Rob Thomas on lesson he learnt from Netezza's founder Jit Saxena that made him realise what IBM may not be doing 'right'
In a bold move to reshape innovation at one of tech's oldest giants, Rob Thomas , IBM's senior vice president of software and chief commercial officer, is pushing a "build a little, test a little, learn a lot" philosophy to harmonize long-term engineering vision with immediate commercial demands. Thomas assumed the rare dual role overseeing both the company's global engineering pipeline and sales organization -- a high-stakes juggling act few executives face at the 100-plus-year-old IBM.
"We're breaking the old pattern," Thomas said in a recent interview with Fortune. "Instead of rigid, linear grand plans, we're prioritizing rapid feedback loops to drive real progress." The approach draws inspiration from Jit Saxena , founder of data-warehousing pioneer Netezza, which IBM acquired in 2010. Thomas recounted Saxena's hands-on strategy after he began investing in startups: monthly meetings with founders centered on one key question: "What are customers telling you?" These consistent check-ins frequently sparked dramatic pivots from initial concepts, proving instrumental in crafting standout products.
"We're breaking the old pattern," Thomas said in a recent interview with Fortune. "Instead of rigid, linear grand plans, we're prioritizing rapid feedback loops to drive real progress." The approach draws inspiration from Jit Saxena , founder of data-warehousing pioneer Netezza, which IBM acquired in 2010. Thomas recounted Saxena's hands-on strategy after he began investing in startups: monthly meetings with founders centered on one key question: "What are customers telling you?" These consistent check-ins frequently sparked dramatic pivots from initial concepts, proving instrumental in crafting standout products.
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