Lars Barkman
@larsbarkman.bsky.social
I’m Lars Barkman, an independent IT Consultant, Solopreneur, and co-founder of Alpha Phase Group. I specialize in aligning technology with business strategy so organizations can excel today and confidently embrace tomorrow.
Do we really need complex org models?
I’m starting to think: no.
💡 One mode: X-as-a-Service
🔧 Five types:
🧑💻 Customer
🏢 Enabling
🛠️ Platform
🧠 Excellence
🧭 Stewardship
Not a new model. Just a clearer lens.
📝 New post — link in reply 👇
#OrgDesign #TeamTopologies #OperatingModel
I’m starting to think: no.
💡 One mode: X-as-a-Service
🔧 Five types:
🧑💻 Customer
🏢 Enabling
🛠️ Platform
🧠 Excellence
🧭 Stewardship
Not a new model. Just a clearer lens.
📝 New post — link in reply 👇
#OrgDesign #TeamTopologies #OperatingModel
August 18, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Do we really need complex org models?
I’m starting to think: no.
💡 One mode: X-as-a-Service
🔧 Five types:
🧑💻 Customer
🏢 Enabling
🛠️ Platform
🧠 Excellence
🧭 Stewardship
Not a new model. Just a clearer lens.
📝 New post — link in reply 👇
#OrgDesign #TeamTopologies #OperatingModel
I’m starting to think: no.
💡 One mode: X-as-a-Service
🔧 Five types:
🧑💻 Customer
🏢 Enabling
🛠️ Platform
🧠 Excellence
🧭 Stewardship
Not a new model. Just a clearer lens.
📝 New post — link in reply 👇
#OrgDesign #TeamTopologies #OperatingModel
🚦 Imagine your team’s daily check-in focused on what really matters:
✨ Start with exceptions
🗺 Walk the board
📏 Make capacity visible
🔍 Spot trends
In just 15 mins → alignment, focus & predictable delivery.
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
✨ Start with exceptions
🗺 Walk the board
📏 Make capacity visible
🔍 Spot trends
In just 15 mins → alignment, focus & predictable delivery.
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
Making Daily Check-ins Meaningful: A Flow-Focused Approach | Lars Barkman
Learn a practical 15-minute flow-focused approach to daily check-ins that builds systems thinking, improves team coordination, and drives predictable delivery through strategic work prioritization.
larsbarkman.com
August 12, 2025 at 6:23 AM
🚦 Imagine your team’s daily check-in focused on what really matters:
✨ Start with exceptions
🗺 Walk the board
📏 Make capacity visible
🔍 Spot trends
In just 15 mins → alignment, focus & predictable delivery.
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
✨ Start with exceptions
🗺 Walk the board
📏 Make capacity visible
🔍 Spot trends
In just 15 mins → alignment, focus & predictable delivery.
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
👀 Why I prefer Stakeholder Stories:
Too often, “the user” is a fiction hiding the real business driver.
In order to 🎯 [outcome]
As 🧑💼 [stakeholder]
I want 🧩 [capability]
Outcome first. Name the real owner. Features become tools—not goals. 📈
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/why-i-p...
Too often, “the user” is a fiction hiding the real business driver.
In order to 🎯 [outcome]
As 🧑💼 [stakeholder]
I want 🧩 [capability]
Outcome first. Name the real owner. Features become tools—not goals. 📈
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/why-i-p...
Why I Prefer Stakeholder Stories | Lars Barkman
Picture this: You're in a product planning meeting, and someone reads out a user story: 'As a user, I want to receive email notifications so that I stay informed about updates.' Everyone nods. It soun...
larsbarkman.com
August 10, 2025 at 6:13 AM
👀 Why I prefer Stakeholder Stories:
Too often, “the user” is a fiction hiding the real business driver.
In order to 🎯 [outcome]
As 🧑💼 [stakeholder]
I want 🧩 [capability]
Outcome first. Name the real owner. Features become tools—not goals. 📈
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/why-i-p...
Too often, “the user” is a fiction hiding the real business driver.
In order to 🎯 [outcome]
As 🧑💼 [stakeholder]
I want 🧩 [capability]
Outcome first. Name the real owner. Features become tools—not goals. 📈
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/why-i-p...
🚨 Even the best team structures fail without intrinsic motivation.
From Daniel Pink’s Drive:
📊 +67% retention
⚙️ +21% productivity
💡 +43% innovation
3 keys: Autonomy • Mastery • Purpose
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/beyond-...
