About POWER DELIVERY - Where Power Platform Delivery Meets Reality (and No One Holds Back)
Power Delivery is the no-BS podcast for team leads, practice managers, and CRM admins delivering real Microsoft Dynamics projects. Hosted by Areti Iles, Antti Pajunen, and Vlad Sarov — veterans of CE, F&O, and Power Platform — we share war stories, sharp takes, and delivery truths no webinar dares to mention.
No fluff.
No slides.
Just real talk from the frontlines of project delivery.
#PowerDeliveryPodcast
Ep.12: The Consulting Dating Game – Hiring for Accountability, The Fixed-Price Trap & Designing a Project Prenup
This episode dives straight into the awkward reality of the Microsoft partner ecosystem—asking why, with 8,000 partners globally, so many projects still feel like a regretful one-night stand. It moves beyond the standard sales pitch to explore the critical choice between "marrying" a Microsoft Partner for long-term stability or having a "fling" with an Independent Consultant for speed and niche expertise.
The conversation moves through the complexities of commercial arrangements, debating whether the industry obsession with fixed-price projects is actually driving the lack of accountability versus the reliability of a retainer model. It covers the hidden risks of the "bait and switch"—where stellar CVs are swapped for junior delivery teams—and discusses the provocative "multi-vendor model," questioning how multiple partners can coexist without one sitting in the uncomfortable "cuck chair" watching the other work.
It also draws powerful parallels between contract negotiations and prenuptial agreements. The discussion challenges the client's role, arguing why you need a "project prenup" for when things go wrong and why trusting a "virgin" consultant without experience is a gamble you shouldn't take. It concludes with practical strategies for spotting red flags—like powerless project managers—to ensure you know exactly who you are getting into bed with before the contract is signed.
25 Mar 2026
Ep.11: The Death of the $5 License, The Pay-As-You-Go Trap & Firing Bad Consultants
We go into the controversy surrounding the removal of the $5 Power Apps license and what it means for the future of the platform. It moves beyond the sticker price to explore why Microsoft is forcing a shift toward premium commitment and how this "forced upgrade" actually simplifies the administrative nightmares that plagued the old model.
The conversation moves through the complexities of consumption-based models versus fixed pricing, debating whether "Pay-As-You-Go" is a flexible friend or a financial trap. It covers the hidden costs of AI agents in Copilot Studio—where a simple bot can turn into a budget-busting surprise—and debates Vlad’s frustration on why licensing can’t be as simple as a tax calculator.
It also draws powerful parallels between medical diagnosis and solution architecture. The discussion challenges the industry standard, arguing why partners who treat licensing as an afterthought should be fired, and explains why the answer to "how much will it cost?" is almost always "it depends"—just like diagnosing a patient. It concludes with practical strategies for storage capacity and environment management to keep projects out of the red.
16 Jan 2026
Ep.10: Holiday Special - Corporate Espionage, Ghosts & Facing Fears
This special 10th episode takes a break from technical deep dives to celebrate a milestone and explore the human side behind the professional opinions. It offers a candid look at the hosts' backgrounds, the "accidental" origin story of the podcast, and the chemistry that drives the conversation.
The conversation moves through a series of personal and hypothetical questions, ranging from 80s nostalgia and the realities of the Finnish education system to lighter debates about corporate espionage and being stranded at a competitor’s conference. It reveals how unexpected moments and miscommunications (like Antti’s "one-episode" plan) shaped the team dynamic.
It also draws powerful parallels between personal life and professional leadership. The discussion explores how parenting creates resilience for managing difficult stakeholders, the importance of emotional regulation in delivery roles, and practical perspectives on facing fears—whether it’s project anxiety or a fear of flying.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro: Celebrating Episode 1000:56 The Origin Story: How Antti Was "Held Hostage"02:17 Why We Started a Delivery Podcast03:17 Growing Up in Finland: Education & Freedom05:58 Do You Believe in Ghosts?08:28 Stranded at a Salesforce Conference: What Would We Do?12:18 What Areti Gets Teased About (Being Tiny & Tidy)14:12 Leadership Lessons from Parenting16:29 Managing Stakeholders vs. Managing Toddlers20:03 Vlad’s Theory: The 3 Phases of Life21:12 Window vs. Aisle: The Travel Debate22:36 How to Overcome Fear of Flying24:05 Outro: Facing Your Fears
12 Jan 2026
Ep.9: Why 75% of IT Projects Fail, Big Bang or Phased Rollout?
