics such as headless architectures, personalization, AI-driven content strategies, composable solutions, and best practices for delivering seamless digital experiences at scale. Whether you're a marketer, developer, product manager, or simply passionate about digital innovation, join us as we uncover actionable insights, discuss bold ideas, and provide a unique behind-the-scenes look into the ever-evolving CMS landscape. #contentmanagementsystem #contentmanagement #headlesscms #contentful #agilitycms #storyblok #cms

  1. Beyond The CMS #39 - Chris Bryce (Dotfusion) with Joel Goodman (Squiz)

    FEB 6

    Beyond The CMS #39 - Chris Bryce (Dotfusion) with Joel Goodman (Squiz)

    In Episode 39 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce, Partner - Strategy at Dotfusion, sits down with Joel Goodman, VP - Growth Strategy at Squiz, to unpack what it actually takes to make enterprise content discoverable in AI-powered search engines and answer platforms. Joel brings over 13 years of experience running a digital agency serving higher education before joining Squiz, where he now helps organizations modernize their content platforms and optimize for both human and AI audiences. He explains why traditional SEO practices fall short when ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are reshaping how people search, and what organizations need to do differently to stay visible. The discussion goes beyond surface-level advice and explores the structural, strategic, and technical realities of Answer Engine Optimization. Joel explains how large language models interpret content differently than traditional search bots, why speed and structure matter more than ever, and how content contradictions across a website can kill discoverability entirely. Key topics include:• How AI search differs from traditional SEO and why LLMs parse content in fundamentally different ways• What Answer Engine Optimization means in practice and why it starts with content strategy, not tactics• Why Squiz built conversational search on top of 15+ years of proven search algorithms instead of bolting AI onto generic tools• How content intelligence tools surface contradictions, readability issues, and structural problems that block AI visibility• The role of schema markup and structured data—and how to implement it at scale without manual tagging• Why web performance directly affects AI discoverability and what a 499 error code means for your content• How to balance brand experience with the highly structured, parsable content that AI engines require• Why accessibility, readability, and content clarity benefit both human users and AI simultaneously• The tension between beautiful UX design and content built for machine interpretation—and where both still matter• How Squiz's hybrid CMS approach combines traditional page-building tools with full headless API flexibility• The integration of conversational search, personalization, A/B testing, and customer data platforms within a single DXP• Real use cases across higher education, professional services, legal firms, government, and content-heavy enterprises• Why composable architectures can create unpredictable costs and operational overhead—and when a unified DXP makes more sense• What content contradictions are, how they emerge across large sites, and why they destroy AI trust and rankings• Why slow websites get skipped by LLMs and how the 499 error code signals abandonment by AI crawlers• The Guardian Agent model Squiz uses to validate AI-generated responses before delivering them to users• Why conversational search on your own site matters as users expect the same AI-native interactions they experience elsewhere• How Squiz's Funnelback search platform works standalone or integrated—and why domain-specific search beats generic web-scale algorithms Joel explains that making content AI-ready is not about chasing a new trend or gaming a new algorithm. It's about returning to foundational content strategy principles: clarity, structure, consistency, accessibility, and performance. The same work that improves human comprehension and meets accessibility standards also makes content legible to AI systems. Whether you're a CMO trying to understand why your brand doesn't appear in ChatGPT results, a digital leader evaluating CMS and DXP platforms, a content strategist rethinking taxonomy and information architecture, or an enterprise operator preparing for the shift toward AI-native discovery, this episode delivers practical insight into what works and what doesn't. 🎧 Listen now and join the conversation!

    36 min
  2. Beyond The CMS #38 - Chris Bryce (Dotfusion) with Matt Hudson (BILDIT)

    JAN 23

    Beyond The CMS #38 - Chris Bryce (Dotfusion) with Matt Hudson (BILDIT)