From Daniel Pink’s Drive:
📊 +67% retention
⚙️ +21% productivity
💡 +43% innovation
3 keys: Autonomy • Mastery • Purpose
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/beyond-...
Beyond Team Structure: Why Intrinsic Motivation Drives Performance | Lars Barkman
Why even the best team structures fail without intrinsic motivation. How autonomy, mastery, and purpose transform knowledge workers from compliant to committed, creating sustainable competitive advant...
larsbarkman.com
August 8, 2025 at 6:07 AM
🚨 Even the best team structures fail without intrinsic motivation.
From Daniel Pink’s Drive:
📊 +67% retention
⚙️ +21% productivity
💡 +43% innovation
3 keys: Autonomy • Mastery • Purpose
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/beyond-...
From Daniel Pink’s Drive:
📊 +67% retention
⚙️ +21% productivity
💡 +43% innovation
3 keys: Autonomy • Mastery • Purpose
Full post 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/beyond-...
🚀 Right‑sized team but underperforming?
The issue isn’t headcount — it’s structure.
Strategic pairing makes 5–9 person teams resilient & high‑performing.
Read 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-pow...
#Leadership #Teams #Collaboration
The issue isn’t headcount — it’s structure.
Strategic pairing makes 5–9 person teams resilient & high‑performing.
Read 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-pow...
#Leadership #Teams #Collaboration
The Power of Working in Pairs | Lars Barkman
Beyond team size: How strategic pairing creates resilient, high-performing teams by establishing intentional structures that maximize collaboration and minimize coordination overhead.
larsbarkman.com
August 6, 2025 at 3:54 PM
🚀 Right‑sized team but underperforming?
The issue isn’t headcount — it’s structure.
Strategic pairing makes 5–9 person teams resilient & high‑performing.
Read 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-pow...
#Leadership #Teams #Collaboration
The issue isn’t headcount — it’s structure.
Strategic pairing makes 5–9 person teams resilient & high‑performing.
Read 👉 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-pow...
#Leadership #Teams #Collaboration
Last week: why 7±2 is the sweet spot for high‑performing teams.
This week: how to get there without losing momentum or culture.
🚨 Too big → slow decisions
⚠️ Too small → burnout
😴 Low work → disengagement
Playbooks: spot, fix & keep teams in the sweet spot → larsbarkman.com/blog/right-s...
This week: how to get there without losing momentum or culture.
🚨 Too big → slow decisions
⚠️ Too small → burnout
😴 Low work → disengagement
Playbooks: spot, fix & keep teams in the sweet spot → larsbarkman.com/blog/right-s...
Right-Sizing Your Teams: How to Fix Size Problems | Lars Barkman
This comprehensive guide helps engineering leaders identify and solve team size problems. Learn to recognize the telltale signs of oversized, undersized, and underutilized teams, then apply structured...
larsbarkman.com
August 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Last week: why 7±2 is the sweet spot for high‑performing teams.
This week: how to get there without losing momentum or culture.
🚨 Too big → slow decisions
⚠️ Too small → burnout
😴 Low work → disengagement
Playbooks: spot, fix & keep teams in the sweet spot → larsbarkman.com/blog/right-s...
This week: how to get there without losing momentum or culture.
🚨 Too big → slow decisions
⚠️ Too small → burnout
😴 Low work → disengagement
Playbooks: spot, fix & keep teams in the sweet spot → larsbarkman.com/blog/right-s...
Teams of 5–9 people often deliver better results:
🚀 Faster delivery
🧪 More innovation
📉 Less coordination waste
Team size is a powerful performance lever.
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-sci...
🚀 Faster delivery
🧪 More innovation
📉 Less coordination waste
Team size is a powerful performance lever.
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-sci...
The Science of Team Size: Why Too Big or Too Small Breaks Performance | Lars Barkman
The science is clear: team size is a critical factor in performance. Too large, and communication overhead crushes productivity; too small, and you lack resilience. Discover why the 7±2 sweet spot bal...
larsbarkman.com
August 1, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Teams of 5–9 people often deliver better results:
🚀 Faster delivery
🧪 More innovation
📉 Less coordination waste
Team size is a powerful performance lever.
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-sci...
🚀 Faster delivery
🧪 More innovation
📉 Less coordination waste
Team size is a powerful performance lever.
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/the-sci...
