The Experience Edge

Jochem van der Veer
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by Jochem van der Veer, customer-obsessed founder of TheyDo, this weekly podcast dives into conversations with senior professionals, pioneers, and industry leaders at the forefront of CX. Guests openly share their experiences on customer journeys, voice of the customer, customer-centric transformation, journey management, and best practices for lasting impact.

  1. Jun 4

    How To Turn Messy CX Data Into AI-ready Team Action

    Your teams are drowning in customer data but can't act on it. Here's a 5-level framework that makes the customer journey your operating system. IN THIS EPISODE Why another dashboard won't fix your customer data problem How to connect what customers say with what they actually do Why the customer journey — not your org chart — should organize your data How a "meaning layer" creates cross-team alignment without reorganizing teams How journey-structured data becomes an ontology that AI and agents can reason over CHAPTERS 00:00 The real problem: a data organizing problem, not a data problem  02:19 The five layers, and why the journey is the organizing principle  02:19 Level 1 — Evidence: the qualitative voice of the customer  04:46 Level 2 — Measurement: KPIs and what customers actually do  06:00 The journey as the backbone that joins the dots  07:15 Pinning every signal and KPI to a moment in the experience  08:00 Level 3 — Meaning: surfacing the "why" (the Lufthansa baggage example) 09:38 Level 4 — Cross-team connection and natural alignment  11:58 Level 5 — Business impact and competitive advantage  14:03 Putting it together: the journey as your operating system Follow Jochem on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/ CONNECT WITH US: Website:    https://www.theydo.com/ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/theydo-journey-management/ #CustomerExperience #CustomerJourney #JourneyManagement #CXStrategy #DataStrategy #VoiceOfCustomer #CustomerData #CXOps #AIagents #ProductStrategy

    15 min

  2. May 27

    Why Your CX Message Isn't Landing

    Your CX pitch lands with practitioners but dies with CEOs. Here's the messaging framework that fixes it.  IN THIS EPISODE Why CX leaders keep pitching the wrong message to the wrong room — and how to diagnose it How to talk to a CEO or COO about customer experience without mentioning customer experience What product leaders actually need to hear before they'll prioritise CX on the roadmap When to lead with technology — and why it's only right for one specific audience The two most common messaging mistakes CX teams make and how to avoid them CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro — Why CX storytelling breaks down  01:04 The real-world example: energy company, call volume, cost mandate  02:10 Three audience buckets: Out-of-CX, CX-adjacent, CX expert  03:29 How to pitch the out-of-CX crowd (CEOs, COOs)  05:00 How to pitch the middle layer (product, marketing, brand)  08:08 How to pitch CX practitioners — and when to lead with technology  09:49 The full messaging stack: outcomes, use case, technology  10:30 Two mistakes to avoid: stacking arguments and mixing audiences  12:12 Key takeaways — same work, three different messages Follow Jochem on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/ CONNECT WITH US:Website:    https://www.theydo.com/ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/company/theydo-journey-management/ #TheExperienceEdge #CustomerExperience #CXStrategy #CXLeadership #CustomerJourney #JourneyManagement #CXMessaging #CostToServe #VoiceOfCustomer #CustomerInsights

    13 min

  3. Apr 29

    Ep. 73 - Rethinking Empathy In High Stakes Moments

    Is empathy a staffing choice or a design decision? We often assume that emotionally charged moments demand a human touch. This episode challenges that instinct. In a world where AI is always available, always calm, and increasingly capable, the real question isn’t human versus machine - it’s whether we’ve misunderstood what empathy actually requires in the first place. In this video: Why empathy is not inherently human, but contextual How rigid automation creates frustration in high-need moments When AI provides a safer, more effective interaction than people What defines a “moment that matters” in customer experience How to design support models around need, not channel Why defaulting to human vs AI is the wrong framing entirely If empathy isn’t about who delivers it, but how it’s experienced, what should you be designing for? Follow Jochem on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer Learn more about Journey Management with TheyDo:https://www.theydo.com #CustomerExperience #JourneyManagement #ServiceDesign #CustomerCentricity #DigitalTransformation #AIinCX #ExperienceDesign #OrganizationalDesign #CXStrategy #DesignThinking #CustomerJourneys #DecisionMaking #ProductStrategy #HumanCenteredDesign