    In Episode 38 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce sits down with Matt Hudson, Founder of BILDIT, to explore how AI is changing the game for content creation and delivery, and why the traditional website as a traffic destination is quietly dying. Matt brings years of experience building digital experiences for enterprise retail at Belk, mobile app platforms for Charles Schwab and Sam's Club, and e-commerce systems that operate at scale. He explains how BILDIT started from a simple problem: there was no true content management system designed for mobile apps that treated code itself as content. What began as a mobile first platform evolved into what BILDIT now calls a visual experience engine, a system that manages layout, templates, and front-end experiences instead of just data schemas. The conversation cuts through the AI hype and examines what is actually changing, what is not, and where brands need to prepare for a future where content distribution happens inside ChatGPT and Perplexity rather than on their own websites. Key topics include:• Why AI is fundamentally just typing for you and why human context, judgment, and authenticity remain irreplaceable• How weak content strategies are being exposed by AI generated slop and what that reveals about underlying problems• Why BUILDIT manages layout and front-end code, not just data schemas, and how that differs from traditional headless CMS platforms• The philosophy of code as content and why HTML is the true content layer for modern digital experiences• Giving marketers independence from IT while empowering engineers to build sophisticated reusable templates• How AI generated components, carousels, and animations can be deployed directly by marketers without developer tickets• Front-end personalization strategies that scale without exploding API costs or backend dependencies• The MACH Alliance explained: composable architecture, vendor independence, and when monoliths still make sense• Total cost of ownership reality: why composable is not always cheaper upfront but wins on flexibility and future proofing• Model Context Protocol UI: delivering rich brand experiences directly inside AI chat interfaces• Why click-through rates from Google search have dropped 50 percent and what that means for content distribution strategy• The future of promotional content and interactive experiences embedded natively in ChatGPT and AI answer engines Matt argues that the era of websites as primary content destinations is ending. As AI platforms increasingly own the glass, the screen where users interact, brands must shift from driving traffic to delivering embedded native experiences wherever customers are having conversations. BUILDIT's architecture positions marketers to scale content production, personalization, and experimentation without the usual trade-offs between speed, sophistication, and IT dependency. Whether you are a CMO navigating AI driven content workflows, a digital leader evaluating headless versus composable architectures, or an enterprise marketer frustrated by schema driven CMS limitations, this episode delivers practical insight and clear frameworks for the next era of content delivery.

    36 min
  3. Beyond The CMS #37 - Chris Bryce (Dotfusion) with Marta Cukierman (StreamX)

    12/12/2025

    Beyond The CMS #37 - Chris Bryce (Dotfusion) with Marta Cukierman (StreamX)

    In Episode 37 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce sits down with Marta Cukierman, Co Founder of StreamX and CEO of Dynamic Solutions, to unravel one of the most complex and misunderstood challenges in global digital operations. The conversation focuses on what it really takes to deliver fast, reliable, and compliant digital experiences inside mainland China. Marta brings more than a decade of experience leading Adobe Experience Manager engineering teams and delivering enterprise scale implementations. She explains why global brands struggle with performance and reliability when serving Chinese audiences, and why traditional solutions such as CDNs, cloud hosting, or headless CMS platforms often fail once traffic crosses the border into China. The discussion moves past simple explanations about slow load times and dives into the deeper architectural, regulatory, and infrastructural realities that shape digital performance within China. Key topics include: • Why China functions as a separate internet and how the Great Firewall affects speed, consistency, and content rendering • The purpose of the ICP license, who needs it, and how it complicates global domain and hosting strategy • The real reasons cross border requests fail, including throttling, packet loss, DNS filtering, and unstable caching • How enterprise CMS patterns break when backend systems sit outside China • How StreamX uses event driven content propagation to remove the need for real time fetching across borders • Why manufacturers, automotive companies, and global B2B organizations are hit hardest by China performance issues • How precomposed content delivery creates predictable and extremely fast experiences for Chinese users • How the same event driven architecture supports AI enrichment, vector search, and LLM based workflows • What it means to build a website that stays available and performant even if the CMS, DAM, or PIM goes down • How other countries are beginning to mirror China in adopting data sovereignty controls and content isolation models Marta explains that solving the China challenge is not about temporary fixes. It requires a shift in how global content is distributed and how dependencies are managed. StreamX fills a critical gap by enabling organizations to push content changes in near real time, maintain autonomy between regions, and deliver consistent digital experiences without relying on brittle cross border connections. Whether you are a CMO preparing to enter the Chinese market, a digital leader dealing with international performance issues, or an enterprise architect evaluating modernization strategies, this episode provides clear and practical insight into a global challenge that most organizations underestimate.

