OPINIÓN- Juan Adlercreutz from Hibrids: Why External Multidisciplinary Teams Matter More Than Ever in the Age of AI

Having ideas was never the problem. The real challenge has always been turning them into realities that work, scale, and generate impact.

And today, in the era of artificial intelligence—where everything is accelerating—that challenge has only intensified.
In this new landscape, the differentiator isn’t who has the best technology, but who knows how to integrate it best. It’s not the biggest who wins, but the most agile.

And often, agility doesn’t come from hiring more people or forming another committee—it comes from bringing in an external team with vision, speed, and the ability to drive change from the outside.

Here are three reasons why having an external multidisciplinary team might be the most powerful catalyst for real impact you can put on the table today.

1. No Data, No AI (And Without Culture, No Real Adoption)

Many companies have launched AI initiatives. Few have achieved sustainable results. Why? A lack of the right data… and cultural integration.

1. Structural: AI runs on data. If it’s incomplete, poorly structured, or disconnected from business priorities, the models lose effectiveness and generate little value.
2. Cultural: Adopting AI isn’t just about “installing a tool.” It’s about changing how work gets done, how decisions are made, and how learning happens. Without that transformation, AI remains stuck in pilots that never scale.

At Hibrids, we’ve seen this up close: companies with strong systems but chaotic data. Or motivated teams without proper support. The turning point comes when data has strategy… and people are at the center. An external multidisciplinary team helps:

• Audit data quality and structure before implementing AI
• Design data capture and cleansing strategies aligned with business needs (not trends)
• Identify silos, incompatible formats, or cultural gaps blocking data flow
• Detect internal resistance and turn it into a change driver through training and strategic communication
• Involve key teams in solution design and testing, ensuring organic adoption
• Implement change management: from building internal champions to creating safe spaces to experiment, fail, and learn

2. Agility as an Advantage: Creating Safe Spaces to Test, Fail, and Scale

Agility isn’t just about speed. It’s the ability to adapt, to learn as you go—and yes—to fail fast in order to succeed smarter.
In environments where innovation is no longer optional, winning companies are those that create the right conditions: safe spaces to experiment, make informed decisions, and move forward without fear of failure. That’s where an external multidisciplinary team can truly make a difference. They don’t come in to replace. They come in to unlock—to create the conditions for ideas to move forward, prototypes to breathe, and innovation to flourish without needing a full organizational overhaul. An external multidisciplinary team helps:

• Connect departments that rarely collaborate (e.g. product + business + legal)
• Shorten the gap between decision and execution without disrupting daily operations
• Launch functional prototypes in weeks—to test before investing
• Share responsibility in exploration: fail fast, learn faster
• Unblock solutions when internal teams are too deep into the problem
• Align teams around a common challenge, with clarity and focus
• Introduce agile ways of working without massive structural changes

3. Growing with Allies: Opening Markets, Exploring New Industries, and Gaining Outside Perspective

Today, we have more access than ever to information, travel, and global connections. But reports, video calls, and dashboards don’t replace real experience. Because to truly innovate—in new markets, categories, or models—you have to go out. See, touch, listen. Use all your senses. And be willing to explore beyond your usual industry, region, or logic. An external team doesn’t just bring internal speed. They can be the partner that broadens your perspective, connects you to the right ecosystems, and facilitates key moves outside your comfort zone. An external multidisciplinary team helps:

• Accelerate market entry by connecting with key players
• Identify strategic allies (commercial, tech, logistics)
• Design growth strategies tailored to local realities (culture, regulation, competition)
• Connect with innovation ecosystems in other regions via on-the-ground immersions or explorations
• Combine emerging trends to create new categories with real differentiation
• Explore inorganic growth: co-investments, acquisitions, partnerships
• Spark strategic conversations that are hard to start from the inside

In Closing
An external multidisciplinary team isn’t just another vendor. It’s a partner that accelerates when the internal path slows down. That challenges respectfully. That turns strategy into action. Today, when everyone has access to the same tools, what sets you apart isn’t what you use—but how and with whom.

By
Juan Adlercreutz
CEO
Hibrids