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The Critic's Corner Article

The Critic's Corner Podcast: The Front Line of AI, Agents, and the Future of CX with Dan O’Connell

matt-garrepy

<h4 id="-"> </h4><h4 id="listen-to-the-full-episode-of-“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-&gt;-"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/334p4ykt">Listen to the full episode of “The Critic’s Corner” Podcast &gt; </a></h4> <hr /> AI is now an intrinsic part of content operations, and teams are harnessing it at every level. AI agents are performing tasks across the content supply chain, and executives want more automation everywhere. Meanwhile, regulation and compliance are reshuffling the deck, putting risk front and center.In this new landscape, have the foundations of content really changed – or are they simply more exposed?On this episode of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">The Critic’s Corner podcast,</a> CMS Critic’s lead analyst and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/matt-garrepy">Chief Critic Matt Garrepy</a> talks with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/mike-spenceley">Mike Spenceley</a>, a veteran of enterprise knowledge management and content operations at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en.html">PwC</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jnj.com/">Johnson &amp; Johnson</a>, and other global, compliance‑heavy enterprises. Mike brings a rare blend of creative and operational perspective – from growing up as a drummer in a deeply musical family to leading large content programs in high‑stakes environments.Matt and Mike trace his journey from economics and finance into knowledge management just as big firms were standing up centralized functions. They unpack the familiar, persistent content cycle he’s seen for nearly two decades (centralizing, decentralizing and sprawling, then wrestling it back under control) and how AI could be the catalyst that makes content king again.<h3 id="the-human-factor-and-why-relationships-still-matter">The human factor and why relationships still matter</h3>Throughout the podcast episode, Mike argues that the foundations of content and content operations haven't changed. Institutions still want clear governance, defined ownership, and a strategy that solves real business problems. As he puts it, even as AI accelerates and tooling gets more sophisticated, the basics are non‑negotiable.“I think the important thing in this space is that the fundamentals don't go away," Mike says. "As the technology evolves and gets better, and we introduce AI to help support some of this work, the fundamentals are still there. Governance. Content ownership. You need subject matter experts from the business who have the knowledge to really contribute the content, review it periodically, and make sure it's accurate and up to date. They really play an active role in that whole process.”That human factor is just as critical on the change‑management side. Mike points out that content teams often know what “good” looks like, but can’t assume stakeholders will simply fall in line. Tools and workflows only go so far without relationships, storytelling, and a clear vision for why things must change. Content operations leaders, he argues, also have to be “relationship‑driven,” meeting business partners where they are and bringing them along on a journey rather than dictating new rules from the center. <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/UjYwXY2VXBc"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UjYwXY2VXBc" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> Drawing on nearly two decades in content strategy, Mike advocates for treating content more like structured data than just finished pages – providing a record that holds global rules and local nuance for delivering tailored experiences across websites, portals, search, and AI interfaces. Instead of rewriting similar information for every channel and audience, he frames a model where a single record becomes the source of truth, and technology handles how it’s assembled and rendered for different contexts.That philosophy leads directly to one of Mike’s favorite concepts: MVP content. Rather than starting with everything and trying to cover all the edge cases, he suggests flipping the approach and beginning with the smallest possible set of “minimum viable” content that actually solves a problem.“I've always had this idea that you should start with what I call MVP content," he says. "What is the bare minimum amount of content you need to solve this problem? And if that doesn't solve it, you can always add more later.”In large enterprises, that mindset becomes a survival skill. It reduces the volume that needs to be governed, lowers the maintenance burden on subject matter experts, and helps teams avoid the trap of sprawling FAQs and knowledge bases that no one can realistically keep current – especially when regulation and compliance are part of the equation.