    4 min

  4. Apr 22

    Ep 72 - Why AI Needs Journey Context to Actually Work

    Mark Smith and Raymond Gerber, former competitors turned co-founders of the Institute for Journey Management, join Jochem van der Veer to unpack how enterprise CX is evolving in the age of AI. Drawing on decades of experience across Kitewheel and Thunderhead, they explore how journey orchestration is being reshaped by generative AI and organizational transformation. At the center is a key tension: AI enables scale and personalization, but without journey context and operational alignment, it risks amplifying broken experiences. The conversation reveals why journey context is no longer just a customer-facing construct, but a critical internal capability for aligning decisions, breaking silos, and enabling truly adaptive, value-driven CX. Guest Bio Mark Smith is a pioneer in customer analytics and journey orchestration, with over 30 years of experience in predictive modeling and customer engagement. He founded Kitewheel and led it to become a market leader in journey orchestration. His work has consistently focused on aligning data-driven decisioning with business constraints and customer value. He now co-leads the Institute for Journey Management. Raymond Gerber is a leading voice in journey orchestration and enterprise CX, with multiple patents in the field. As former CEO of Thunderhead, he helped shape the category before its acquisition by Medallia. His expertise spans AI, decisioning systems, and operating model design. He is now focused on advancing journey-centric transformation through the Institute for Journey Management. Key Takeaways - Journey context is multi-dimensional, combining temporal, situational, directional, and constraint-based elements that guide both AI decisions and business actions - Generative AI shifts value from prediction to prescription, enabling continuous, closed-loop learning driven by real-time customer intent - Internal alignment is the real bottleneck, journey context matters more inside the organization than for customers who simply “live” the experience - Hyper-personalization evolves from static next-best actions to dynamic, conversational interactions powered by structured and unstructured data fusion - Journey management must evolve from project-based initiatives to an embedded operating model tied to value exchange between customer and business Chapters 00:00 Why journey context matters for AI agents and workflows 00:03 Defining customer journey context in enterprise CX 00:08 AI in customer experience and the shift to non-deterministic journeys 00:12 Hyper-personalization and next best action evolution 00:15 Breaking down silos with shared journey context 00:19 Structured vs unstructured data in journey orchestration 00:23 Internal alignment and journey management strategy 00:28 Journey-centric operating model vs project mindset 00:33 Predictive vs prescriptive AI in customer experience 00:38 Enterprise CX transformation and journey-led value management LinkedIn Profiles Guests: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mapsmith/https://www.linkedin.com/in/golfergerbs/Jochem van der Veer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/ #EnterpriseCustomerExperience #CustomerJourneyOrchestration #CXTransformationStrategy #CustomerExperienceLeadership #JourneyCentricity #CXOperatingModel #CustomerExperienceInnovation #AIJourneyOrchestration #IntelligentCustomerEngagement #AIPoweredPersonalization #ConversationalAIExperience #AIForCustomerJourneys

    1h 12m

  5. Apr 15

    Ep. 71 - Why Omnichannel Is Slowing AI Adoption in Enterprises

    Over the past decade, many companies pursued omnichannel by adding touchpoints rather than designing continuity. The result is fragmented data, repeated customer effort, and teams optimizing for channels instead of journeys. In this environment, AI becomes a high-speed engine running on incomplete context. The real shift isn’t about better models, but about building shared, journey-level context — where aligned data, KPIs, and language turn AI from a surface tool into a system-wide capability that reshapes how organizations understand and act on customer reality. In this episode: Why adding AI to fragmented journeys increases cost instead of reducing it How “more channels” became the false proxy for omnichannel maturity What journey-level context actually means — and why AI depends on it When cross-functional KPIs outperform channel optimization How shared experience language makes both teams and AI effective What it takes to turn AI from a responder into a true context engine If AI is only as good as the context it operates in, what does your organization actually enable it to understand? Follow Jochem on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer Learn more about Journey Management with TheyDo:https://www.theydo.com #CustomerExperience #JourneyManagement #ServiceDesign #CXStrategy #DigitalTransformation #AIinBusiness #OrganizationalDesign #CustomerJourneys #DataStrategy #ExperienceDesign #BusinessTransformation #CustomerCentricity #OperatingModel #DecisionMaking