This episode challenges the idea that speed alone leads to successful implementations and takes a closer look at where enterprise projects really fail.
The conversation explores Big Bang versus phased go-live strategies, why go-live moments are often the most nerve-racking part of delivery, and how unverified assumptions made during design and planning can surface as critical issues once systems are live.
It also gets practical about real-world delivery risks. Expectation management, adoption challenges, time pressure during go-live, and why “getting to value quickly” doesn’t always mean rushing into production. The discussion draws on ERP and Dynamics CE experiences to highlight when phased rollouts reduce risk, when Big Bang becomes unavoidable, and how teams can better prepare for both.
Chapters
00:00 Big Bang vs. Phased Approach: An Overview
12:44 Risks and Rewards of Project Delivery
18:01 Conclusion: Finding the Right Approach
28 Dec 2025
E8: Low Code is Dead? Microsoft Announcements Decoded. Choosing Partners Got Harder.
This episode questions the claim that “low code is dead” and looks at what Microsoft’s latest announcements actually mean for delivery teams, developers, and Power Platform professionals.
The conversation explores how AI and vibe coding are changing ideation, accelerating prototyping, and shifting client expectations—without removing the need for governance, quality, and strong pro-code foundations.
It also gets practical about the Microsoft partner ecosystem. Size versus capability. Designations versus real delivery experience. And how clients can choose partners more intelligently as the landscape becomes more complex.
Chapters
00:00 The Future of Low Code: Is It Really Dead?
03:04 The Impact of AI on Development Processes
06:03 Navigating the Ideation Phase with Vibe Coding
08:59 Understanding Partner Dynamics in Microsoft Ecosystem
12:10 Role Play: Client and Partner Interactions
24:01 Final Thoughts on Technology and Partnerships
23 Dec 2025
E7: Who Owns AI Delivery? You Can’t Roll Out Copilot Like CRM.
The episode looks at who really owns AI and Copilot delivery inside modern enterprises as adoption accelerates across Fortune 500 companies.
We unpack the tension between business and IT ownership, why AI cannot be rolled out like past technologies, and why cross-functional governance is no longer optional.
The conversation also reframes the role of AI champions. Not as pure technologists, but as change leaders, translators, and trust builders who navigate hype, fear, experimentation, and the hard work of turning AI into real business value.
Chapters
00:00 The Role of IT in AI Deployment
02:36 Cross-Functional Teams and AI Success
05:36 Training and Adoption Challenges
08:38 Industry-Specific AI Applications
11:36 Ownership and Governance in AI Projects
14:48 Debate on Champions and Ownership
24 Sept 2025
Ep.6: Copilot vs Agent. Where Microsoft Tools Really Fit
The episode unpacks the gap between AI hype and real-world delivery, starting with MIT’s finding that 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail to bring meaningful returns. The speakers explore how Microsoft’s AI ecosystem fits into this landscape, breaking it down into three brackets: out-of-the-box copilots like Microsoft 365 Copilot, low-code extensibility through Copilot Studio, and pro-code solutions in Azure AI Foundry.
Chapters
00:00 Understanding AI Definitions and Components
04:31 Differentiating Agents and Co-Pilots
08:55 The Future of Autonomous Agents and Chatbots
10:17 Navigating AI Tools and Safety Protocols
12:23 Debunking AI Myths and Employee Replacement
15:28 The Role of Humans in AI-Driven Organizations
17:41 AI's Impact on Business Transformation
19:38 Configuration vs. Custom Code in the era of AI
19 Sept 2025
Ep.5: Too Many Changes? Transformation Fatigue & Tech Debt
Episode 5 explores the accelerating pace of change in Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, the challenges of managing constant updates, and the human side of navigating transformation fatigue. The speakers reflect on the shift from a few changes per year to weekly updates, how this creates new forms of technical debt, and the importance of community, partners, and structured release planning. They also discuss coping with FOMO, strategies for knowledge-sharing inside teams, and practical approaches to training and enablement—from lunch-and-learns to hands-on labs and champion programs. The conversation highlights both the frustrations and opportunities of working in a fast-moving ecosystem shaped by AI and continuous innovation.