<h3 id="how-ai-is-making-content-king-again">How AI is making content king again</h3>From there, the conversation shifts squarely into AI. Mike and Matt examine the impact through three lenses: using AI to support the content lifecycle itself, making content readable and consumable by AI and answer engines, and governing the content that actually trains and powers generative chatbots and agentic experiences. In Mike’s view, this is where AI is putting the crown back on content in a very real, enterprise‑grade sense.“I've spoken and written about this concept of how AI is making content king again," Mike explains. “For those of us working in large enterprises, we've all known for years and years that there's just a lot of garbage content out there.”That “garbage” was always a problem, but in a search‑and‑browse world, the damage could be partially contained. Now, as organizations plug AI into those same intranets, portals, and policy libraries, the weaknesses are amplified. Slightly conflicting versions of a policy, audience‑specific nuances that aren’t labeled, or outdated documents that never got retired can all lead to risky or downright wrong answers when an AI becomes the interface.Finally, Mike and Matt dive into AI in 2026 and where it's helping to make content king again by supporting the entire lifecycle. They discuss the importance of rendering content readable for the new audience of answer engines, and governing the content that powers generative chatbots and agentic experiences. They also thread the needle with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://review.content-science.com/what-is-answer-engine-optimization-aeo/">AEO (Answer Engine Optimization),</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mx-to-the-max-tom-cranstouns-new-book-decodes-machine-experience-for-humans-and-agents">MX (Machine Experience),</a> corporate risk, and why relationships still matter more than any tool.If you’re responsible for knowledge management, content operations, CMS strategy, or AI‑driven experiences, this episode is a practical guide to which fundamentals you can’t outsource to AI – and how these new automated technologies might be putting the crown back on content.<h3 id="articles-by-mike-on-cms-critic:">Articles by Mike on CMS Critic:</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-roi-trap-why-ai-needs-more-than-individual-productivity-gains">The ROI Trap: Why AI Needs More Than Individual Productivity Gains</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/an-operating-model-to-optimize-content-operations-and-probably-lots-of-other-stuff">An Operating Model to Optimize Content Operations (and Probably Lots of Other Stuff)</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/generative-ai-is-making-content-king-again">Generative AI is Making Content King Again</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-pressure-is-on-tips-for-content-teams-during-challenging-times">The Pressure is on: Tips for Content Teams During Challenging Times</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-it-takes-to-build-a-high-performing-content-team">What It Takes to Build a High-Performing Content Team</a></li></ul><h3 id="“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-with-mike-spenceley">“The Critic’s Corner” Podcast with Mike Spenceley</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-ai-is-making-content-king-again-with-mike-spenceley/id1801794414?i=1000783928633">Listen to the full episode &gt;</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">Subscribe on Apple Podcasts &gt;</a> <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:69.05%"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-ai-is-making-content-king-again-with-mike-spenceley/id1801794414?i=1000783928633" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/critics-corner-apple-podcast-mike-spenceley.jpg" /></a></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/"><img style="width:36.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-symposium-2026.png" /></a><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2026</a></h4>November 10 - 12, Orlando, FloridaWelcome to “Marketing Rewired” at Sitecore Symposium 2026! Sitecore's annual flagship global conference brings together customers, partners, developers, marketers, and digital experience leaders to explore the latest innovations in digital experience, content management, AI, personalization, and customer engagement. This year's event features keynote presentations from Sitecore executives and industry experts, product announcements, hands-on learning, technical sessions, customer success stories, and networking opportunities focused on helping organizations build more intelligent, connected, and AI-powered digital experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Book your seats today.</a>