    33 min
  4. Beyond The CMS #36 - Chris Bryce with William Borg Barthet (Bloomreach)

    11/28/2025

    Beyond The CMS #36 - Chris Bryce with William Borg Barthet (Bloomreach)

    In Episode 36 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce welcomes William Borg Barthet, CMS Practice Lead at BloomReach, for a deep dive into how generative AI is transforming enterprise content management and what it takes to deploy AI at scale without losing control. William brings 15 years of CMS expertise and Java architecture experience to discuss BloomReach's approach to serving large enterprises including global banks, government agencies, and national health services. The conversation moves beyond surface-level "AI features" to explore what meaningful AI integration actually looks like in production environments. Key topics include: Why context-setting separates real AI integration from "ChatGPT in another tab"The shift from bundled LLMs to enterprise-curated models with organizational guardrailsHow AI connects across CMS, CDP, ticketing systems, and Confluence for deeper insightsUse cases beyond content generation: lifecycle management, compliance checking, and design system validationWhy enterprises aren't ready to trust fully AI-generated experiences (yet) and what needs to changeArchitectural patterns for integrating PIM data with CMS content using AI synthesisThe reality of AI discoverability: why good SEO hygiene matters more than ever for LLM crawlersSigns of retrenchment from headless/microservices architectures in traditional enterprisesHow personalization at scale requires CDP integration and machine learning-driven segmentationServer custody concerns driving European enterprises toward non-US cloud alternativesBloomReach's roadmap: DOM-level analysis, accessibility auditing, and content lifecycle AIWilliam emphasizes that successful AI adoption in the CMS isn't about adding chat interfaces. It's about connecting organizational context, enforcing governance, and making AI work within existing enterprise workflows. For large organizations managing hundreds of websites across brands and markets, this means treating the LLM as shared infrastructure rather than siloed features. The conversation also touches on emerging challenges: preparing content for AI crawlers, the tension between AI-generated personalization and brand control, and whether the traditional web might eventually give way to agent-first interfaces. Whether you're a CMO evaluating AI capabilities, a digital leader managing complex multi-site operations, or an enterprise architect planning your next-generation content stack, this episode delivers practical perspective on making generative AI work at enterprise scale.

    32 min
  5. Beyond The CMS - #35 - Mario Lenz (Hygraph) - Velocity at Scale for Complex Content

    11/25/2025

    Beyond The CMS - #35 - Mario Lenz (Hygraph) - Velocity at Scale for Complex Content

    In Episode 35 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce sits down with Mario Lenz, CPTO at Hygraph, to dig into what it really takes to deliver velocity at scale when your organization manages highly complex content across regions, markets, products, and platforms. Mario brings deep product leadership experience from years of building enterprise systems and shares how Hygraph is redefining content orchestration through GraphQL-native architecture, content federation, and new AI-powered workflows that support both marketers and developers—without creating chaos. Key topics include:• What “headless” really means today and why front-end independence matters more than ever• How GraphQL introspection enables cleaner data access, faster development, and AI readiness• The rising importance of making content usable for LLMs and “AI-first” consumer behavior• What makes content “complex”—and why many brands underestimate the challenge• How global retailers, gaming companies, and manufacturers unify content across markets and devices• Content Federation: eliminating duplication and pulling real-time data from PIMs, ERPs, and commerce tools• Using Hygraph for structured content modeling across product, marketing, and transactional sources• AI governance, agent workflows, and the need for safeguards when scaling LLM-driven operations• How MCP servers unlock “Bring Your Own AI” architectures inside enterprise environments• Best practices for migrating away from legacy CMS ecosystems (including messy multi-site WordPress setups) Mario emphasizes that managing complexity isn’t about making things “simple”—it’s about making them manageable with the right architecture, guardrails, and federation strategy. Hygraph’s approach enables global teams to move faster while reducing duplication, risk, and technical debt. Whether you're a CMO navigating content sprawl, a digital leader modernizing your stack, or an enterprise team exploring AI-enabled workflows, this episode offers clear, practical insight into the future of complex content operations.

    32 min
  6. Beyond The CMS - 34 - Michael Sonier (ButterCMS) - Smarter CMS for CMOs