Is “architecture” the right metaphor for the enterprise — or just the most familiar?
Enterprises aren’t buildings. They evolve, adapt, grow.
🌱 What if we saw the enterprise more like a garden?
New post: larsbarkman.com/blog/explori...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #SystemsThinking
Enterprises aren’t buildings. They evolve, adapt, grow.
🌱 What if we saw the enterprise more like a garden?
New post: larsbarkman.com/blog/explori...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #SystemsThinking
Beyond Architecture: Exploring Alternative Metaphors for the Enterprise | Lars Barkman
This post challenges the dominance of the architectural metaphor as the primary lens for enterprise design and explores more dynamic alternatives. By examining how metaphors shape our thinking, we con...
larsbarkman.com
July 25, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Is “architecture” the right metaphor for the enterprise — or just the most familiar?
Enterprises aren’t buildings. They evolve, adapt, grow.
🌱 What if we saw the enterprise more like a garden?
New post: larsbarkman.com/blog/explori...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #SystemsThinking
Enterprises aren’t buildings. They evolve, adapt, grow.
🌱 What if we saw the enterprise more like a garden?
New post: larsbarkman.com/blog/explori...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #SystemsThinking
Fastest path to shared understanding?
🧭 Not meetings.
🧠 Not docs.
👀 It’s visualization.
New post on using visuals to align, decide, and deliver:
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/visuali...
#leadership #teamalignment #visualthinking
🧭 Not meetings.
🧠 Not docs.
👀 It’s visualization.
New post on using visuals to align, decide, and deliver:
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/visuali...
#leadership #teamalignment #visualthinking
Visualization as Strategy: Transforming Complex Work into Clear Decisions | Lars Barkman
Strategic visualization transforms team alignment, decision-making, and delivery outcomes. Learn key principles and practices that drive measurable business results through effective visual communicat...
larsbarkman.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Fastest path to shared understanding?
🧭 Not meetings.
🧠 Not docs.
👀 It’s visualization.
New post on using visuals to align, decide, and deliver:
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/visuali...
#leadership #teamalignment #visualthinking
🧭 Not meetings.
🧠 Not docs.
👀 It’s visualization.
New post on using visuals to align, decide, and deliver:
🔗 larsbarkman.com/blog/visuali...
#leadership #teamalignment #visualthinking
A quick 1:1 can be the highest-leverage thing you do all week.
But too many turn into status updates—or get canceled.
I wrote about how to make them meaningful: structure, principles, and when to adapt.
larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
#Leadership #Engineering #1on1s
But too many turn into status updates—or get canceled.
I wrote about how to make them meaningful: structure, principles, and when to adapt.
larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
#Leadership #Engineering #1on1s
Engineering Leadership: Making 1:1 Meetings Meaningful | Lars Barkman
A practical approach to elevating 1:1 meetings into impactful coaching and alignment sessions, grounded in research and team psychology.
larsbarkman.com
June 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
A quick 1:1 can be the highest-leverage thing you do all week.
But too many turn into status updates—or get canceled.
I wrote about how to make them meaningful: structure, principles, and when to adapt.
larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
#Leadership #Engineering #1on1s
But too many turn into status updates—or get canceled.
I wrote about how to make them meaningful: structure, principles, and when to adapt.
larsbarkman.com/blog/making-...
#Leadership #Engineering #1on1s
Not all frontend rendering strategies are created equal.
In my latest post, I share a concise guide to modern rendering models and when to use them.
🔗 Read it here: larsbarkman.com/blog/web-fro...
#WebArchitecture #FrontendEngineering #Jamstack #React #Astro #Nextjs
In my latest post, I share a concise guide to modern rendering models and when to use them.
🔗 Read it here: larsbarkman.com/blog/web-fro...
#WebArchitecture #FrontendEngineering #Jamstack #React #Astro #Nextjs
Web Frontend Rendering Strategies: A Strategic Decision-Maker's Guide | Lars Barkman
This strategic guide helps technology leaders navigate the complex landscape of web rendering approaches—from CSR to SSR, SSG, and ISR—with a decision framework that aligns technical choices with busi...
larsbarkman.com
June 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Not all frontend rendering strategies are created equal.
In my latest post, I share a concise guide to modern rendering models and when to use them.
🔗 Read it here: larsbarkman.com/blog/web-fro...
