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When a senior member of On’s innovation team, Johannes Voelchert, stumbled across a video of a crafter squeezing a thin filament of hot glue into a fluff of spider web, it sparked an idea that grew into something truly amazing. Could they create a shoe the same way?

Rather than laughing at the idea, the On team took it quite seriously. Senior Director of footwear, Ilmarin Heitz said, “you go wild, go crazy, and I’ll pay.”

The result is a new paradigm in sneaker production called Lightspray. By placing a last (or foot form) on a robot arm, On can spray a shoe’s entire upper (its top part) from a single continuous filament in just three minutes.

With all the suppliers involved in making an upper, it takes days of work to produce a sneaker, with as many as 100 parts. Add logistics and shipping and it’s weeks. But Lightspray shoes are constructed with just five parts, in just six minutes. On says the production method isn’t just faster, it reduces 75% of their carbon footprint.

Long-term, On imagines the same possibility Adidas did years ago - using Lightspray to move production from Asia to local markets around the world, expediting production, lowering impact and responding to trends faster than ever before. “There are no limits to this technology,” says Heitz. “You can produce what you want, where you want, and only as much as you want.”

Do you jump on board when inspiration hits, or put innovation in the ‘too hard’ basket? What R&D opportunities are on the boil at your place right now, and what would happen if you too said, “go wild”? Beyond this, where is a ‘factor of X’ improvement that could save cost, improve sustainability and drive differentiation?

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Platform thinking is the ability to integrate platform-based mechanisms at the core of digital business, moving beyond traditional business models that rely on a straightforward supply chain from production to consumption.

As we have seen, platforms facilitate interactions between multiple interdependent sets of customers – and have the potential to revolutionise industries and drive business success.

Consider Uber, Airbnb, and Spotify, which have been able to demonstrate the power of platforms to connect users and providers in previously unimaginable ways. Platforms have evolved from simple marketplaces to complex ecosystems that enable seamless interactions between diverse stakeholders – something we could all learn from and implement.

Foundational Design - Successful platforms are built with two main characteristics: diverse, interconnected customer groups and the mutual value they create for each other, which results in a self-reinforcing cycle, with an increase in value each time more users join (i.e.: the network effect). Companies like Airbnb, which connects hosts and travellers, exemplify this dual customer approach, and Facebook, which connects users and advertisers.

Absorptive Capacity - The ability to recognise the value of new information, assimilate it, and apply it to commercial ends is critical. This can enable organisations to continuously adapt and innovate, turning new information into strategic advantages. Netflix’s transition from a DVD to a streaming platform illustrates absorptive capacity, where the company recognised and adapted the potential of streaming technology and customer data analytics.

To successfully transition to a platform-based model, you need a fundamental shift in mindset and an understanding of both linear and platform models. Platform thinking offers a new lens through which businesses can navigate the complexities of the digital economy. Where could you apply platform thinking in your own business? What opportunities might a platform company like Uber or Airbnb see in your company or industry? What area of business should you transform?

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The ‘always on’ culture can be debilitating – and with boundaries around work/life balance blurring due to hybrid roles, a review of when we work, as well as where we work, is probably long overdue.

As Australia’s new ‘right to disconnect’ law reform comes into effect, I’d recommend you review what this could mean for you.

Here’s a few facts about the current state of play, thanks to Forbes Australia

➡️ 87% of office workers say they’ve been contacted outside of working hours, according to a survey by Robert Half.

➡️ 5.4 hours: That’s how many hours Australian workers averaged in unpaid overtime, per week, in 2023.

➡️ 60% of Australians experience exhaustion and anxiety due to their workload.

➡️ 78% of employees are more likely to work for a company with a clear right to disconnect policy, according to recruitment firm, people2people.

➡️ France was the first country to introduce right to disconnect laws in 2017.

Australia’s workplace regulator has given Australians the legal right to disconnect from work outside of regular working hours under the Fair Work Act. This is the first change in Fair Work’s ‘Closing Loopholes’ journey, where it plans to criminalise wage underpayments, make changes to labour-hire employee laws and redefine casual work.

The new law means it’s legal for work teams to ignore the boss and put the work phone on ‘do not disturb’ out of office hours, but there are a few important guidelines.

➡️Most Australian employees will have the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to work-related contact from August 26, 2024, thanks to the new ‘right to disconnect’ law in the Fair Work Act.

➡️Employees of small businesses won’t have that right until August 26, 2025.

➡️The maximum penalty for an employer who violates the Right to Disconnect law is $18,000.

➡️There is a catch: it can’t be unreasonable to refuse contact. And it’ll be deemed unreasonable to respond if the contact is required by law.

➡️Importantly, the new law reform it doesn’t prohibit employers contacting employees outside of regular working hours, but it does mean employers need to rethink operations – particularly if they have international operations.

What will this reform mean for you and your operations? Beyond the legal implications, what are you noticing about the energy of your team? Do you need to review the drivers of after-hours expectations? (i.e. are there culture, process, system or people issues that unnecessarily extend the day?)

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