S4E98: Can Blockchain improve Project Delivery with Fred Schebesta

The Project Chatter Podcast

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Fred Schebesta to talk about whether blockchain can improve project delivery! Fred Schebesta is the epitome of entrepreneurialism. An obsession for hyper success, Fred is passionate about disruptive innovation and inspires the startup community through his achievements and learnings.

The Australian-born entrepreneur is the co-founder of Finder, a global personal finance comparison website, which attracts over 10 million visitors each month, over 400 staff across six offices, and can be found in over 80 countries. For the past 2 years, Fred has been leading the Finder App, which is an Australian-first innovation that combines personal finance management with automated comparison. It connects a user’s bank accounts, analyses insights and sends automated alerts on when they can compare products and potentially save money.

Launched in March 2020 with plans to roll out in the USA and UK early next year. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: · In its simplest form, a blockchain is an internet-based database that anyone can access · Most projects shouldn’t use blockchain. It’s expensive, slow, cumbersome and emerging! · Blockchains are useful where you need to prove project data to the public ·

A database is a cheaper, more effective solution for projects · Bitcoin could change the way we incentivise people working on projects · Blockchain could be used to create smart contracts (self-executing contracts). This may not work on qualitative outcomes that occur on major construction projects. It works better where there are binary outcomes.

• · Be remarkable! Make sure people are willing and want to comment to their friends about ti · In most businesses, the rational idea is not to innovate and keep doing what they’re good at. At some stage businesses will experience disruption
• Blockchain is most relevant on airplane and train manufacturing projects, high value but process-driven projects
  · Plenty of major engineering projects have been delivered without technology but with solid project management principles. Have Project Management skills ever really changed since the Pyramids were built? ·
• Technology isn’t necessarily an enabler for good project management · Innovation gets killed by antibodies within organisations!
• · When creating new technology, you need to ignore the KPI’s. Deliver or don’t! ·
• We’re likely to see digital industrial revolutions in the next year `
• · Write down what a project will do, also write down what the project won’t do Here are some links to the topics we discussed:
• · Finder - https://www.finder.com.au/ · Mythical Man-Month - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mythical-Man-Month-Software-Engineering-Anniversary/dp/0201835959 · Phoenix Project - https://itrevolution.com/the-phoenix-project/ Book recommendation: Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncommon-Profits-Writings-Investment-Classics/dp/0471445509

Tune in next week when we’re re-joined by Paul Goodge and Warren Beardall to discuss the philosophy of project management. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast.

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