#752: Microsoft Azure Core CTO Marcus Fontoura on innovation and the platform mindset

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX

Is your organization truly agile, or are you still clinging to outdated processes and siloed teams instead of a platform mindset?
Agility requires a fundamental shift in mindset, embracing collaboration, rapid iteration, and a willingness to adapt to change. It demands a commitment to not just talking about silos, but meaningfully breaking them down, while fostering a culture of shared ownership across the organization.
Today, we're going to talk about the power of a platform mindset in driving innovation and achieving true agility within large organizations. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Marcus Fontoura, Technical Fellow at Microsoft, as CTO for Azure Core at Microsoft, and author of the book “A Platform Mindset: Building a Culture of Collaboration”
About Marcus Fontoura
Marcus Fontoura has spent more than 20 years in big tech companies and has been at the forefront of industry-shaping technology innovations, from computational advertising to cloud computing to fintech. He is currently a Technical Fellow at Microsoft, where he works on cloud computing infrastructure.
His new book, A Platform Mindset: Building a Culture of
Collaboration (8080 Books, Feb. 11, 2025), shares how companies can expand and scale processes to bring about competitive advantages.
Learn more at fontoura.org.
Marcus Fontoura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusfontoura/
Resources
Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com
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Get Marcus' book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Mindset-Building-Culture-Collaboration/dp/B0DSY849P8
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