    11/25/2025

    Beyond The CMS - 34 - Michael Sonier (ButterCMS) - Smarter CMS for CMOs

    In Episode 34 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce sits down with Michael Sonier, GM at ButterCMS, to explore what it means to build a truly approachable content management platform in an era of AI transformation and composable architecture. Michael brings over 15 years of experience in content management technology, primarily in the commerce space, and shares how ButterCMS is focused on giving marketing teams the control, flexibility, and autonomy they need to move fast without overwhelming complexity. Key topics include:• Why "approachable" matters more than feature lists when choosing a CMS• Moving beyond the "headless" buzzword to focus on real marketing value• The five core jobs marketers need to accomplish with modern content platforms• How AI is reducing developer dependency even further and enabling new content workflows• Personalization expectations and the challenge of creating content variants at scale• Building an integration ecosystem for the era of MCP servers and AI-powered automation• Navigating the best-of-breed vs. all-in-one debate and total cost of ownership• When to consider a modern CMS and how to start with a crawl-walk-run approach• Content workflows, permissions, and governance for complex organizations• The future of content management in an AI-first world (AEO, GEO, and beyond) Michael emphasizes that migration to modern CMS architecture doesn't have to be a massive IT project. ButterCMS takes a partnership approach, offering white-glove onboarding and focusing on "time to first value" to help teams see results quickly. Whether you're a CMO evaluating platforms, a digital leader modernizing your stack, or an agency partner looking to understand the evolving CMS landscape, this episode offers practical insights into making content management work for marketing teams—not the other way around.

    32 min
  7. Beyond The CMS 33 - Pieter Versloot (Plate CMS) - Empowering Business Users

    10/06/2025

    Beyond The CMS 33 - Pieter Versloot (Plate CMS) - Empowering Business Users

    In Episode 33 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce welcomes Pieter Versloot, co-founder of Plate CMS and Plate Delta, to discuss a modern approach to multi-site content management and structured content governance. Pieter shares how Plate evolved from a Dutch website builder into a powerful CMS platform addressing the challenges of organizations managing large, content-heavy websites. He explains how Plate and Plate Delta empower teams to create content freely while maintaining control and consistency, and how structuring unstructured content enables reuse, accuracy, and AI-readiness across enterprises. Key topics include: • How Plate evolved from a website builder to a multi-site CMS platform • Solving multi-site governance challenges for content-heavy organizations • The role of “Content Analysis Services” in structuring content and maintaining accuracy • Balancing creative freedom with organizational control across teams • Practical approaches for implementing Plate or Plate Delta with partners or as a standalone solution • How structured content can power AI applications and future-proof digital experiences • Why AI is both an opportunity and a risk for content creation, discovery, and marketing strategies Whether you’re a CMO, content leader, or digital strategist, this episode offers an inside look at how organizations can streamline content management, improve governance, and prepare for the AI-driven future of digital experiences.

    34 min
  8. Beyond The CMS 32 - Daniel Serrano (Griddo) - Digital Agility in Higher Education

    09/09/2025

    Beyond The CMS 32 - Daniel Serrano (Griddo) - Digital Agility in Higher Education

    In Episode 32 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce welcomes Daniel Serrano, Chief Partnerships Officer at Griddo, to discuss the only Digital Experience Platform built exclusively for higher education. Daniel shares how Griddo was born out of real-world university challenges—fragmented websites, governance issues, accessibility requirements, and the need for speed and scale in digital transformation. He explains why higher ed institutions are uniquely complex ecosystems and how empowering marketing and content teams can shift entire organizations from “powerless to powerful.” Key topics include:• Why higher education needs a tailored DXP (and how it differs from a CMS)• The challenge of multi-site governance across departments, faculties, and programs• How design systems and modular content unlock both scalability and brand control• Practical team requirements for adopting Griddo (https://griddo.io/en/) in universities• Partner ecosystems and collaboration with agencies worldwide• The role of AI in metadata, personalization, and the future of student experiences• Why personalization excites students but worries marketers—and how to balance both Whether you’re a CMO, CIO, or digital leader in higher education, this episode offers a front-row look at how universities can streamline their digital ecosystems, scale quickly, and create richer, more accessible student experiences.

    36 min
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About

We are all about Content Management Platforms. Welcome to "Beyond the CMS," the podcast where big ideas, insightful conversations, and industry-leading voices converge to redefine digital content experiences. Each episode, we sit down with influential thought leaders and innovators from the most prominent CMS platforms—including Contentful, Storyblok, Agility, Magnolia, and more—to explore emerging trends, groundbreaking technologies, and transformative strategies shaping the future of content management. Our guests are industry experts, visionaries, and key executives who dive deep into topics such as headless architectures, personalization, AI-driven content strategies, composable solutions, and best practices for delivering seamless digital experiences at scale. Whether you're a marketer, developer, product manager, or simply passionate about digital innovation, join us as we uncover actionable insights, discuss bold ideas, and provide a unique behind-the-scenes look into the ever-evolving CMS landscape. #contentmanagementsystem #contentmanagement #headlesscms #contentful #agilitycms #storyblok #cms

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