About Jobs To Be Done
AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Super-Intelligent Firm is a practical guide for leaders and managers to thrive in the AI era. Inspired by the octopus’s distributed intelligence, the book introduces the Octopus Organization model: Eight Arms (push decisions to the frontline), Neural Necklace (connect knowledge across silos), Three Hearts (balance analysis, agility, and culture), and RNA-Powered Resilience (drive resilience and change).
With actionable checklists, case studies, and a step-by-step transformation plan, the book shows how to empower teams, synchronize data, and foster cultures of trust and innovation. A must-read for executives, middle managers, and innovators, it provides a clear roadmap to build adaptive, AI-powered organizations ready for the future.
What You'll Learn
Eight Arms: Pushing Decisions
to The Frontline
Learn how to push decision-making to the edges. Equip teams with AI insights, context, and micro-budgets, enabling them to solve problems instantly, boost agility, and accelerate innovation without waiting for top-down approvals.
Neural Necklace: Connect Center & Periphery
Discover how to connect your organization’s center and periphery. Use AI-powered platforms to integrate data, eliminate silos, and build a transparent single source of truth that synchronizes knowledge across teams, partners, and functions.
Three Hearts: Lead with Three Rhythms
Balance three leadership rhythms: analytical rigor, agile experimentation, and cultural alignment. Understand when to shift gears, ensuring organizations remain flexible yet focused while navigating disruption in the AI-driven marketplace.
RNA-Powered Resilience
Build the capabilities to pivot quickly in changing environments. Learn to design sensing systems, feedback loops, and rapid-rewrite teams that continuously refresh strategies, enabling long-term resilience and sustainable advantage in the AI era.
Managing the Cultural Change
Develop a culture that embraces AI and empowers people. Reduce organizational debt, build trust, and evolve middle managers into supportive coaches who create space for meaningful work and stronger human-AI collaboration.
Your Transformation Plan
Follow a structured roadmap from pilot projects to enterprise-wide AI adoption. Gain step-by-step guidance, practical checklists, and proven strategies to scale innovations, minimize risks, and future-proof your organization for long-term success.
free Resource
Download The Introduction
The ammonite vs. octopus survival story metaphor
Why rigid, hierarchical strcutures fail in the face of exponential AI disruption
How AI works as the enabler of agile, adaptive organizations
table of contents
01
Introduction: Why Transform?
02
Chapter 1: Reimagining Growth Amid a Sea Change
03
Chapter 2: Eight Arms — Pushing Down Decision Rights
04
Chapter 3: The Neural Necklace: Uniting the Periphery and the Center
05
Chapter 4: Three Hearts: Balancing Flexibility and Direction
06
Chapter 5: RNA-Powered Resilience
07
Chapter 6: An Emotional Being (Culture)
08
Chapter 7: Strategic Serendipity
09
Chapter 8: Your Transformation Plan
10
Appendix: Scaling Enterprise AI
get today
Available on Amazon
With over 100 reviews, AI and The Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm serves as a primary reference (or a seminal work) for thought leadership within the categories of Business Structural Adjustment, Strategic Business Planning, and Business Systems and Planning
View on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
About The Authors
Jonathan Brill is the Futurist-in-Residence at Amazon, Head of Invention at Deepinvent.ai, Executive Chairman of the Center for Radical Change, and former Global Futurist and Research Director at HP. Forbes calls him "the world's leading futurist." As an AI Lab Chief, technology executive, and creative director at Frog Design, his teams have developed over 350 products, generating tens of billions of dollars in new revenue for clients. As a consultant, he has guided multinational corporations and national governments, as well as frontier tech firms working in AI, defense, food, and advanced manufacturing.
Stephen Wunker is the Managing Director of New Markets Advisors, a global consulting firm that develops growth strategies for innovators such as Meta and the Mayo Clinic. A pioneer in mobile marketing and payments, he led the development of one of the world's first smartphones. As a longtime collaborator with the late Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School's legendary scholar of business disruption, Stephen played a key role in refining and applying his theories of Disruptive Innovation and Jobs to be Done. He has worked across sectors to help large organizations identify major opportunities and move quickly, despite legacy systems or cultural resistance.
our service
Rethink How You Compete in the AI Age
Want to go deeper right now? Our firm can help you rethink how you compete in the AI age. Visit the service page for more details on how your company can unlock organizational and competitive transformation with AI.”
Learn More About AI
