Autonomous

VALA AFSHAR and HENRY KING are the acclaimed co-authors of the bestselling book Boundless. With a combined 60+ years of experience, both are award-winning executives and technology practitioners specializing in business strategy, digital transformation, cloud computing, CRM, data, and AI technologies. VALA AFSHAR is currently Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce, where he advises customers on the rise of Agentic AI and the future of advanced technologies. Previously, he has served as Vice President of Engineering, Chief Customer Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer. Recognized as a leading industry thought leader, Vala boasts over a million followers on X and LinkedIn, holds multiple U.S. patents, writes a weekly column for ZDNET, and has hosted the popular enterprise podcast DisrupTV for over a decade. HENRY KING is an Innovation Strategist and Chief Information Officer with a distinguished career at Salesforce, Accenture, Deloitte Consulting, and other top technology firms. He is also a regular blog columnist and trusted advisor to organizations navigating digital transformation and AI adoption. Together, as proven authors, technology practitioners, and advisors, Afshar and King are uniquely positioned to offer leaders, strategists, and designers actionable insights for positioning their companies for success in the age of AI.

• Introduction ixChapter 1 What Is a Fit Company? 1In an AI- powered economy, the companies that are the fittest (best positioned to win) are Autonomous using digital labor.Chapter 2 Blockages Kill Companies 19Blockages are the number one cause of death in living organisms and businesses alike. Autonomous companies are living organisms that are immune to blockages.Chapter 3 A New Autonomous Operating Model 43Autonomous companies have operating models for decision dominance and action at machine speed and scale (mSUDA).Chapter 4 Relational Intelligence for Digital Labor 73Autonomous companies are hyper- talented, integrating human and digital resources and building deep relational intelligence. Copyrighted MaterialChapter 5 AI-First Design and Nonlinearity 103Adopting An Ai- First Strategy Is the Only Path From Assistive to Autonomous Capabilities, Producing Nonlinear, Exponential Outcomes. ixChapter 6 Autonomy and Boundless Principles 127Becoming an Autonomous business requires the seven Boundless principles shaping the mindset and business operating model.Chapter 7 AI Is the New UI 141Taking our hands off the steering wheel: the road to Autonomous maturity for AI, the company, and its humans requires bold leadership and a new playbook.Chapter 8 Summary of Key Insights 175This is what defines the world’s most successful companies: Autonomy.Chapter 9 Ten Tenets of Autonomous Businesses 185These are the 10 key takeaways from this book.Notes 187Glossary of AI Terms 191Acknowledgments 197About the Authors 199Index 201