Talking Microsoft leadership, products, and channel with Steve Mordue

The Microsoft Business Applications product line's new look is starting to come into focus under the leadership of CVP Charles Lamanna. In a recent conversation with Microsoft MVP Steve Mordue, Lamanna discussed some of his team's recent work, its successes, and future challenges. Lamanna's upward rise at Microsoft started in the Power Platform team, but he now represents the Dynamics 365 lineup, too.



Mordue discusses his impressions after talking with Lamanna this time (it was the fourth interview they've done over the years) and how both Microsoft's product and channel plans have impacted the community, including Mordue's own business decisions related to RapidStart CRM and Forceworks.



Show Notes:

6:30 - Could Power Platform really help upsell Dynamics 365 apps? 12:30 - Viva Sales and the Biz Apps R&D team's involvement 15:30 - Why enthusiasm from Charles Lamanna is likely to be followed by real progress 20:00 - Some Nuance R&D is now under the Biz Apps umbrella 22:45 - Microsoft's much improved acquisition strategy for business apps 25:30 - Reviewing the D365 product management leaders 29:00 - Are Steve's new clients starting with an interest in an app or in the platform? 31:30 - Adapting services offerings for low code development 38:15 - Changing customer perceptions on the idea of continuous development vs discrete start and end dates 40:00 - Making sense of the channel outlook from Partner Economics as it relates to Power Platform opportunities 44:00 - Differences in the new generation of buyers 45:30 - Why Steve's firm transitioned to offering a free app on Power Platform with a subscription services model 49:45 - How will partners prove their worth with a new generation of customers? 52:00 - Thinking about the future of the partner business model

Great talk! I wonder what are Steve's thoughts on how Copilot is going to affect the ecosystem. Also, it invites to question where is viva going if Copilot is the new shiny tech?