The Future Of... with Ian Dejong

Emerging technology, future of trust & privacy, armchair philosophy.

Emerging technology, future of trust & privacy, armchair philosophy. Welcome to The Future of podcast, where we dive deep into discussions with remarkable founders and industry experts. Together, we explore the challenges of today and how they are innovating through them to shape a brighter tomorrow. In each episode, my intent is to explore; - The 'why' behind their mission: What critical problems they're dedicated to solving? - The 'how' of their approach: What innovative strategies and solutions they're deploying or building? - And most importantly, the 'who' benefits & How they positively impacting industry, business or individuals and ultimately paving the way for a better future? We'll also be summarising any key learnings and actionable take aways, so whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, an industry enthusiast, or just someone hungry for deep dives into specific domains, you're in the right place. So get ready for some captivating conversations that offer you a glimpse into the minds of those forging the path towards a brighter, more promising world. And with that, I bring you… The Future of… iandejong.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Trust(ed) Technology

    04/13/2025

    Trust(ed) Technology

    Today, I'm in conversation with Arun Manoharan, Director of Product Management at Adobe, with a specific focus on what may be referred to as trust capabilities within Adobe Experience Platform. These capabilities allow organizations to be regulatory-ready and operationally agile while reducing risk to business and delivering best-in-class consumer experiences. This conversation was recorded live in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Adobe Summit 2025 at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas, and with over 12,000 attendees, there was a lot of background noise. While the audio quality is not perfect, I'm glad to say Adobe's Podcast Enhanced Speech model v2 worked wonders and has been able to clean up the background noise for a better listening experience. In this episode, we discuss: * Designing technology to be region-, industry-, and regulator-agnostic * Moving from regulatory readiness through to exceeding community and customer expectations * The future of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) * Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency, or the “A.R.T." of AI * Data Stewards being empowered by AI agents in the age of Agentic AI * Among other things... I've had the fortune of working with Arun over the past 5 years and have always been inspired by his open, collaborative, curious, and customer-centric approach to product management, which has given rise to some best-in-class capabilities being adopted by leading organizations across the globe. And with that, I'm excited to present to you Arun Manoharan, Director, Product Management, Adobe (Experience Platform). More information: * https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunkarthickmanoharan/ * https://business.adobe.com/products/experience-platform/trust.html Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min
  2. 06/30/2024

    Normal

    Today, I'm in conversation with Andy Miller, Co-founder & CEO of Heaps Normal, a proudly independent and Australian-owned non-alcoholic beer company. Heaps Normal is challenging norms and changing drinking culture by brewing beer that tastes so good, you won’t miss the alcohol. With a growing number of awards under their belt, they seem to be doing just that. Andy himself has a rich history in marketing, creative, and digital strategy, helping local and global brands like HCF, Gumtree, Volkswagen, Absolut Vodka, and many more. In this episode, we discuss: * Why life is too good to be wasted * The healing nature and sacredness of the creative endeavour * Building a unique brand that stands out * The importance of customer centricity * Re-thinking what your target audience is * The creativity that comes with a limited budget Among other things... Having been part of a drinking culture for most of my life and now reaching a stage where I gladly welcome alternative ways to socialise, celebrate with friends, and network with customers, I was glad to find such an alternative delivered by a non-judgmental, fun, and funny brand like Heaps Normal. I very much enjoyed speaking with Andy, who genuinely embodies these qualities. So with that, I'm excited to present to you Andy Miller, Co-founder & CEO of Heaps Normal. More information: * Andy Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyjamesmiller/ * Heaps Normal: https://heapsnormal.com Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe

    58 min
  3. 06/11/2024

    Electric Vehicles, Charging, Microgrids & Environmental Impact

    Today, I'm in conversation with James McKemey, Head of External Affairs at Pod Point Ltd, a leading electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company in the UK. James, Pod Point’s most longstanding member, has been instrumental in the company's growth from a small team to its IPO on the London Stock Exchange in November 2021. His work with the government, media, and industry has significantly influenced UK legislation on zero-emission goals, building regulations, charge point readiness, smart charging, public charging, and EV tax and grant incentive programmes. In this episode, we discuss: * EV trends, adoption, and their environmental impact. * The economics of electric power, the falling cost of resources, and the total ownership cost of EVs. * The future of V2X: vehicle-to-load, vehicle-to-home, and vehicle-to-grid. * Battery evolution and its industry impact. * How EVs are stabilising macro- and microgrids. Among other things… As EV capability, cost, and consumer demand converge, it seems we're at a critical juncture for the industry. Learning about these innovations from James, who is not just an industry expert but also a personal friend, was incredibly enjoyable. So with that, I am excited to present to you James McKemey, Head of External Affairs at Pod Point Ltd. More information: * James McKemey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mckemey-8bbb8423/ * Pod Point: https://pod-point.com Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 30m
  4. 05/17/2024

    Human centricity within the workforce (in the age of AI)

    Today, I'm in conversation with Lauren Peate, Founder & CEO of Multitudes, an ethical team analytics tool. Multitudes integrates various systems to centralise and reveal key technical, operational, and human metrics. This enables not just management of delivery but also of team maturity, employee burnout, check-ins, and career progression. In essence, it's a platform driving engineering effectiveness and empowering technical leaders to lead with confidence and empathy. In this episode, we discuss: * The evolution from data layer to intelligence layer, and now to the 'human layer' * The value capture of operational efficiencies * 'Glue' work and the value it brings * Reciprocity in the corporate environment * Operationalising 'ethics' within a business * Employee 'quiet quitting' and hidden disengagement * Diversity, equity, inclusion and what that actually means within technical teams * Mentoring, career progression, and the hidden signals we should consider when promoting individuals. Among other topics… As AI and automation increasingly streamline our daily tasks, the optimist in me believes these advancements will allow us more time to embrace our humanity and truly return to being more 'human'. It's been exhilarating to see how Lauren and her team are helping individuals, teams, and organisations achieve this. So with that, I'm excited to present to you Lauren Peate, Founder & CEO of Multitudes. More information: * Lauren Peate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpeate/ * Multitudes: https://www.multitudes.co Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe

    59 min
  5. 04/05/2024

    Creatives, Education & Community

    In this episode, we're in conversation with Alwyn Hunt, co-founder of The Rookies, a platform dedicated to cultivating the next generation of creative professionals by developing their skills, showcasing their talent, and connecting them with the industry to further their careers in digital arts. Alwyn, who transitioned from a professional chef to a look development and texture artist, has brought to life iconic characters such as the Bandersnatch in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Smaug the dragon in The Hobbit, and General Zod in Man of Steel. His portfolio also includes work on projects like Tomb Raider, Peter Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok, Alien: Covenant, Logan, Game of Thrones, X-Men, and Iron Man 3—the list is extensive. In this episode, we discuss: * How the current education system leaves creative students in debt and unprepared. * Shifting the tides from uncertainty to opportunity in the age of generative AI. * The power of narrative and immersive content. * The principles of building a global community from the ground up. Among other topics… I was surprised to find how influential Alwyn and The Rookies platform have been within Hollywood and AAA gaming. Despite this, I was delighted to speak with such a humble, down-to-earth person—and all-around awesome guy. With that, I'm excited to present to you, Alwyn Hunt, co-founder of The Rookies. More information: * The Rookies: https://www.therookies.co * Alwyn Hunt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alwynhunt/   Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min

About

Emerging technology, future of trust & privacy, armchair philosophy. Welcome to The Future of podcast, where we dive deep into discussions with remarkable founders and industry experts. Together, we explore the challenges of today and how they are innovating through them to shape a brighter tomorrow. In each episode, my intent is to explore; - The 'why' behind their mission: What critical problems they're dedicated to solving? - The 'how' of their approach: What innovative strategies and solutions they're deploying or building? - And most importantly, the 'who' benefits & How they positively impacting industry, business or individuals and ultimately paving the way for a better future? We'll also be summarising any key learnings and actionable take aways, so whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, an industry enthusiast, or just someone hungry for deep dives into specific domains, you're in the right place. So get ready for some captivating conversations that offer you a glimpse into the minds of those forging the path towards a brighter, more promising world. And with that, I bring you… The Future of… iandejong.substack.com