Ivar Allema on why digital transformations fail

Introduction

Despite its strategic importance, digital transformation frequently falls short, with failure rates reaching up to 70%. Studies point to familiar pitfalls: unclear strategies, weak change management, and siloed leadership.

Following our conversation with Nik Nieuwenhuijs, CEO of Hypersolid US, we continue our series on digital transformation with Ivar Allema, who leads the Amsterdam office of Hypersolid.

Interview

Q: How do you recognize the complexity described around digital transformation from your experience?

I wouldn’t go as far as to call it failure, but I’ve seen plenty transformations lose momentum. Either because they move too slowly or because the right teams aren’t aligned. We’re often brought in at the start to lead a full transformation. But maybe more often, we’reasked to step in when things get stuck.

Ivar Allema on where digital efforts fall short

And that’s where things often go sideways. Different departments within an organization are still figuring out what digital specifically means for them. The people who used to own the offline channels might not have the right digital skill set. So IT hands over the tools and says, “Here, just use this.” But all these departments can’t hit their goals with a fill-in-the-blanks setup. That’s when we usually get involved.

We had a client recently where everything was still done with brochures and paper forms. They knew they had to change, so they brought in an IT team to build a new platform. But that only gets you so far. You also need someone thinking about the customer side. That’s business. And IT and business rarely speak the same language.

That’s the role we play. We speak both. We know the technical landscape, but we also understand what the business needs to move forward. Our job is to bring those worlds together and build something that actually works.

Q: You’ve seen momentum stall, have you also seen a transformation really pick up speed?

Yes, but only if you start strong. You need something early that proves it's working. Those quick wins helps shift the mindset across the company.

That’s why we usually come in with a big presence. We move fast, show what’s possible, and then scale back as the internal teams build up their own capabilities. The goal is to get them in the driver’s seat. We stay close, more like a smart sidecar than a separate team.

Young companies have an edge. No legacy systems, no history to work around. They can move fast. For incumbents, it’s all about building early momentum. That often starts with a small, committed group. There’s usually some tension at first, but once people see we’re there to help and not there to take over, it shifts. We become a part of their team. That changes everything.

One moment that always sticked with me: someone on the client team who was on the verge of leaving the company told us, just two months in, that they were having more fun than ever.

The energy, the collaboration, the fresh perspective; it made them feel part of something again. That kind of shift is what we aim for, and it is also a clear sign that the transformation is working.

Q: Have you ever underestimated a client’s digital transformation? And where did it go well?

Not underestimated, but I’ve definitely seen how going too fast in one area can backfire. In one case, we made a lot of progress on UX and UI. Designs were sharp and ready to go. But the frontend team wasn’t moving at the same pace. We flagged the risk early, but the organization was not able to scale with us. In the end, the designs never fully made it into production the way they were meant to.

That’s why alignment between business and tech is critical. You can build a polished design system or a feature-rich product. But if it doesn’t connect to real business goals, it’s just shelfware. Tech teams need to understand what the business is aiming for. And the business side needs to know what it takes from tech to deliver those goals in a scalable, realistic way.

Where it went really well? One example is Polestar. We joined at the ground level when the company was still small—less than 100 people. We helped rebuild their entire digital ecosystem from scratch, working closely with their backend partner. There was no legacy to hold things back, and they gave us the freedom to make decisions that set them up for scale. Now they’re operating at a global level. That kind of clean slate is rare, but when you get it, it’s powerful.

On the other end, we’ve worked with clients who’ve been around for decades. Their platforms are mission-critical, tied directly to user assets and transactions. You can’t just swap out the core. The transformation has to be deliberate, with minimal disruption and a clear path to long-term value. It’s slower by design. More strategic. And yes, more political. You’re dealing with legacy infrastructure, multiple departments, and a higher level of risk. It’s a completely different kind of challenge, but just as rewarding when it works.

Q: Where do you think Hypersolid earned its track record? What’s your role in that?

We earn trust by bridging the gap between business and tech. We understand both—deep technical work and the full business stack, from strategy to frontend. That’s what helps us move quickly and build alignment across different teams.

Data is a key part of that. It’s the essential ingredient that connects the dots. We’ve built a data maturity index that shows clients where they are and what steps to take next. That way, the transformation stays grounded in real business goals, like conversion, retention, and loyalty. Sometimes about reducing costs or gaining more control over your platform. Whatever the goal, data makes it measurable and actionable.

Why speed matters now more than ever, according to Ivar Allema

We embed deeply in the organizations we work with, but when given the mandate, we move like a speedboat. We bring clarity, urgency, and focus. That can cause friction at first, especially in slower-moving environments. But that tension usually leads to progress. People start to see what’s possible. AI helps us accelerate that shift—it helps teams get into the right mindset faster.

Every company moves at its own pace. Disruptors go fast. Incumbents need to be more measured. But in both cases, the goal is the same: get aligned, get moving, and make the change stick.

And when they’re ready, we step back. We’re not here to stay in control. We’re here to help them take the wheel.