Freddie Laker is the founder of Chameleon Collective and Collective OS; the latter providing a trusted partnership ecosystem for professional services firms seeking to share experts, case studies, and work experiences. In the past, Freddie has held marketing leadership roles at numerous PE-backed organizations in a range of industries and he’s served as a CEO three times, as a CMO twice, and as a VP of Strategy for one of the world’s largest digital marketing agencies.
Our conversation explores the benefits of leveraging collective expertise in marketing, particularly for smaller firms with limited resources. We also discuss the challenges of sourcing talent in the digital age, the potential benefits of using DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) to manage talent pools, and the importance of strategic partnerships in maximizing business development opportunities.
Topics covered in our talk include:
- How Chameleon Collective evolved into Collective OS, a true collective with a decentralized leadership structure.
- The platform’s ability to create collectives, which can be used to compete in the market with great effect.
- How the network effects of collective lists can inspire new types of thinking and solutions for clients.
- Why clients often distrust consultants and agency culture.
- The challenges of finding trustworthy freelancers vs. using a platform with vetted talent.
- Finding the right balance between flexibility and cost when managing freelance talent.
- The inadvisability of hiring people for skills that can only be utilized at 50% or less.
- How media buying execution can vary significantly between teams, even in seemingly commoditized areas.
- How collective awareness can create opportunities for subcontracting or co-pitching, increasing chances of winning accounts.
- Why well-designed deals with proper staffing and structuring prevent underbidding issues.
- How Collective OS’ “holacracy” model ensures that team members are personally responsible for estimating their work and delivering on their commitments, with disproportionate rewards for accepting risk.
- The present and possible future impact of AI on jobs and employment.