    8 min

  6. Apr 8

    Ep. 70 - What Warner Bros Discovery Gets Right About CX

    Katie Duncan, former CX leader at Warner Bros. Discovery, joins The Experience Edge to unpack what it actually takes to operationalize customer experience inside complex, high-growth media organizations. Drawing from scaling CX across major streaming launches, she brings a grounded view on turning strategy into execution. The conversation centers on the gap between customer-centric ambition and operational reality. Katie argues that most companies lose customer insight during execution, and that true CX maturity comes from embedding insights into decision-making across the full lifecycle, not just measuring outcomes after the fact. Guest Bio Katie Duncan is a customer experience leader with over 15 years of experience driving CX transformation across media and technology organizations. At Warner Bros. Discovery, she built and scaled CX operations supporting major streaming launches including Discovery Plus and Magnolia. Her work spans operational design, customer insights, and cross-functional alignment at scale. She is known for bridging strategy and execution in complex enterprise environments. Katie has led large teams and influenced CX integration across product ecosystems during periods of rapid growth and organizational change. Key Takeaways Customer centricity often exists as cultural language rather than operational reality, breaking down when insights are not embedded into decision-making processes CX impact comes from preventing friction early in the journey, not reacting to issues after they surface in metrics Treating CX as a reporting function limits influence, while positioning it as a decision partner enables real business impact Hidden defects in customer journeys often exist between touchpoints, requiring end-to-end analysis rather than isolated optimization AI accelerates insight generation but increases the need for governance, intentional design, and human-led context shaping Chapters 00:00 The illusion of customer centricity in enterprise CX 03:30 Why customer insights fail to influence decision making 08:00 Strategy misalignment and CX execution gaps 12:30 From seat at the table to owning customer experience decisions 16:00 Customer journey orchestration and decision context 20:30 Moving beyond VOC reports to behavioral insights 25:00 Identifying hidden friction in customer journeys 29:30 Scaling CX impact through early intervention 34:00 Building business acumen in CX teams 38:30 AI in customer experience and shifting roles 43:30 Context shaping and cross-functional alignment 49:00 Governance in enterprise CX transformation 54:00 Designing customer journeys from the start LinkedIn Katie Duncan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-g-duncan Jochem van der Veer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer Hashtags #EnterpriseCustomerExperience #CustomerJourneyOrchestration #CXTransformationStrategy #JourneyCentricOperatingModel #BreakingDownSilosInCX #CrossFunctionalAlignmentCX #CustomerExperienceLeadership #OperationalizingCustomerExperience #ExperienceDrivenGrowth #TheyDoPlatform #CustomerExperienceTransformationFramework #EnterpriseCXStrategy

    54 min

  7. Apr 1

    Ep 69. - The Missing Link Between Data and Better Decisions - Insights

    In this Insights episode, Jochem van der Veer challenges the assumption that more data, dashboards, and AI naturally lead to better customer experience decisions. The real issue isn’t visibility - it’s the absence of shared context that gives data meaning. Most organizations aren’t lacking insights; they’re operating in different versions of reality. Teams interpret the same signals differently and optimize locally, while AI only accelerates this misalignment. Without a shared understanding of where signals live in the customer journey and what they mean, organizations don’t scale intelligence - they scale confusion. In this video: Why more data doesn’t solve misalignment and often makes it worse How fragmented context leads to false problems and wasted investment What it means to anchor metrics in the customer journey, not departments Why AI amplifies structural issues instead of fixing them How shared context changes prioritization, decision-making, and strategy How do you know if your organization is solving real problems or just reacting to disconnected signals? Follow Jochem on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer Learn more about Journey Management with TheyDo:https://www.theydo.com #CustomerExperience #JourneyManagement #ServiceDesign #CXStrategy #OrganizationalDesign #DecisionMaking #CustomerJourney #BusinessTransformation #AIinCX #ExperienceManagement #ProductStrategy #OperationalExcellence #VoiceOfCustomer

    13 min

  8. Mar 25

    Ep. 68 - Why Target Designs for Moments, Not Shelf Conversion - Gene Hong

    Gene Hong, Design Leader at Target and founder of Aperture North, brings over 25 years of experience shaping how brands translate creativity into commercial success. Leading a $770M portfolio, Gene operates at the intersection of design, business strategy, and innovation, with a focus on creating culturally relevant, high-impact consumer experiences. In this conversation, Gene explores why the future of design lies beyond optimization and into “designing for the moment.” From triangulation and imperfect creativity to the rising importance of judgment in an AI-driven world, he challenges leaders to rethink how experience, business acumen, and creative risk come together to drive meaningful growth. Takeaways Great design leaders balance creative output with intentional input to sustain originality and perspective. “Triangulation” - combining insights from different contexts - is key to creating unexpected, differentiated outcomes. AI increases the volume of ideas, but judgment, experience, and imperfection remain uniquely human advantages. Business acumen is essential for designers to gain influence and move ideas from concept to execution. Innovation requires organizational space for risk - often a dedicated structure separate from core operations. LinkedIn Gene Hong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genehong/Jochem van der Veer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvdveer/

    57 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Hosted by Jochem van der Veer, customer-obsessed founder of TheyDo, this weekly podcast dives into conversations with senior professionals, pioneers, and industry leaders at the forefront of CX. Guests openly share their experiences on customer journeys, voice of the customer, customer-centric transformation, journey management, and best practices for lasting impact.

Information

  • Creator
    Jochem van der Veer
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jochem van der Veer
  • Show Website
    The Experience Edge

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