Autonomous
Why the Fittest Businesses Embrace AI-First Strategies and Digital Labor
1st Edition
Published on 30. September 2025
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-394-35792-5 (ISBN)
Description
A compelling roadmap to building an autonomous business, best positioned to win, using digital labor powered by Agentic and physical AI
An autonomous business is designed to be AI-first in its strategies and operations to maximize value and minimize time to value, and when it is done right it will unlock unprecedented speed, scale and shared success. But getting from one-off AI implementations - where most companies are at today - to autonomy will be neither easy nor obvious. Business leaders will need to challenge all the conventions, standard operating procedures and orthodoxies underpinning businesses designed by humans for humans - which is to say just about all of them! They will need to build digital labor to non-linearly scale the health, conditioning and talent of their teams, business and ecosystem, enabling 24x7x365 continuity and responsiveness, removing blockages and waste that trap or reduce value. They will need to manage the relationships between the two types of intelligent resources, digital and human. They will need to design for AI control and teach human leaders to "let go of the steering wheel".
The goal of Autonomous is to further expand the Boundless design principles that have guided the fastest growing companies in the world, and to ready business leaders, strategists and designers for success in the AI economy.
An autonomous business is designed to be AI-first in its strategies and operations to maximize value and minimize time to value, and when it is done right it will unlock unprecedented speed, scale and shared success. But getting from one-off AI implementations - where most companies are at today - to autonomy will be neither easy nor obvious. Business leaders will need to challenge all the conventions, standard operating procedures and orthodoxies underpinning businesses designed by humans for humans - which is to say just about all of them! They will need to build digital labor to non-linearly scale the health, conditioning and talent of their teams, business and ecosystem, enabling 24x7x365 continuity and responsiveness, removing blockages and waste that trap or reduce value. They will need to manage the relationships between the two types of intelligent resources, digital and human. They will need to design for AI control and teach human leaders to "let go of the steering wheel".
The goal of Autonomous is to further expand the Boundless design principles that have guided the fastest growing companies in the world, and to ready business leaders, strategists and designers for success in the AI economy.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
426 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-35792-5 (9781394357925)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Vala Afshar | Henry King
Autonomous
Why the Fittest Businesses Embrace AI-First Strategies and Digital Labor
E-Book
09/2025
1st Edition
Wiley
€22.99
Available for download
Vala Afshar | Henry King
Autonomous
Why the Fittest Businesses Embrace AI-First Strategies and Digital Labor
E-Book
09/2025
1st Edition
Wiley
€22.99
Available for download
Persons
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.
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.
Content
Introduction ix
Chapter 1 What Is a Fit Company? 1
In an AI- powered economy, the companies that are the fittest (best positioned to win) are Autonomous using digital labor.
Chapter 2 Blockages Kill Companies 19
Blockages 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 43
Autonomous companies have operating models for decision dominance and action at machine speed and scale (mSUDA).
Chapter 4 Relational Intelligence for Digital Labor 73
Autonomous companies are hyper- talented, integrating human and digital resources and building deep relational intelligence. Copyrighted Material
Chapter 5 AI-First Design and Nonlinearity 103
Adopting An Ai- First Strategy Is the Only Path From Assistive to Autonomous Capabilities, Producing Nonlinear, Exponential Outcomes. ix
Chapter 6 Autonomy and Boundless Principles 127
Becoming an Autonomous business requires the seven Boundless principles shaping the mindset and business operating model.
Chapter 7 AI Is the New UI 141
Taking 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 175
This is what defines the world's most successful companies: Autonomy.
Chapter 9 Ten Tenets of Autonomous Businesses 185
These are the 10 key takeaways from this book.
Notes 187
Glossary of AI Terms 191
Acknowledgments 197
About the Authors 199
Index 201
Chapter 1 What Is a Fit Company? 1
In an AI- powered economy, the companies that are the fittest (best positioned to win) are Autonomous using digital labor.
Chapter 2 Blockages Kill Companies 19
Blockages 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 43
Autonomous companies have operating models for decision dominance and action at machine speed and scale (mSUDA).
Chapter 4 Relational Intelligence for Digital Labor 73
Autonomous companies are hyper- talented, integrating human and digital resources and building deep relational intelligence. Copyrighted Material
Chapter 5 AI-First Design and Nonlinearity 103
Adopting An Ai- First Strategy Is the Only Path From Assistive to Autonomous Capabilities, Producing Nonlinear, Exponential Outcomes. ix
Chapter 6 Autonomy and Boundless Principles 127
Becoming an Autonomous business requires the seven Boundless principles shaping the mindset and business operating model.
Chapter 7 AI Is the New UI 141
Taking 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 175
This is what defines the world's most successful companies: Autonomy.
Chapter 9 Ten Tenets of Autonomous Businesses 185
These are the 10 key takeaways from this book.
Notes 187
Glossary of AI Terms 191
Acknowledgments 197
About the Authors 199
Index 201