Software Engineering Leadership - Meet Up & Social - Leeds Digi Fest 2026

I’m delighted to share the details for the next Software Engineering Leadership @ WRK - Event & Social 🥳
Title: Rethink your process before you build your system

With Guest Facilitator: John Hughes - COO
John Hughes was a co-founder at The Modern Milkman and former Chief Growth Officer at Vintage Cash Cow.
The session will focus mainly on the innovator's dilemma in the age of AI.
Are people asking whether the process should exist, given what Claude or OpenAI can do? Where's the best place to apply AI in a growing company? How do you build an AI native company in 2026?

Right now The Innovator's Dilemma is supercharged. Successful companies hesitate to adopt AI because it threatens current high-margin services and traditional workflows. Meanwhile, nimble startups use cheap, foundational AI tools to disrupt legacy markets from the bottom up.

Why AI Deepens the Dilemma

• Zero barrier to entry: Small teams can build powerful tools using basic foundational models, bypassing massive R&D budgets.

• Process over product: Disruption targets internal operating models and workflows, not just end products.

• Consolidation vs. Edge: While application layers face rapid disruption, massive capital costs concentrate raw model power in a few tech giants.

• Recycled output: Most AI Experts agree that current AI agents often recycle existing data, leading to generic results rather than true creativity

John will share his story and encourage knowledge‑sharing from across the room, with conversation continuing into the social afterwards.
🍕 Food and refreshments will be provided on the evening.
🙏 Huge thanks to our friends at Parallax — these events wouldn’t be possible without their continued support of free event space.
We can’t wait to see you on Thursday 24th of September as part of the Leeds Digital Festival 2026 🙌
Please make sure to RSVP via the event link or Eventbrite, as numbers are limited.