Making systems work: in theory and in practice
Most advice breaks once it meets real constraints. I’ve spent years learning that the hard way: first in applied research, then as a department head for IT and digital transformation in a complex international organization. The five articles below are the distilled version of what actually works.
The Unexpected Impact of Handing Your Decisions to AI (It’s Not What You Think): How I use AI as a thinking tool (structure, clarity, reflection) without outsourcing judgment or responsibility.
7 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management: Seven lessons that only become obvious once you’re responsible for running digital solutions over time.
Powerful Copilot Workflows That Save Me Hours as a Department Head: Concrete Copilot workflows I actually use day-to-day: not theory, but what helps when your calendar is full and the stakes are real.
Craft Your Ideal Week: a User-Friendly Guide: A practical planning approach that aims for effectiveness without pretending life is predictable.
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29: What becoming a department head at 29 actually taught me and what no leadership book prepared me for.
If you prefer browsing, you can explore the full archive here.
What I write about
- Personal Operating Systems: How individuals stay effective when work becomes complex, ambiguous and constrained (without relying on hacks) Read more …
- Leadership as a System: How decisions, communication and responsibility scale through teams and why leadership is less about traits and more about structure Read more …
- Tools in the Real World: How digital systems, IT, and AI actually behave once they meet organizations Read more …
That’s me
I am Matthias. I lead IT and digitalization in an international organization, hold a PhD in engineering and have spent years figuring out why good ideas so rarely survive contact with real organizations. This site is where I think out loud. Read more about me