The Critic's Corner Podcast: Mike Spenceley Brings a Creative Eye to AI and Its Impact on Content Operations

cms-critic-staff

<h4 id="-"> </h4><h4 id="listen-to-the-full-episode-of-“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-&gt;-"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">Listen to the full episode of “The Critic’s Corner” Podcast &gt; </a></h4> <hr /> The web and the tools that power it are in the middle of a major reset. DXPs have evolved from monolithic suites to composable ecosystems and now into AI-driven systems and "Agentic Experience Platforms." So what actually counts as a DXP in 2026? And how should digital teams evaluate these platforms in an AI‑first world?On this episode of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">"The Critic’s Corner" podcast,</a> CMS Critic’s lead analyst and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/matt-garrepy">Chief Critic Matt Garrepy</a> sits down with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/dan-drapeau">Dan Drapeau,</a> founder of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dxpcatalyst.com/">DXP Catalyst</a> – an independent, vendor-neutral consultancy that advises on the selection and buildout of DXP and martech ecosystems. Together, they unpack what a modern DXP really is and what it’s becoming. From assessment to roadmap to implementation, Dan has spent his career in the trenches with leading CMS and DXP vendors like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore</a>, as well as open souce projects like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a>. Throughout his digital journey, Dan has helped enterprises select, deploy, and modernize their digital experience stacks and manage the complexities. This gives him a keen eye and unmatched perspective on what might lay ahead as DXPs become more AI-powered.<h3 id="the-evolution-to-agentic-cms-and-agent-powered-systems">The evolution to Agentic CMS and agent-powered systems</h3>In the pod, Matt and Dan trace the line from CMS to web experience management to DXP, leading to the rise of AI and agentic systems. Despite all the new features and terminology, they explore why the CMS is still the true center of the digital experience and which capabilities are non‑negotiable versus “nice to have.” Along the way, they revisit the headless vs. monolith debate that captured the market zeitgeist in the early 2020s, and how CDPs, DAMs, and CMPs slid into the DXP stack over years of acquisitions – rendering a new composition for the DXP template.  <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/aPWv6nHg1Cs"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aPWv6nHg1Cs" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> <h3 id="how-is-ai-transforming-the-dxp?">How is AI transforming the DXP?</h3>The conversation then zeroes in on AI, starting with the first wave of generative features. Today, the agentic expansion is undeniable, with platforms introducing full agentic layers and multi‑agent orchestration. In the episode, Dan walks through how Adobe, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a>, Sitecore, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/squiz">Squiz</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/magnolia">Magnolia</a>, and other vendors are positioning their AI stacks as front and center. And while many features are finding parity, there are key differences in how AI agents are being harnessed from system to system. As he says, if your DXP vendor doesn’t offer an agentic layer by 2027, it’s time to get concerned.Matt and Dan also tackle the practical side of DXP selection in the here and now. They cover everything from balancing composability, dealing with multiple CMSs inside universities and large organizations, managing agents and MCP servers, and making sense of AI credit models and total cost of ownership. They also share how real clients are weighting agentic capabilities in RFPs, the importance of discovery around content operations, and why governance and permissions for agents are now just as critical as roles for humans.If you work in CMS/DXP platforms, lead digital or product teams, or manage content operations, you'll find this episode to be hyper relevant and enlightening. And if you're staring down a replatforming RFP or a big AI roadmap decision, Dan brings clear, practitioner‑level guidance to what really matters in a modern DXP – and how to hedge your bets for the next 3–5 years of AI‑driven change. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts.</a><h3 id="links">Links</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dxpcatalyst.com ">DXP Catalyst Consulting</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect26">Boye &amp; Company CMS Connect 26</a></li></ul><h3 id="other-articles-by-dan-on-cms-critic:">Other Articles by Dan on CMS Critic:</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-dxp-in-2026">What is a DXP in 2026?</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/where-native-dxp-ai-fits-within-an-agentic-enterprise-strategy">Where Native DXP AI Fits Within an Agentic Enterprise Strategy</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/composable-vs-pre-composed-dxps-in-2026-a-two-track-evaluation-framework-for-modern-dxp-selection">Composable vs. Pre-Composed DXPs in 2026: A Two-Track Evaluation Framework for Modern DXP Selection</a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/3-things-to-look-for-in-a-dxp-as-conversational-search-changes-the-game">3 Things to Look for in a DXP as Conversational Search Changes the Game</a></li></ul><h3 id="“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-with-dan-drapeau">“The Critic’s Corner” Podcast with Dan Drapeau</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav">Listen to the full episode &gt;</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cms-critic-the-critics-corner-podcast/id1801794414">Subscribe on Apple Podcasts &gt;</a> <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:66.12%"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/5ymyfwav" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/08/critics-corner-apple-podcast-dan-drapeau.jpg" /></a></figure> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:36.69%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/01/open-source-cms-26.jpg" /><h4 id="open-source-cms-26"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26">Open Source CMS 26</a></h4>October 20–21, 2026 – Utrecht, NetherlandsJoin us for the first annual edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to making open source CMS better. This event is already being called the “missing gathering place” for the open source CMS community – an international conference with confirmed participants from Europe and North America. Be part of a friendly mix of digital leaders from notable open source CMS projects, agencies, even a few industry analysts who get together to learn, network, and talk about what really matters when it comes to creating better open source CMS projects right now and for the foreseeable future. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/opensourcecms26/tickets">Book your tickets today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf"><img style="width:34.57%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/joyconf-2026-logo.png" /></a><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Storyblok JoyConf 2026</a></h4>October 28 - 29, Rheingoldhalle, Mainz (Frankfurt)JoyConf 2026 is where developers, marketers, and digital innovators come together from all around the world, united by one powerful idea: great content isn’t built by tools alone – it’s built by people who rely on systems to deliver their best work to the world. In an era where technology is increasingly shaped by AI, Content Confidence becomes your competitive advantage. When you can create, manage, and scale content that performs seamlessly across channels, platforms, and AI, you don’t just keep up – you win. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.storyblok.com/joyconf">Book your seats today.</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/"><img style="width:36.36%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2026/07/sitecore-symposium-2026.png" /></a><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2026</a></h4>November 10 - 12, Orlando, FloridaWelcome to “Marketing Rewired” at Sitecore Symposium 2026! Sitecore's annual flagship global conference brings together customers, partners, developers, marketers, and digital experience leaders to explore the latest innovations in digital experience, content management, AI, personalization, and customer engagement. This year's event features keynote presentations from Sitecore executives and industry experts, product announcements, hands-on learning, technical sessions, customer success stories, and networking opportunities focused on helping organizations build more intelligent, connected, and AI-powered digital experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Book your seats today.</a>

