This is not a manifesto.

Mostly.

I. THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ERA IS DEAD

Digital Transformation has been a meaningless term since the 2010's.

As it became clear that every business needed to move to modern software on the cloud, companies were sold a magic bullet under the banner of transformation.

But instead, they found only disappointment as boardroom fantasies and half-baked initiatives turned into a recipe for jargon-spewing consultancies to line their pockets.

And while Digital Transformation became a buzzword instead of a strategy, automation and AI became very real, very fast.

For a long time, we’ve been told that people have to put in more hours, that hustle culture is the way to stay ahead, and there's no replacement for hard work.

Maybe there was a time when this was true — when software was expensive to buy & implement, when software development itself relied solely on engineers writing code, and when automation was only an option for the deep pockets of Fortune 500 teams.

But that time is gone.

In the past decade, forward-thinking leaders moved beyond technology being a "transformational event" into a philosophy embedded in the operations and culture of their company.

II. MAKE YOUR BUSINESS A MACHINE, NOT YOUR PEOPLE

Software that was reserved for 5,000+ person orgs became accessible to companies of any size, but today, there's still a train of questions on every leader's mind: what is the best software for my team's needs, how can I empower my people with it, and how can I embed automation with how we do business?

The modern businesses who have started to answer these questions are quickly seeing that giving their people time back for more important work will advance their ambitions.

Retention rises when people are able to focus more on what matters. Profits go up as workflows move faster and more effectively. And true, needle-moving innovation starts to generate revenue.

Now, don't get us wrong. Building this operational excellence is hard, but it must be done, and it must be done by leadership. Leadership sets a tone. A tone where people know that with you, they can work smarter, not harder.

III. YOUR SOFTWARE WON’T SAVE YOU

So if the path to a streamlined, automated, modern workplace is worth it, but can feel daunting, what do you do about it? That’s where Digital Operations comes in.

Digital Operations means going beyond just easy access to cloud software, AI, and no-code automation tools to improve the way your teams and tools function.

Digital Operations means ditching outdated tools that hold you back. It means finally unlocking the full potential of your existing tech stack and streamlining your workflows to have your team and data all working in harmony.

Digital Operations is a culture shift for teams, not a boardroom buzzword. It's about connection and continuous improvement, not endless planning. And that's something worth investing in.

IV. BUILD MORE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

In the bustling industrial age, as society vaulted into modernity, a groundbreaking invention connected the world in ways never before imagined.

The switchboard – a nexus of wires and connections – enabled individuals across cities, then nations, to communicate directly with one another in seconds instead of hours.

If the era of Digital Transformation was about making connections slowly, we’ve now entered the Switchboard era where connections are made in moments.

From data and tools to people and teams, the underlying principle remains unchanged: direct, seamless connectivity forms the backbone of meaningful engagement and progress.

TEAM

Meet the founders

Joanna Li

Co-Founder

I was (and still am) a Mario Kart kid. There's nothing more satisfying than getting those 🍄 boosts and finding hidden shortcuts. I’ve always been drawn to finding more efficient solutions that help us work better and more intuitively. Having worked in organizations of all shapes and sizes–from the scrappy startups to the structure of large enterprise and government, I’ve loved breaking down complex problems, pushing for simpler and more intuitive ways of working and embracing innovation. I’ve worn many hats across HR, Marketing, Finance, Project Management and Operations–all of which has led me to Switchboard, an agency built to support small businesses with their operational challenges and leverage the power of automations and emerging tech to stay competitive and thrive.

Justin Watt

Co-Founder

I was a SimCity kid. While friends wanted to play Mario and Halo, I loved building structure both literally and digitally.

My career was shaped by this fascination with finding efficiencies. From Business Analyst to Project Management roles at places like IBM on large-scale government projects or MetaLab with clients like Amazon & Uber before moving into Operations & IT leadership roles, my love of pairing tech and people has only grown.

This fasciation with making people's work lives simpler & more effective lead to founding the automation agency Stakeholders before joining forces with Jo to co-found Switchboard to bring automation to the next generation of ambitious SMB's and help them level up how they work across people, process, and tools.