#WebArchitecture #FrontendEngineering #Jamstack #React #Astro #Nextjs
In my latest post, I share a concise guide to modern rendering models and when to use them.
🔗 Read it here: larsbarkman.com/blog/web-fro...
#WebArchitecture #FrontendEngineering #Jamstack #React #Astro #Nextjs
Enterprises are systems too.
Not in metaphor—but in architecture, behavior, and the way they scale or break.
In my latest post, I explore how thinking about an organization like a system can...
🔗 Read the full post: larsbarkman.com/blog/enterpr...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #OperatingModel
Not in metaphor—but in architecture, behavior, and the way they scale or break.
In my latest post, I explore how thinking about an organization like a system can...
🔗 Read the full post: larsbarkman.com/blog/enterpr...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #OperatingModel
Enterprises Are Systems Too: Designing for Competitive Advantage | Lars Barkman
Enterprises function as systems where intentional design of operating models, interfaces, and feedback loops can dramatically reduce coordination overhead, accelerate decision-making, and create susta...
larsbarkman.com
June 15, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Enterprises are systems too.
Not in metaphor—but in architecture, behavior, and the way they scale or break.
In my latest post, I explore how thinking about an organization like a system can...
🔗 Read the full post: larsbarkman.com/blog/enterpr...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #OperatingModel
Not in metaphor—but in architecture, behavior, and the way they scale or break.
In my latest post, I explore how thinking about an organization like a system can...
🔗 Read the full post: larsbarkman.com/blog/enterpr...
#EnterpriseArchitecture #OperatingModel
Upptäckte Fokus via en podd. Kanske sist på bollen, men nu är det min favorit för analys och debatt om aktuella händelser. Rekommenderas varmt! #media #fokus #nyheter
www.fokus.se
www.fokus.se
Fokus - Sveriges nyhetsmagasin
Fokus är din källa för djuplodande nyheter, analyser och reportage om politik, samhälle och kultur. Få den senaste inblicken i viktiga frågor och trender.
www.fokus.se
March 7, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Upptäckte Fokus via en podd. Kanske sist på bollen, men nu är det min favorit för analys och debatt om aktuella händelser. Rekommenderas varmt! #media #fokus #nyheter
www.fokus.se
www.fokus.se
Organisationer har alltid behövt en exit-plan för molntjänster, men tidigare oftast på egna villkor. Nu kan molnet bli en bricka i handelskonflikter—med kort tid att ställa om.
Dags för en riktig plan B. #molnet #säkerhet #gdpr #ITstrategi
www.svd.se/a/Vz2zld/adv...
Dags för en riktig plan B. #molnet #säkerhet #gdpr #ITstrategi
www.svd.se/a/Vz2zld/adv...
”It-avtal en risk för svensk beredskap”
DEBATT. Myndigheter och samhällsviktiga verksamheter som accepterar amerikanska it-bolags standardvillkor ger ifrån sig en on/off-knapp till delar av den svenska statsförvaltningen. Det skriver två...
www.svd.se
March 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Organisationer har alltid behövt en exit-plan för molntjänster, men tidigare oftast på egna villkor. Nu kan molnet bli en bricka i handelskonflikter—med kort tid att ställa om.
Dags för en riktig plan B. #molnet #säkerhet #gdpr #ITstrategi
www.svd.se/a/Vz2zld/adv...
Dags för en riktig plan B. #molnet #säkerhet #gdpr #ITstrategi
www.svd.se/a/Vz2zld/adv...
Just tried Sesame’s AI chat, and it’s fascinating how the two ‘personas’ have such distinct behaviors and vibes. One is energetic and professional, while the other feels more like ‘the dude.’
The future looks bright! 🤖✨ #AI #Sesame #Chatbots
www.sesame.com/research/cro...
The future looks bright! 🤖✨ #AI #Sesame #Chatbots
www.sesame.com/research/cro...
Crossing the uncanny valley of conversational voice
At Sesame, our goal is to achieve “voice presence”—the magical quality that makes spoken interactions feel real, understood, and valued.
www.sesame.com
March 7, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Just tried Sesame’s AI chat, and it’s fascinating how the two ‘personas’ have such distinct behaviors and vibes. One is energetic and professional, while the other feels more like ‘the dude.’
The future looks bright! 🤖✨ #AI #Sesame #Chatbots
www.sesame.com/research/cro...
The future looks bright! 🤖✨ #AI #Sesame #Chatbots
www.sesame.com/research/cro...