The Critic's Corner Podcast: Dan Drapeau on How AI Agents are Redefining DXP Expectations

MX to the MAX: Tom Cranstoun's New Book Decodes Machine Experience for Humans and Agents

Seeing the ‘Agentic Forest’ Through the Trees: Andy Cohen on Taming the AI Wilderness

Adam Greco’s New Book on Product Evangelism Puts a Spotlight on Humans in an AI World

11,000 Days and Counting: CoreMedia’s Sören Stamer on AI, Digital Sovereignty, and Seizing Opportunity 

Power your CMS on AWS

Manage your websites & apps in the most trusted cloud.

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A Tale of Two Phils: Exploring Umbraco’s Open Source Vision for AI, MCP, and the Agentic Future of CMS

What is a CMS in 2026? Mark Demeny on AI, Content Supply Chains, and the Future of Content Management

The Headless Holodeck: Joel Varty of Agility CMS on Warp-Speed Demos, AI, and the Next Generation of CMS

<h4 id="-"> </h4><h4 id="listen-to-the-full-episode-of-“the-critic's-corner”-podcast-&gt;"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/bdzj4t2d">Listen to the full episode of “The Critic's Corner” Podcast &gt;</a></h4> <hr /> Last year, a new word was added to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/">Merriam-Webster's</a> Dictionary called enshittification, a slang term used to criticize the degradation in the quality and experience of online platforms and experiences over time. Fun, right?Er… not so much.From a website or e-commerce perspective, enshittification typically manifests as an increase in things like ads, costs, or features, but the definition has been expanded to encompass any state of deterioration – even politics and culture.One might conclude that our world is in a current state of enshittification, but for the purposes of my latest episode of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/asteroids-and-dinosaurs-a-moment-in-time-on-ai/id1801794414?i=1000720435502">“The Critic's Corner” podcast,</a> we'll stick with the decay of modern digital experiences. Something we're all familiar with. On that note: my guest <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a> was enshittified upon, something he wrote about recently on LinkedIn. If you don't know Kelly, he's what you might call an industry luminary, someone who has been shaping and influencing the DX and commerce landscape for quite some time. He's currently the COO at an outfit called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pipe17.com/">Pipe17,</a> an OSM alternative that's make waves in its category.In our podcast conversation, Kelly shares more about his recent brush with "abysmal" CX during a retail TV purchase, exposing how online experiences have truly degraded in quality over time as the pursuit of profit takes over. He digs into the prevailing winds that brands face and how a lot of discovery and transacting is happening off-platform and off-site – and that's changing commerce pretty substantially.“A lot of e-commerce over the traditional web is very, very broken,” he said. “And generally, it's a lot harder to drive people to your brand.com website.”Maybe this abysmal reality is a sign of the times. Simultaneously, AI is dismantling the SaaS landscape before our very eyes. It's now possible to build apps faster than ever with less developer reliance, and there's a conscious move to consumption-based pricing. All this uncertainty is disrupting the roadmaps for software vendors and enterprises, and it's all accelerating at a breakneck pace. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“value-is-not-created-by-that-which-is-different,-but-that-which-is-unique.-that's-something-that-took-me-a-while-to-fully-understand,-but-it's-true.-there-are-a-lot-of-legacy-platforms,-or-even-newer-versions,-but-still-fundamentally-legacy-approaches.”">“Value is not created by that which is different, but that which is unique. That's something that took me a while to fully understand, but it's true. There are a lot of legacy platforms, or even newer versions, but still fundamentally legacy approaches.”</h4> <hr /> When I invited Kelly on “The Critic's Corner," I was hoping to catch up on our alignment within the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-deep-dish-on-composable-6-tasty-takeaways-from-the-mach-alliances-2025-conference">MACH Alliance.</a> We've been in each other's orbit for several years, and I've watched him drive success at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a> while building a strong community of interest around composable architectures and practices. But our conversation took some intriguing twists and turns. During the episode, Kelly gets real about what’s at stake as consumers seek new and better ways to search and engage with brands – namely, AI-powered answer engines like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chatgpt.com/">ChatGPT</a>, where simplicity seems the norm (for now). No more combing through blue links or battling search ads to get a straight answer, and we can expect more ads and transactions to move there as well. Of course, this is resulting in a precipitous decline in classic search traffic, which is bad for marketers. He likened all this change to the moment an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.Dark? Sure. But from the ashes rose new life, and he sees the same potential.At the same time, as revolutionary as ChatGPT is, Google isn't going anywhere tomorrow. Websites will continue to be relevant for a while as consumers adapt to this new digital reality. You can catch a two-minute snippet of Kelly's observation about “living in the future” right here: <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/fcaczDULJ-c"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fcaczDULJ-c" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> On the content and enterprise software side, we also discuss CMS and its own category challenges. He recently asked in another LinkedIn post if we really need another content management system in an already crowded and mature space. This isn't a problem that's exclusive to our industry, but with hundreds of choices battling it out, it's a common question. I ask Kelly how we navigate this commoditization, where platforms – particularly legacy players – are compositionally the same, and AI is shifting expectations. He's focused beyond the legacy “dinosaur” story and looking for real differentiation.“Value is not created by that which is different, but that which is unique,” he said. “That's something that took me a while to fully understand, but it's true. There are a lot of legacy platforms, or even newer versions, but still fundamentally legacy approaches.”Asteroids… dinosaurs... could this be the end as we know it? Maybe. But as Kelly maintains, this is where the opportunity lies. So things get a little dark, but there's some light at the end of the tunnel. I promise. I have mad respect for Kelly's thinking, and this podcast episode is chock-full of wisdom nuggets. We spend a little time talking about his “origin story,” which colors some of his perspective. That collective experience – and success – might also be why he's firmly grounded despite these seismic changes. So strap in, turn up the volume, and watch the skies for falling objects.<h3 id="listen-to-“the-critic’s-corner”-podcast-with-kelly-goetsch">Listen to “The Critic’s Corner” podcast with Kelly Goetsch</h3> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/bdzj4t2d">Listen to the full episode </a>&gt;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tinyurl.com/bdzj4t2d">Subscribe on Apple Podcasts</a> &gt; <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:58.49%"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/bdzj4t2d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/critics-corner-apple-podcast-kelly-goetsch.jpg" alt="" /></a></figure> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaSee Agility CMS at the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

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