Using Technology With Purpose in a Post-Hype World with Jim Tattersall and Andy Jackson

March 11, 2026

“People sleepwalk without intent.”

That’s how Jim Tattersall, Founder & CTO at Rotate°, describes one of the most common causes of failed commerce transformations.

In the latest episode of The FODcast, Jim and Andy Jackson (Rotate’s Chief Creative Officer) unpack why brands often reach for tools, platforms and architectures before they’ve properly defined the problem they’re trying to solve.

They discuss:

  • How hype cycles push teams into reactive decisions
  • Why over-reliance on third-party tools creeps in unnoticed
  • The risk of building teams around technology rather than outcomes
  • Why intent matters more than architecture

The message is measured but clear: progress comes from clarity, not momentum.

This really was a great 3-way conversation with our Director of Client Engagement, James…and really frames some of the background and points raised in Rotate’s recent Tech Report.

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Why E-Commerce Won’t Win on Best Practices Alone with Rob Hoekman

February 25, 2026

“We’re kind of drowning in a sea of sameness.”

That’s how Rob Hoekman, Senior Director of Experience Consulting at Empathy Lab by EPAM describes the state of ecommerce today.

On this week’s episode of The FODcast, our CEO Tim and Rob unpack how decades of optimisation and best practice have led to convergence – in platforms, patterns and experiences – and why differentiation is getting harder, not easier.

They explore:

  • How ecommerce capability has become commoditised
  • Why replatforming now delivers smaller gains than it once did
  • The risk created by years of customisation and legacy
  • Why brands are being pushed to rethink their entire commerce fabric

Rob’s view is measured but direct: the next phase of growth won’t come from chasing new stacks, but from rethinking how commerce ecosystems are designed and operated.

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#DigitalCommerce #DigitalStrategy #Engineering #FODcast

Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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Outcomes Over Architecture: Why Simplicity Wins in Commerce with Serge El Hachem

February 5, 2026

“It’s not the licence cost that kills you; it’s the invisible overhead.”

That’s how Serge El Hachem, Director of Solutions Engineering at Lazer Technologies, describes what’s really slowing enterprise commerce down.

On this week’s episode of The FODcast, host James and Serge unpack how global retailers are simplifying their stacks, cutting total cost of ownership, and finding real speed on Shopify.

We also cover:

  • The invisible overhead – multiple vendors, fragile integrations, endless QA and DevOps cycles.
  • Where costs shrink fastest; hosting, scaling, PCI and security handled natively, no AWS bills or patching.
  • Speed as the unlock – six-month builds become six-week sprints, compounding learning and growth.
  • App strategy that scales – Serge’s rule: every app should automate, measure, or personalise, or it’s bloat.
  • Enterprise maturity – extensible checkout, powerful promo logic, and fast-maturing B2B capabilities.

With two decades in engineering and eight years focused on Shopify, Serge’s insight is clear: simplify the architecture, and growth follows.

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#Shopify #Ecommerce #DigitalCommerce #Leadership #FODcast

Written by:

James Hodges

Director of Client Engagement

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Your Cart Is Fine; Your Duties Are Not: Why US Shoppers Panic At Checkout with Jamie Vaughan

January 7, 2026

Confused about what’s actually working in digital commerce right now?

You’re not alone. Between US conversion chaos, rising costs, and AI hype, it’s hard to tell what moves the needle and what’s just noise.

On this week’s episode of The FODcast, host Tim Roedel sits down with Jamie Vaughan, ex MD at Signifly, to cut through the chatter and get practical about what to fix first.

Here’s what we cover:

  • The “Donald effect” impacting US growth – and how to rebuild confidence through landed cost clarity and reassurance
  • Conversion that counts: prioritising high-impact experiments using RICE (Reach, Impact, Cost, Effort)
  • Life after cookies: why attribution and cohort analysis (with tools like Triple Whale) are now essentials
    Turning first-party data into your growth engine – not a last-ditch paid ads replacement
  • Plus, real examples, clear takeaways, and no fluff.

If you’re scaling, re-platforming, or rethinking your funnel for 2025, you’ll want to hear this one.

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Written by:

Tim Roedel

CEO

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