Chapters
00:00 Navigating the Rapid Pace of Change
05:01 Managing Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
13:01 Maximizing Conference Experiences
21:27 The Importance of Community Learning
24:39 The Balance of Theory and Practical Training
29:41 The Role of Champions in Training
34:39 Summary and Key Takeaways
28 Jul 2025
Ep.4: Is CoE Stalled? Governance in the age of AI. User Adoption Bad Advice.
The Episode 4 explores the dynamics of work-life balance, the importance of the Center of Excellence (CoE) for Dynamics 365, governance in citizen development, and the challenges of software adoption. The speakers discuss the significance of having a structured approach to managing software projects, emphasizing the need for proper testing, stakeholder involvement, and the careful measurement of success metrics. They also highlight common pitfalls in software implementation and the evolving role of AI in governance.
Chapters
00:41 Center of Excellence: Governance in Power Platform
03:44 When to Implement a Center of Excellence
04:01 When is the right time to introduce CoE?
06:03 Can you restrict access to Power Platform so CoE gets irrelevant?
06:33 Empowering Citizen Developers: The Role of COE
07:39 Understanding the Variability of App Development
08:30 Balancing Access and Control in App Creation
10:41 Governance in the Age of AI
13:05 The Role of Center of Excellence in Organizations
15:40 Managing Power Platform Complexity
16:47 The Importance of Adoption in IT Projects
17:52 How rule out adoption "failure by design"?
22:26 What Not to Do: Avoiding System Hatred
#PowerDeliveryPodcast
27 Jul 2025
Ep. 3: Can Power Platform Survive? Integration Nightmares. Data Migration Pitfalls.
This Episode 3 explores the future of the Power Platform in the context of AI advancements, emphasizing the importance of foundational knowledge in Power Platform for future developments. It also delves into the challenges of integration and data migration, highlighting the fragility of integrations and the need for careful planning and collaboration among teams.
Chapters
00:00 – In this episode
00:46 – Power Platform: still a good bet in the AI wave?
13:06 – Integrations: be less fragile (design & data first)
24:31 – Final thoughts & what’s coming next
26 Jul 2025
Ep.2: Team Distraction, Attention Hack, Stakeholder "Judo" Management
In Episode 2, we discuss the challenges of modern work environments, particularly focusing on the overwhelming number of interruptions faced by employees and the potential role of AI agents in managing these distractions. They explore the importance of effective stakeholder management and the need for clear communication and trust within teams. The discussion emphasizes the need for a cultural shift in how teams approach productivity and collaboration, advocating for a balance between urgent tasks and meaningful work.
Chapters
00:00 – In this episode
00:25 – Interruptions at work: staying focused (manager vs maker, manager as shield, agents)
08:24 – Quick detour: where we are & the weather
12:26 – Stakeholder Jiu-Jitsu: Mastering Management
26:37 – Before we go: what’s next
25 Jul 2025
Ep. 1. Microsoft Layoffs, Team Reskill Fast, Requirements are Dead?
In this premiere episode of Power Delivery, Areti, Antti, and Vlad take on the reality of working in tech in 2025: Microsoft layoffs, evolving consulting roles in the AI era, and the everyday chaos of requirements gathering. From personal reinventions to team tensions, and the myth of "just get the requirements right" — the hosts drop the BS and get real about what it's like delivering software that actually lands.
Chapters
00:34 – Microsoft Layoffs & the AI Refocus
03:34 – Shrinking Budgets, Partner Impact, Survival Tactics
07:06– Reinventing Consultants for the AI Era
10:39 – Requirements Gathering Reality Check
14:10 – Stakeholder Buy-In & Decision-Making
17:48 – Prototyping, Feedback Loops, and Scope Control
21:18 – Protecting Focus: Interruptions & Productivity
24:54 – AI Agents, Notifications, and the Future of Work
28:25– Key Takeaways & Closing Thoughts
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