Every business develops software, but relatively few embrace it as a competitive currency. For most enterprises, software development is a necessity, but for others, it’s a competitive differentiator. Tesla’s software has fundamentally changed the way we control an automobile and placed a 10-year-old startup at the head of the connected car race. Nike has used software to redefine itself as a fitness lifestyle brand, expanding far beyond the competitive and low-margin world of apparel manufacturing.

Combining physical goods and services with software provides opportunities to differentiate, augment existing products and create entirely new revenue streams with thicker margins, but it also creates technical and operational challenges. Where does a fundamental reimagining of a software-driven business begin, and what cultural, process and staffing changes does a true transformation require? Which opportunities make the most sense? What technologies are critical to supporting this more nimble way of doing business, and how much…